Underneath the Linden Tree

I'm lucky enough to live near a lovely park - Victoria Park in Cardiff.  It's got one of the nicest playgrounds I've seen in a park, a free paddling pool during the summer, and lots of meandering paths to stroll along.  Every year, at about this time of year, outside the side entrance I get a whiff of something lovely, and I've been trying to figure out what it is; scouring the front gardens nearby for fragrant flowers and shrubs.  Well I've finally figured out where it's coming from - it's the trees!  There are Linden trees dotted throughout the park and you get wafts of the delightful fragrance as you walk.

 

The aroma of Linden blossom is exquisite and full-bodied with so many layers that it could be a perfume in its own right.  I bought some absolute a few years ago and had forgotten about it, but I'm glad the trees have helped me to remember!  

Folksy Friday

I came across Folksy a while ago. It's a great place to while away a few hours - I've lost many an afternoon browsing the site!  A couple of weeks ago I opened my own Folksy Shop and this is my first Folksy Friday! A great way to showcase some of the lovely things that can be found there.    "Martin the paper giraffe" caught my eye on the first page, so I decided to use colour as the theme.  So here are a few bright and beautiful items:

   

 
 

Clockwise from top left: "Martin the paper giraffe" by Polka Dot Sundays, "Butterfly Flower Brooch" by Lupin Handmade, some adorable baby booties by Seamingly Possible, and the wonderfully vibrant stained glass "Sunburst Lily" by Amy Orange Juice which I especially like because it reminds me of the lilies in my garden.  Happy Friday!

Tales From My Garden

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last blog entry - the time has raced by.  June was a busy month with more kids' birthday parties than I've ever seen, and a couple of weekend markets.  It was also my last month as someone else's employee.  I'm now focusing on Fairfield Gardens full time.  I'm so excited!

Today was a very relaxing day. I even managed to get a nap in the afternoon; something I haven't done in ages. The morning was spent in the garden with the boys. My job was to collect strawberries, which I seemed to be doing for a really long time!  This was the harvest ==> 

We collected about the same amount last week, and before that the odd handful or two every few days.  I'm so impressed with the productivity of such a small patch, which made me think about the rest of the garden and how much we've managed to cram into our small space. There's been a steady supply of lettuce, chard, radishes and courgettes for over a month, and in the last couple of weeks peas and beetroot.  And this year we should also get beans, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, cucumbers, corn, apples and one carrot! Out of all the carrots that were planted only one has survived to maturity.

Every year I try to plant as much calendula as possible as we use the petals in the Grapefruit & Geranium range, and I also wanted to try making calendula oil this year.

And there is one pot of hot red lilies. I love the colour of them - it's so vibrant. They only flower for about two weeks, but they put on a great show.

There's nothing like spending a bit of time outdoors.