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May 26, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

Beautiful picture! Got roses and foxgloves just starting to bloom here. Sat outside in the sunshine listening to the bees humming while I ate my lunch. And we got the paddling pool out this week and the sun cream battles have started again!

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This week has been all about the fledglings! It started when my cat cornered a flightless baby blue jay near our front door one evening, thus quarantining all of the animals (including us) indoors for the rest of the week. Can’t risk the cats getting out and causing havoc. Since then I have noticed insistent fledgling cardinals, titmice, wrens, and doves in the trees. All are demanding food. Their parents are working full time trying to keep up with their big appetites! Hopefully the babies will learn to fly soon - we spotted another one this morning - so we can go about our normal lives.

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May 26, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

In Harrogate, Sitting in the shade with the smell of butterfly lavender sipping a mojito.

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May 26, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

Visiting Chelsea flower show would just about be my dream! Maybe some day. I love your observation about the woods - I haven’t been in a while so haven’t yet observed that spotlight light before the canopy closes. My three this week are - a laburnum tree hanging down in golden threads. Second, hopefully transplanting waterlilies, bog beans, plantain, and rosebay willowherb into a new pond. Third, the night smelling like summer, finally. And (bonus which I’ve just remembered!) the best British strawberries 🍓

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May 26, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

The May is most definitely out so I have cast my clout and summer has begun. My grandma used to buy bedding plants the week before the spring bank holiday so I do the same, it just feels right. So I went a bit crazy on busy lizzies, verbena, lobelia and fuchsia. An instant injection of colour.

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May 26, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

Ah Lia - your three this week are dreamy! This is just the best week so far in this gorgeous unfolding of early summer. I didn’t know that part of your story ( your time as a trainee journalist at The Garden - makes perfect sense!) but your Chelsea piece is just beautiful! The May blossom pic and forest spotlight too. Thank you - I was transported!

My three this week are partly because of our slightly crazy lifestyle of trying to live in two very different places at opposite ends of the country ( I know!). So - firstly, the A3/ A1 driven equivalent of your train journey - we drove north for 8 hours on Wednesday/ Thursday and saw the entire length of England decked out in all its green, flowery, verdant finery and it was a joy! Verges bursting with the lovely ox- eye daisy, poppy, buttercup trinity of colour, May blossom in full glory everywhere , cow parsley meadows - and the whole vista of 50 shades of green ! We just looked and looked and never tired of it. Full on sunshine too - we do live in a beautiful country.

Then - sitting in our friends huge, perfect garden ( where we stayed overnight to break the journey) - the results of their 60 years of long term devoted , expert gardening. Like a Chelsea show garden. I’ll post a pic on Sunday.

Finally, getting back here last night ( north Northumberland) and finding my garden thriving and well watered - and my Madame Lemoine white lilac in full perfect blossom, the best it’s ever been. Bliss.

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The first fireflies/“lightning bugs” came out this week. First outdoor swimming pool visit of the year. Unseasonably cool and wet weather.

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Sarah Price’s ethereal iris are everywhere right now! What a magical space x

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May 27, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

Oh yes- let the clout casting begin in earnest ! After a week of this weather, the May is well and truly out and I think we’ll be ok now! 😘

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I was watching a father blackbird feed its chick this week. They are nesting in our clematis and it struck me that when I was younger I used to think they were just a male/ female couple because the chicks are so puffy and almost the same size. ✨🥰

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May 26, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

Irises here too, bleached, tightly furled and unwary foetidissima poking through undergrowth. Sweeping, sweeping, sweeping the walnut leaves and blackened cases pinging and clattering down. Sweeping, sweeping kowhai confetti into the dark.

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May 26, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

Two from me this week: one, the first elderflowers looking ready to pick for cordial or whatever we decide to turn them to! Even some that are in arms reach, too! And second, weather nice enough to work outside, and my group chats popping off with people saying "taps aff the day" 😁

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May 26, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

The Benton Irises in Sarah Price’s garden are so lovely. I have one at the moment, Benton Susan, that is flowering her socks off. So glad that Cedric Morris’ s Benton End is being restored for arts and gardens. And so happy to see the world enjoying his irises.

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I love those patches of light in the woods too. It feels like when you step into them you might be transported into another world.

This week has been all about roses! Paris is in bloom and it’s lovely 🌹 when I popped into Bon marché they even had big baskets of fake ones hanging from the ceiling 😍

We also had our first drink outside which was a delight and our first outdoor ice cream. I love this time of year.

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May 27, 2023Liked by Lia Leendertz

The alliums and pink roses in the garden are out and it’s taken on a totally different feel. I love this colour palette so much backed by all the fresh green leaves.

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Cutting and bringing in the first proper bunch of flowers from the garden 🪴 a mix of cultivated flowers and beautiful self-sown ‘weeds’ that are equally beautiful

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