Hello!
Thank you so much for all of your book signing suggestions. Each time I got an email through I felt like I was getting a plane ticket to somewhere that was a complete surprise. I loved hearing about your bookstores, both big and small, and it made realise how much we still treasure the experience of browsing for a book in the days of Kindles and online readers. The suggestions for signings were from international readers also and I am certain that I’ll be getting to meet a lot of you soon.
How’s it all going today where you are?
It’s good here, a really lovely day weather wise, and I was outside early. Do you remember when I started working on my Room Outside?
Well this is where I’m up to.
As you can see we’ve built a pergola. It was designed by me and put up by my dad, my brother and my brother in law whist Robert was in hospital. It was a hot Friday and we were all out in the garden having a Witness ‘Barn Raising’ day (one of the best films/scenes in film history in my opinion). Robert joined in the fun from SKYPE for some of it but I think he found it hard watching when he’d rather have been doing.
I photographed all the stages of this build and you may find that by following them you are able to build a pergola in your garden should you so wish. They are fantastic for adding structure to a garden with the space to do so but also for adding shade and a place to just ‘be’ should you opt to grow climbers up and over them.
I have three vigorous clematis planted around three of the posts and I’m looking forward to seeing some shade created in the years to come.
Anyway, I’m going to go through the pictures and check the process with my Dad and I shall post the instructions soon. Don’t worry about the fact that before we know it it’ll be September and then before long the Summer will be over. My thoughts are that by planning your garden in it’s downtime not only is it cooler to work in but having spent a lot of time outside over the past few months you’ll know exactly what you want from the space next year.
These trellises came from the arches that I had in the Paddock of my old garden and they are a real case of make do and mend. The arches themselves didn’t travel well and couldn’t be used in that original way again. But the pieces were still usable and with some brackets and plants pots to hold them steady they make great corners for this area and are perfect for stringing lights from. They can be decorated to within and inch of their lives should the need take me and, again, they add a certain structure.
I’m pretty pleased with the dahlias this year. They are, by far, the most value for money in this years garden. As a cut flower dahlias are utterly brilliant and if you plant enough you can have the vases in your home full constantly.
I’ve also noticed that the Verbena is creating that hedge effect I was after, and very nice it is too. A true cottage garden flower, this variety evokes many feelings in me as I see it swaying when the wind hits it. I’ve never grown it from seed but if you buy a plant from the garden centre (now is a good time) you’ll find it seeds itself down a great deal giving you many plants from one as the years go on. Just be careful where you plant it.
Here it is surrounding the daybed that I take outside each Summer.
As the Verbena, the Cosmos and the Dahlias all took off so well when you sit or lay on this daybed you are literally surrounded by flowers all peeking over the top and smooshing their faces in to yours. This is fine but there is such a thing as personal space and my border plants are not getting the memos.
Regardless, it’s a lovely place to sit when the opportunity arises.
Sorry, I’m showing off now. Just SO proud of those Dahlias. Especially as I really did plant them too close together. But the lack of gaps between them has given me a density to the area surrounding my Room Outside and it’s one I’ll most probably follow next year too.
This is how the space looks as you walk from the house in to the Room Outside. You have to walk underneath and through the new pergola to step on to the terrace and up to the table. The space really comes to life when it is lit in the evening and this whole design is based on a beautiful restaurant that Robert and I eat at in West Hollywood. The restaurant was voted number one in patio dining by Zagat and we’ve not forgotten how beautiful it felt to eat there.
Of course this area will take many summers to evolve and grow before it resembles the picture I have in my head. But we’ve started, we’ve made progress. Now we watch it bloom and blossom under the weight of many evenings spent in conversation and celebration under the night sky.
I love you and thank you so much for reading. Next time I’ll be back with something from the garden and a treat for you!
Cherry
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Cherry,
Absolutely, utterly charming! What a difference adding a pergola makes to your already lovely garden/patio.
Your dahlias are glorious. It’s so nice to see colorful blooms particularly for those of us experiencing extremely high temperatures, and a terrible drought, in Texas. I’ve always been impressed by the lushness and color of English Country gardens……… and very envious.
I envision many happy moments, delicious meals and much laughter happening in your outside room.
Cherry, how very proud Robert must be with all you have accomplished!
Marilyn (in Dallas)
Its all so beautiful. You must be very proud of it.
Completely amazing! Its just beautiful.
WOW!!!!!!!no other words needed.
take care of you Cherry!
love to robert, the cutie twins and the rest of the family xxx
ps don’t know about Sussex, but here in Lancashire the nights are cooler and sometimes chilly…and still in August, can feel it changing in the fields
oh but 18 weeks to my favourite time of year tho’ CHRISTMAS..
It looks absolutely gorgeous Cherry and you’ve totally inspired me. I’m going to be posting pics on my blog in the next week or so of the current state of our new garden. It was basically an overgrown jungle when we moved in a month ago(not overgrown with anything nice I might add!)and Simon has worked like crazy clearing it all. So we now have a virtually bare plot apart from a couple of trees we’ve kept on one side. I’m so excited to have a blank canvas but also a little overwhelmed as there is just so much to do. But seeing your beautiful pergola has made me realise what I want down at the bottom end of the garden. We had talked about creating a seating area there and I think having a pergola over the top smothered in roses and clematis would be gorgeous. I also definitely want dahlias and verbena next year too. Fiona x
A garden is so therapeutic isn’t it? I think that it is God’s counselling office. And after the session, you have this thing of beauty that restores you each time you go there.
I hope that you were able to read the article that I sent you the link to. It was detailing a new treatment for leukemia that has just been published in the New England Journal of Medicine that transforms immune-system cells into “serial-killer” cells. The medical community is really excited about this. In case your weren’t able to get the link, Google “new treatment for leukemia” and all the information is there. Just maybe this will be the answer that I know that you and Robert are looking for – fingers crossed for you both!
So VERY dreamy! I needed the inspiration today! Hope your day is especially wonderful!
So VERY dreamy! I needed the inspiration today! Have a lovely day!
It’s looking really lovely Cherry!!
I was inspired to plant dahlias for the first time by your posts on “how to” and even though I only have four plants, I almost always have a few blooms in a jam jar….
S x
Flowers are beautiful Cherry. Must plant some dahlias this year.
Thanks for keeping us up-to-date with your activities.
Sending positive thoughts and love to you and Robert and the twins too.
It’s so beautiful, a lovely place sit and just be.
I love Dahlias, as a child I used to look out of the kitchen window at them, mum planted them, because their were my grandmothers favourite.
Shirley x
You’re just so……….DYNAMIC!
How on earth has there been such a transformation is such a short period of time whilst you have had so much on your plate. You are making me feel positively useless – I justify it by telling myself that its ok to be useless because I have a baby to look after, and then I remember that you have two and yours are even younger than mine.
It looks simply amazing and it must be so therapeutic for Robert to continue his recovery in such a tranquil place.
I hope you are ok too and are looking after yourself. And the babies of course. I am SO excited about your book.
Mary xx
Thank you Mary! I did have help with the pergola. I certainly didn’t do it on my own. The dahlias, now those are all mine. Cx
Looks like the perfect healing room. x
How lovely! I hadn’t thought of it as such but it is!!!
It looks so tranquil. Can I come and lie there and escape from the madness that is my house? Although something tells me with little twins running around, yours may be just as busy!
It was mighty early when I took those shots! Cx
It’s so lovely Cherry you must have “green fingers” I love all your crafts too. I have just started patchwork quilting and I’m inspired by yours.
Hope Robert is progressing well
Nx
Loving the red and purple mix of flowers. Have decided that purple is one of my favourite flowers colours.
Looking forward to the treat next time. Have a great day lovely lady.
Much love xx
Beautifull pics as always and inspiration galore for my own garden makeover!! Also glad to see you are doing well and as always hugs to Robert xx
I love seeing other people’s garden, probably more than I enjoy seeing their homes, because the garden is just so alive and beautiful. So show off all you like, Cherry!!
We’re really chuffed with our garden this year. It’s not very large (back of a terrace house) and it has soil that when dry looks like it’s been left by builders and when wet looks very clay-like. So when we moved in we didn’t think much would grow. But it turns out we have a real sun trap and by adding a bit of top soil and mixing it all in, plus turning the weed-ridden half of the lawn into a flowerbed, we have a blooming garden this year. And it amazes me to think this is just one year’s worth of growth, so we have much more to look forward to!
In fact not only have our plants done well, but our vegetables have actually done better than my dad’s (and he’s been growing veg for over 20 years!) We can’t really take the credit, it must be the sun, because most of our veg came from seeds my dad grew for us in his greenhouse, and he knows more about growing veg than us, so we’ve just been lucky. But just yesterday we started making courgette and runner bean chutney as we have far too many to use each day. And we’ll be doing the same with the tomatoes once they start turning. We made borscht from the beetroot and are holding our breath to see if the aubergines grow. This year made me truly realise that you don’t need much space to have a real bounty from the garden!
Why don’t my dahlias look like that? I’ll tell you why – neglect – simple as that – oh, and snails. As you say – there is at least next year.
You have managed to do such a marvellous job with all this Cherry despite everything else you’ve had going on and I can understand how keeping busy will have helped – it’s a great defence mechanism that!
You are so lucky to be able to borrow the view of the fields too. I always get the urge to run with my arms out wide right to the middle of a big field like that – how have you resisted?
Looking forward to the treat next time – i’m with Sadie on it being shoes!
Take care, Bex.xx
It looks unique. When you touch a place everything are changing. You are very talented and a warm hearted person. You deserve to be happy …
It all looks beautiful Cherry. You’ve created a wonderful place for you all to sit and relax. You all remain in my thoughts everyday.
Hugs xxx
Can’t believe the difference a couple of months make! It looks lovely.
understandable. But I’m glad you’re doing ok.
you’ve had a lot to carry on your shoulders lately. I’m so glad you are able to keep busy with your projects and book. xx
Me too. I think being busy has kept me from the loony bin! Cx
Beautiful pictures, as usual. I’m in the process of redesigning our garden and I can’t wait till next year when it’s all done and the new flower border will look as good as yours
xx
love your room outside, and love the hazy look to the photos. Must have been a hot day by the looks of things.
ooh, a treat! What is it? shoes?!
how are YOU Cherry? I hope you are starting to feel a little more relaxed, less stressed. And how is Robert? I’m still sending him postive Get Better vibes.
x
Ah, thank you for asking how I am. I’m ok. Have moments but we’re all having ‘moments’ during this time. Cx