GIFTING

Carried by the summer breeze

Scent carries our memories like music, a single note bringing waves of unexpected nostalgia. For some, remembrance can bring olfactory hallucination, the two notions having become intricately linked. A moment, a touch, a conversation, a friendship or a love…  waves of beautiful, visceral emotion. Here, summer is an anthology of stories, each told by scent. Taking a mind-clearing walk on the clifftops, the waves crash below, the birds kettle high above. You brush past clary sage, eucalyptus and lavender growing wild. The ocean air fills your lungs. You notice how sea-soaked branches grasp the rocks aside your path. As your mind wanders back to your day ahead, you replace a…

A gardener’s diary, the summer edit

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Now, whilst I might swap out ‘library’ for thoughtfully curated wine rack’, I do agree with the former. But, I am suddenly acutely aware as the summer has finally entered centre stage with a fanfare that my garden, once a luscious frequented space adorned with touches of soft furnishings and wildlife-enticing plants, is a far cry from being sundowner ready. My desk-based afternoon daydreams involve planning abundant herb-filled planters for the perfect capsule kitchen garden, filling every gap with the intricate blooms of David Austin roses and lining every wall for heady scent with ‘Gold Flame’ Honeysuckle…

Bentley Beyond, The Collection. For the journey.

Driving a car you love is so much more than the ‘a’ to ‘b’. It’s the feel of the steering wheel moving from under your palm, the resistance of the accelerator beneath your sole or the slick movement of the gearbox. Sometimes it’s the thrill you get when the mechanic tells you that against all odds, your pernickety classic car flew through its MOT. It’s the bond you feel and the memories you create together over the miles.

A note to my Valentine

My love language is quality time. The moments shared whilst getting ready for a leisurely meal, enjoyed by candlelight and accompanied by a bottle of something very special to share across the evening…

Portable Xmas Tree by D.S. & Durga

The stocking of desire

Somehow, once again, we’ve whipped through weeks and flown through the months, and that fateful day of festive excitement, adoration-showing and gift-sharing is once more upon us.