A glorious taste of summer

What amazing weather we’ve been enjoying here in the UK with some wonderfully warm and sunny days.  The weather forecast last night showed the whole country (with the exception of parts of Scotland – sorry Scotland) completely cloud-free and with temperatures in the low twenties it really has seemed like summer is already here.  But – as usual – everything’s set to change tomorrow so we have been making the most of the warmth and sunshine while we can.  Rosie and I headed off to the Tulip Farm at Farrington Gurney, one of our favourite places to visit at this time of year ….

Last year we had a few problems as Freddie’s pushchair got stuck in the mud!  But not this year as he’s really good on his feet now and it was such a delight to watch him speeding up and down along the rows of tulips, occasionally stopping to examine the flowers more closely.  We picked a beautiful mixed bucket of blooms and will certainly be returning in the weeks ahead to gather more.

Then yesterday I enjoyed a lovely trip to our nearest Somerset beach – Burnham on Sea ….

Ben didn’t come along as the weather was far too warm for him to be out and about.  He’s developed a condition called laryngeal paralysis (very common in elderly dogs of certain breeds) which makes it harder work for him to breathe.  He’s absolutely fine at home and when taking gentle exercise, but it does affect his ability to pant and cool himself down, so it was best he remained safe and comfortable at home on such a hot day,  which meant a mega-sulk of course!  I did give him a lovely beef bone to cheer him up which he pretended he was too upset to eat (oddly it had vanished by the time I returned!).  Daisy came along though and very much enjoyed herself.  Sadly I accidentally left my phone in the car while we walked along the beach so wasn’t able to take any photos of her splashing around in the water, but we’ll definitely be returning as it’s less than an hour away and I’ll be sure to take some photos then.

I’ve been busy at home too working on some new designs.  I think I might already have mentioned that this month brings a botanical theme, and a particular reference to Miss Daisy ….

Yes, a little daisy chain for my furry friend, and a short quote too.  I stitched it on gingham as somehow gingham and daisies seem to be absolutely right together.  I think you probably can count the love of a dog, cat or other animal amongst those simple things, I know I wouldn’t want to be without my furry friends! The pattern will be in the May issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine.

And finally, still on a botanical theme …

Calling all UK gardeners!!  My garden here in Somerset was created by a very keen plantswoman and it’s a delight to see lots of different plants popping up – some of which I can identify – but the yellow blooms above are a mystery to me.  They have long straplike leaves and are about 12″ tall.  I have absolutely no idea what they are – can anybody help me out at all?