The Swenglish Home

Chilled dreams ...

For a week or so, twelve stunning long-stemmed roses have paraded their crimson charisma in the Swenglish kitchen, but as they hung their heads a little yesterday, looking tired and despondent, I thought I would try to encourage a little rosy encore performance from them before they become food for worms... 

Inspired - like so often - by blog friend and superb stylist, "flower magician" and photographer Minna Mercke Schmidt, I thought about the fantastic display she made recently for a Fairtrade Competition (organised to draw attention to Fairtrade products). Click here to see Minna's stunning display, which - not surprisingly - won the competition (Congrats, Minna!). For my little hessian pouch, however, I opted for a more "slumped" look, possibly reflecting how I feel this bitterly cold Saturday after a few hectic work weeks... ☺

Looking around the garden, I see that after the harsh winter, it is in dire need of some tender love and care, and perhaps, in places, more drastic cosmetic surgery... Hm, I wonder... Are gardens like many dogs - do they actually bear a striking resemblance to their owners? Well, plastic surgery is an unlikely contender to solve the appearance of this ragged thistle, but some sun-fuelled energy would not go amiss!

So that is what I dream of, this cold, cold February weekend: 

sun-stroked, rosy cheeks for garden and self!

... and speaking of garden...

Ladies and gentlemen... DRUM ROLL... 

I am so happy to present to you a fabulous new web shop for all of us 

who like to prettify our gardens in more ways than one.

The GARDEN FLOW Shop

My dear friend Charlotte Andersson (the Garden Flow blog), whose stunning garden I featured on my blog in several posts last summer (see Charlotte's Garden under Categories to the right, has just opened the Garden Flow Shop - a web shop which also has a show room in Sundsvall, Sweden, where Charlotte lives.

All the photos below are taken by Charlotte:

In true Charlotte fashion, the photos of the products are beautiful and the "goodies" include everything from hands-on planting tools and gardening clothes, to decorative items for your home and your garden, quirky vintage finds and do-it-yourself craft material (and much more).

Welcome to browse this inspiring new web shop - very soon Charlotte will also be able to ship outside of Sweden (I will let you know when) and then I think all of us will find it very hard to resist ordering a little spring inspiration from the Garden Flow Shop! 

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Last, but not least, a huge hug to all of you lovely readers out there, who seem to still pop in to the Swenglish Home, despite the rare updates and my silence on your blogs. Roses and sunshine to you all!

Helena