A new mustard yellow enamelware jug

All the rest of my enamelware is the traditional white with blue rim, and over the years I’ve added various pieces. I’ve pie dishes, pie plates and tumblers and I’ve got my eye on a baking set, if only the traditional colour way were to come back in stock.

I’d spotted the mustard yellow items and my head was turned. For a while I pretended not to lust after it, but in the end it was no use. So when MOH asked what I’d like for my birthday I spotted my opportunity. He did say another jug, but that wasn’t too surprising. And then he said, not the blue and white - he knows me well.

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It arrived this past week, and it is gorgeous.

I’m still a white and blue rim enamel kind of girl, but now with a branch out into mustard yellow!

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For me its primary purpose will hopefully be flowers, and I knew I’d have some in the garden that would work. I cut the allium heads and set those in the jug alongside some of the longer stemmed clematis which is in full flower on our patio. Don’t they look great?

The colours of the sweet peas also went well but sadly it’s not a sweet pea kind of jug.

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I’m hoping they do a smaller version if I’m honest!

PoCoLo

Wisteria at Wisley

One of the advantages of visiting RHS Wisley at this time of year is to see some wisteria close up. I hadn’t realised before we went, but of course it makes perfect sense for Wisley to have wonderful wisteria. On this visit we tried many new paths, and after a wander through a garden full of box and ivy and leaving through this grand gateway we were about to head straight into the flowering wisteria.

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And unusually straight past the peonies both in flower and in bud, well for the time being anyway.

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Wisteria really is a wonderful plant, and I’m sure you can understand the pull to see it much closer up.

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Wisteria is plentiful in our local area, it’s even in our neighbouring gardens - but I’ve not been able to get up this close to any of them. Isn’t it magnificient?

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I have contemplated our own plant, and growing it against the cottage wall at the bottom of our garden would work well for us. I’m less sure if it would work quite so well for our neighbours living in the cottage though, so it’s never happened. I just have to admire from afar, or up close if I get the chance.

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The wisteria had fairly grand surroundings.

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And happy bed fellows.

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With a final backward glance we headed off to explore more of what the gardens had to offer, and spoiler, there was plenty more to see.

PoCoLo

Love this #93 Majeda Clarke's modern traditionals

It was hard not to fall in love with this Caernarfon Candy Pop Blanket when I walked past it and then quickly backtracked at the 2019 Grand Designs Live. The colours are very modern, but the patterns so traditional. But they work so well together.

Orange and pinks are my colours so it’s not really as surprise that this colour combo caught my eye, is it? And that interest only grew as I learnt more about Majeda Clarke and her textile creations. If your interest is also piqued then you should know they’re not cheap, but they marry Majeda’s Bangladesh heritage with modern Bauhaus, woven in a Welsh mill using a Yorkshire yarn.

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The result is simply stunning, and definitely one for my maybe one day wish list. What do you think?