✿ a walk to the farm shop on my own one morning last week, just because I didn't feel like going home. I bought a bar of my favourite chocolate and a take away milky coffee, then walked back through the park to my favourite bench to sit in the sun and consume the aforementioned refreshments. It was a small window of relaxation in my busy week that I would probably have forgotten about if I hadn't just come across the above photo of my bench view. These are the same cherry trees that I photographed in this post back in May - in fact if you look at the 2nd to last photo in that post you'll see my favourite bench right there under the trees.
✿ pegging out the laundry and having a little tussle with the clematis. It's flowering beautifully this year whilst attempting to grow it's way along my washing line. I've decided to leave it be and peg around it as best as I can.
✿ A Sunday morning walk along the river - this is Linton Falls looking incredibly dry and depleted (you can see this same spot in my November post when the river was in full flow).
✿ the heatwave continues here in he UK, with temperatures reaching 29°C (this is around 84°F which I know isn't at all hot for many of you in other parts of the world, but it is for us Brits!). I love the hot weather (love love love it) but it sure looks like hard work for those wearing a woolly fleece.
✿ plodding along the riverside, listening to the banter going back and forth between J and Little B. It was just the three of us on this Sunday morning as the two Teens were both off doing other things.
✿ a little bit wowed by this enormous tree fungus, it was as big as a stack of dinner plates. Somehow I always associate fungus with the Autumn season, but this summer-loving one was seriously impressive.
✿ love love loving a continuous succession of summer posies in various jugs and bottles on my table. Sweet peas, cosmos, lavender and lady's mantle looking unbelievably pretty. I've got sweet peas growing at the allotment and in a large pot in the back yard too - I can't say they are really producing an abundance of flowers just yet, but there are enough for me to pick small posies every week. I've got a little bottle of flowers beside my bed at the moment too, which makes me so happy.
✿ a family jaunt out on Saturday to the RHS gardens near Harrogate where it was all very beautiful, sunshiny and refined. In complete contrast to the calm, serene surroundings our youngest child decided to behave like a wild thing.
✿ luckily there are parts of the gardens that are very suitable for wild-child behaviour, thank goodness for the open grassy slopes (roly-polys galore) and the woodland play areas (cue much wild running). I think all that restrained behaviour on the terrace at Betty's tearoom (not to mention the sugary drink and cookie that was consumed on said terrace) simply needed an outlet. It was simultaneously worrying and inspiring watching that child deal with his excess energy.
✿ the last time we came to HC was many years ago when I was carrying Little B inside my tummy and it was Autumn time then. The gardens are an absolute delight in the height of summer, I was on visual overload for a while.
✿ I adored this wild flower meadow planted next to the kitchen garden, it was humming with bees and was such a feast for the eyes and the soul.
✿ there was so much about the gardens that I enjoyed - the alpine house, the kitchen garden, the ginomrous terracota pots overflowing with summer flowers, the willow sculptures....it was all very, very lovely. I wish I'd taken more photos, especially of the kitchen garden which was totally inspirational and made me wish for more time and energy to give to our allotment plot.
✿ J and I have been walking in the countryside every chance we get and I have so enjoyed being out and about making the most of the weather and the summer season. On Sunday all three of our offspring happened to be busy with friends so we took ourselves off to Bolton Abbey and walked the whole length and breadth of the estate. From Barden Bridge at one end down to the Abbey at the other end, crossing back and forth over the three river bridges in a big loop. I think it was around 7 or 8 miles in total and was such a lovely walk.
✿ at the start of this week we had our first proper downpour of rain in almost two months. A muggy grey day of low cloud and light drizzle, followed by heavy rainfall in the evening. The air smelt amazing and was the very definition of the word petrichor. It was just the most calming and relaxing thing to be sat quietly in bed with the window wide open, listening to the sound of the rain falling.
✿ keeping up the watering regime at the allotment has been a struggle in this dry hot weather but we are plodding on with it. Our small number of crops are hanging on in there, some doing better than others. The spinach gave up early on and bolted, but we have high hopes for cucumbers and tomatoes which are looking very promising growing in the shelter of a small plastic tenty-type greenhouse thingy. I planted a row of dwarf beans and they are the smallest bean plants I have ever seen, barely reaching above my ankles. However, they are producing flowers and beans..........and yesterday I harvested the grand total of nine beans which was very exciting in a rather small, modest way. We ate them for dinner, sharing them out two each which was a bit of a joke but the Little People made the appropriate enthusiastic noises to keep me happy. Bless 'em. In case you were wondering, I added shop-bought sugar snap peas to the 2-bean offering so it wasn't quite as desperate as it sounds.
✿ been playing with sweet peas this week, arranging them, faffing with them, photographing them and just plain enjoying their colourful beauty, like you do.
✿ I really want to have a go at designing a crochet sweet pea flower so that I can make some to twine around a Summer wreath. They are very three-dimensional flowers so I've found it hard in the past to look at photos of them and work out how the petal construction might work. But having the real thing to look at makes it very much easier, and the colours are really inspiring me and my summer loving heart.
✿ not homegrown potatoes, but the mint is growing exuberantly in one of my many back yard pots. Yesterday's dinner offering was the nine allotment green beans (with added sugar snap peas), salmon filet marinated in olive oil/lemon/honey/garlic then pan fried, and baby new potatoes tossed in butter and fresh mint. It was light, tasty and utterly summery. I hope the Little People look back on their childhood family meals and remember how blinkin' good they were. I cook from scratch with fresh ingredients most nights, and having the five of us all sit down at the table to eat our evening meal together is one of the true highlights of my day. I may be totally rubbish at housework in general, but I do always try my bestest to do a good job with the food thing.
✿ a little bit of after dinner hooky in the back yard, crocheting the last run of ripples on this gorgeous summer cotton blanket. I think I've only got around 6 stripes left to make, then it's onto the border. I'm so looking forward to telling you more about the yarn (which I've totally fallen in love with) and the two summer blankets that I've been steadily plodding away with since February. Not long to wait now.....I'm really pretty flipping excited to share, it drives me a bit bonkers to keep things under wraps for any length of time. I'll be feeling a whole load better once this is all out there, I can't wait!!!
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Thank you so much for sharing your pictures. They are always so uplifting. Also thoroughly enjoy your crochet pictures and colors. Ahh to be at 84. It's so hot here in South Carolina USA. It was 95 with a heat index that made it 105. Humidity is horrid. Thank goodness for air conditioning and fans. Hope to come to England and stay for a time in the next year. Will love traveling to the towns and villages and walking trails. Thanks again.
Posted by: diane wilalrd | July 23, 2018 at 08:21 PM
There is nothing quite as lovely as new baby potatoes boiled with a sprig of mint. Yum. Served up with plenty of butter, s&p.
We've had some awfully hot days as well here in Ontario, Canada. Retreating to the air conditioning or basement as much as possible.
Love your posies. Very cheerful.
Posted by: AnnieC | July 23, 2018 at 12:20 AM
I love that meadow field too!!
We have also had a long-lasting heatwave here in Finland, and the dry hot summer started already in May, very unusual for here. Lately it's been 34°C on many days, far too hot for me because most houses and apartments don't have air-conditioning. But on the slightly cooler days like today 27 I just love the heat :)
Posted by: Tuula Maaria | July 22, 2018 at 12:48 PM
Thanks Lucy for this blog and good for you getting out into the heat. We had our first rain last niht, since 29 May and it has poured but unfortunately I think I am going to lose some treasured plants though lack of water. I love Sweet Peas and the smell is glorious.
Posted by: Carol | July 21, 2018 at 01:14 PM
Loved the bit about you being "rubbish at housework" but good at cooking. I always enjoy hearing your imaginative and tasty sounding meals and snacks. You put together such simple, delicious combinations.I feel like I lack imagination in the food arena. You certainly do not!
Posted by: mrs. smythe | July 21, 2018 at 12:04 PM
Love your blog, I find it so uplifting. Thank you Lucy
Posted by: Diane Smith | July 21, 2018 at 09:18 AM
I can almost smell those sweet peas! Had to giggle about the homegrown veg. I dish mine up with a teaspoon so we can all get a look in! New potatoes from your own patch taste all that better. Loving the summery (that is a word?) blanket a gorgeous pick n mix of pretty colours.
Posted by: Trudi | July 20, 2018 at 01:44 PM
Well done on all the growing, I know how hard it is to keep an allotment watered. Homgrown veggies are such a treat though. No-one is allowed to leave anything homegrown here! The RHS kitchen garden looks lovely, I bet it was inspirational. It's always good to see round an amazing garden for ideas and just a bit of relaxation. Your clematis is a thing of beauty, it really is. Hope you have a good weekend. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | July 20, 2018 at 09:38 AM
We've still not had any rain not that I am complaining. I'm loving the glorious weather even if it is a little too hot for comfort some days. I just wish we could have a good old thunder storm over night as I love watching them. Doesn't look like we are going to get anything anytime soon on the rain front. Its amazing what your children do remember as adults, some more than others. Finding out we're to become grandparents this year has sparked off lots of conversation with my son about when he was growing up which has been lovely. It's nice to know they think you did a half decent job of it. Your blankets as always are lovely. Still haven't attempted a ripple yet but loving making blankets with waffle stitch at the moment.
Mitzi
Posted by: Mitzi | July 20, 2018 at 09:24 AM
Love,love,love your posts - thank you! That dry river looks a bit worrying. It's even been hot up here in Scotland, and we're on a private water supply so the possibility of turning on the tap and nothing coming out is very real! Wish us luck (and maybe a wee bit of rain 💧)!
Posted by: Lindsay | July 20, 2018 at 06:16 AM
Your potatoes look grand. The ones we get here in the US leave a lot to be desired. I have never seen such perfect potatoes ever. I just don't buy them that often because half the bag is wasted because they are beginning to go bad. They look good!
Posted by: Patti Smith | July 20, 2018 at 05:10 AM
WOW the difference in Linton falls is amazing lucy. I remember my 2 visits so far to uk and loved your area and met you of course at yarndale 2016 ☺☺ Love all the colourful pics today xo
Posted by: Wendy | July 20, 2018 at 04:48 AM
I love these photos! 29 degrees C sounds so refreshing to me as it was 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) here in Dallas, Texas, USA today. It makes me long for a trip to your part of the world!
Posted by: Andrea S. | July 20, 2018 at 01:48 AM
Dear Lucy, You would not survive in our Aussie heatwaves where many days are 40 to 42 degrees withot any relief. I find them very hard, especially with the high humidity that comes with the high temperatures. I would love to visit some of the places you photograph on your blog. Have been following your blog for many years and love reading about your daily life. Am coming to the UK. in August but sadly will not have time to travel to Yorkshire. Thanks for your blog.
Posted by: Robyn | July 20, 2018 at 12:23 AM
Lovely blog as usual Lucy ,you draw us in with your lovely photos and descriptions. The colours are always a delight,like our favourite coloured sweets in one lovely package. Take time now to smell the flowers and know how much you are thought of !
Posted by: Mary Lloyd Jones | July 19, 2018 at 11:54 PM
Love that clematis! Gorgeous colour! I must try growing one.
Can’t wait to visit uk next May going to Chelsea but those gardens you went to look lovely too.
Going to try and make some of those pumpkins you made I love them and it is winter here in n.z! Although having frosty mornings and sunny days, very lucky.
Posted by: Carolyn wood | July 19, 2018 at 11:07 PM
Thanks for such a lovely post Lucy, the only trouble is that when everyone posts about summer in Yorkshire, I just want to come back. I'm looking forward to seeing how you tackle those sweet peas. Keeping "mum" about your work is taxing, as I had to not say too much before my article in a magazine was published just recently, especially on social media. Hope it all goes well & you can share soon. Thanks again, take care & have a great weekend.
Posted by: Susan Smith | July 19, 2018 at 10:42 PM
The most extraordinary thing has just happened! I have been reading your lovely blog for the pasg few years. You have on the one hand inspired me to take up crocheting. On the other hand, your beautiful photographs have inspired us to come visit Yorkshire this summer. Can you guess where we were today? At Linton Falls, visiting all the way from Switzerland! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have given me more than you possibly imagine!
Posted by: Barbara | July 19, 2018 at 10:13 PM
I love all the flower photos! Your sweet peas are so pretty. I do love to cook from scratch and I do so most nights. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do, I find it very relaxing.
Posted by: Julia | July 19, 2018 at 09:55 PM
Your photos are STUNNING!!!Nature is incredible.
Step away from the public eye totally if you need to.You have made a huge contribution already.X
Posted by: Gillian French | July 19, 2018 at 09:29 PM
ooh I've just noticed your link to "Petrichor"! I love that smell and will use the word all the time now....when it starts raining!!
Posted by: Crafty Cath | July 19, 2018 at 08:40 PM
Thanks for sharing. I love your latest blanket - crocheting with cotton in the Summer is a splendid idea. I am battling with wool, desperately trying to make 50 sunflower heads for my nieces wedding and it's too hot!! I wish I'd used cotton yarn but it's too late now. I look forward to your crochet sweet peas. They are one of my favourite flowers, the scent, mmmm. No rain here yet in the South East UK....
Posted by: Crafty Cath | July 19, 2018 at 08:38 PM
Hi Lucy, good to see your blog pop to the top of my list! Sorry for your feeling a bit stressed, I really am amazed at how much you do in a day so a good rest is in order. I enjoyed all your photos and stories. I'm looking forward to hearing more about those gorgeous blankets and I do love cotton yarn! Enjoy your summer.. hard to believe it's over half over already! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Posted by: Teresa Kasner | July 19, 2018 at 07:39 PM
Aahhh...I feel better now that I got my Lucy fix! LOL I adore the blanket your making, I still haven't tried to make a ripple. I'll take up the challenge soon though :)
Here in Southern Indiana we're in a heat wave that's had no break since mid-June. If you've heard the phrase "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" you'll grasp the reason hot weather is so miserable here. We've been consistently at or above 90F with anywhere from 75-90% humidity. It's like walking around in a sauna. Now that that negativity is out of my system...spring and summer are still my favorite time of year. Everything is green and lush, flowers are everywhere, and the local farm stands are bursting with yummy fresh choices. The melons are just beginning to ripen on their vines and our area is famous for our cantaloupe...yyyuummmmm!!
Thank you as always for sharing a bit of your world with us all. Best of everything to you and yours :)
Posted by: Margie | July 19, 2018 at 07:24 PM
Thanks for your lovely uplifting Blog Lucy!
I love it that I know and visit most of the places you talk about.
our dog George had a lovely time chasing the swallows in that park the other day.
he was oblivious to anything else and wore himself out to a frazzle.
I also love the small Summer posies. I ha e been bringing flowers in from our small cottage garden and I much prefer them to the large bouquets you buy in the shops.
Thanks so much for sharing and take good care! X
Posted by: Kathryn Grimshaw | July 19, 2018 at 06:56 PM