Friday 3 June 2016

I never promised you a rose garden

Last weekend was a quiet one. We didn't go charity shopping on Saturday and although there were a few local flea markets on Sunday, the weather was too unstable for the outdoor one and we didn't fancy the one being held indoors, which we have visited before and which can be a bit hit and miss.


On Saturday, the weather was fine, and we were happy doing some pottering around the house and garden.



It was warm enough to have lunch outside at our little table amid the lushness of the garden, which is at its peak this time of year.

There is plenty going on in the garden. No roses though!


It looks like we will be getting a bumper crop of gooseberries this year. They are the red variety, ripening to a sumptuous wine red, so they are nowhere near ready for picking yet.

Our inherited Cotoneaster bush, still going strong after all these years, is positively alive with the buzzing of all kind of bees, who seem to be strongly attracted to its rather nondescript little flowers.

Look at that pretty snail hiding under the Hydrangea leaves, quite sleepy now but waiting for the cover of night to start chomping its way through our precious greenery.

On the bottom left is my dad's cat Zebedee. Isn't he a cutie?
Our Welsh poppies (Meconopsis cambrica) haven chosen the company of our pot-grown Oregano and are discarding their furry bonnets one by one to show off their pretty orange faces. They offer a welcome change of diet for the bees.



We only ventured outside our leafy domain (quite a euphemism for a garden measuring only about 4,50 by 12 metres) for a quick visit to the garden centre, where we bought some Lavender, Million Bells to put in our pink plastic hanger and a pot of pink Cosmos.



For the Lavender, we chose the Hidcote variety, which is compact and has lovely dark purple flowers. We have massed them in a big terracotta planter on our windowsill, where they will - hopefully - act as a natural air freshener to mask the musty smell which comes from our unpleasant neighbour's house whenever he opens his back door. This variety also reminds us of our visit to Hidcote Manor near Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds in 2007. Oh my, can it really be already nine years ago?

I wore flower-print dresses on both Saturday and Sunday.


Saturday's was a multi-coloured Karelia dress printed with a meadow full of flowers.
I added a raffia belt and some blue beads which echoed the splashes of blue in the dress.


I chose flowers for Sunday's dress as well, this one a pink, blue and tan print, accessorized with a blue vinyl belt and a string of small light blue beads.

Flowers also feature on the two dresses I bought last Thursday at Think Twice, who were once again having one of their sales on. While out shopping with my best friend Princess Inez, this is what I found.


This pretty blue, purple and green striped dress has a multitude of trailing flowers at its hem. I already wore it to work, with a green belt and birds brooch and some pink beads. I found the navy handbag at the same time. Both were € 4.


The second dress is this new-to-me one from retro label Hearts & Roses. I don't usually do retro dresses but this one was too pretty to leave behind and fit me perfectly to boot. Seriously, at € 4, it would have been rude not to snap it up.

On Sunday, our pottering was mainly done inside the house because of the weather. I finished some long-overdue repairs on a dress, did some ironing (!) and cuddled up on the sofa with this lot:


Not long now ...

24 comments:

  1. When are you in Wales? We're seriously thinking of going with Meirionwen at the start of July, just for the day xxx

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    1. We're in Wales from the 19th of June until the 1st of July, Melanie, travelling back to Belgium on the 2nd of July. It's a pity really, as we would have loved to meet Meirionwen ;-) and you, of course. xxx

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    2. Phooey, we're meant to be going on July 3rd. So close but yet so far xxx

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    3. That's indeed very close, but who knows, maybe another time and place. Hope you are having a lovely time taking Meirionwen for a visit to her home country. xxx

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  2. We're in Wales from the 19th of June until the 1st of July, Melanie, travelling back to Belgium on the 2nd of July. It's a pity really, as we would have loved to meet Meirionwen ;-) and you, of course. xxx

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  3. That Hearts & Roses dress is absolutely stunning! Wowzers! On the really off chance you ever tire of it and need to find a new home to send it to, I happily volunteer to adopt it. :)

    I hope that all is well on your end, dear Ann, and that You're having a sunny, terrific first weekend of June!

    xoxo ♥ Jessica

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    1. I'll put your name on that dress in case I ever tire of it, Jessica. It was a lucky find as it's a perfect fit, too. We have seen the sun today, though only briefly, followed by a thunderstorm. xxx

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    2. Now now ladies, no fighting please ;-) Maybe it's best if I just keep it myself. xxx

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  4. I do love an interesting pattern at the hem, and that Your garden looks like a mini-paradise. Do you do anything cooked with the gooseberries like jam, or pie?

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    1. I have quite a few dresses with a pattern at the hem. The garden is indeed a mini paradise, mainly for our cat Phoebe. It is quite unkempt at the moment, though, so I'm only showing the good bits! Not enough gooseberries for jam or pie, I'm afraid. xxx

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  5. The garden is absolutely gorgeous and so well kept!!! Wow!
    I LOVE the rose shirt dress- would wear that in a hearbeat!
    So exciting you are coming the UK- where are you visiting?x

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    1. Thank you Kezzie, but well kept our garden certainly isn't. At least not at the moment. It rather looks like a jungle, but it's a haven for wildlife, and for Phoebe of course. We will be in Pembrokeshire from the 18th of June until the 1st of July. xxx

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  6. What a pretty garden. I cant grow a weed. I love the rose print dress very pretty. I hope you enjoy your UK adventure

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    1. Thank you! I am very good at growing weeds ;-) Looking forward to our adventure, but I will miss blogging ... xxx

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  7. stachelbeeren!
    :-)
    your garden looks beautiful and your sitting place is very cosy with all the green around! we went to the garden market too on saturday - bought some flowers for the "sommersalon"....
    flower dresses galore! totally pretty!!! xxxxxx

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    1. Stekelbessen ;-) Our garden is very lush this time of year, and it's nice sitting at that little table between all the greenery ... xxx

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  8. How lush your garden looks from those photos. I do love the print on your Sunday dress, and the blue and purple of your new dress is a fab combination. I recognise the church at Mwnt from your brochures, we visited that part of Wales (Llangrannog) in July 2014, so pretty.

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    1. Thank you Claire! We have been to that area a few times before. I love Mwnt and we've been walking from Llangrannog to Ynys Lochtyn (had to check the spelling on that one) last year. Very impressive! xxx

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  9. You both look lovely in your dream of a garden. Love your floral frocks and that repro one is one of the nicest I've seen - I'm not generally a fan of them either.
    Your Dad's cat is gorgeous. I love a tabby cat. xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! The problem with that retro dress is that it needs ironing ... Our previous cat was also a tabby and she was a right little Madam, just like Phoebs. xxx

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  10. I bagzy the maxi and the repro retro and any other you are sick of. You sure get some fabulous frocks Ann.
    We are off to Witney oxford tomorrow for s week then calling to see Vix and Jon on the way home.
    Have a super time in Wales and if you are anywhere near Montgomery be sure to visit Tina and Gav at Indigo Moon and say hi from me and Philip xxx

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    1. Postman Dave will have his work cut out if I were to send you all those frocks! Witney, eh. I have been to Witney many times. We holidayed near there in 2006-2007. Montgomery will be a bit far to travel from Cardigan, but we're thinking of going a bit higher up next year. xxx

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