The Simple Things

Nature knows just how to live in the moment – producing blooms, singing from the treetops and building a nest, drinking nectar and gathering pollen to make the most of this brief but glorious season. And there’s nothing to stop us behaving like the flowers, birds and bees, either. Appreciate being given a big bouquet or setting a table in anticipation of gathering your favourite people around it for a long weekend lunch. Enjoy the feeling of wearing a summer dress, sing aloud in the car when you set off on a trip and send a home-baked cake to a friend. From the dawn chorus through to signing off at dusk, birdsong is the backdrop to picnics in the park or walking through woodland in new spring leaf. It’s a reminder to…

May is a busy time in the garden – and it’s finally guaranteed to be frost-free – so a good time to be outdoors and revelling in getting your hands dirty. Invite family and friends over to sow seeds and thank them with a roast to enjoy al fresco. Once the planting is underway, take a well-deserved break and offer up a tray of bruschetta with a selection of toppings for everyone to choose from, then back to work (no rest for the green-fingered) before a roast of seasonal lamb with quince jelly, along with plenty of tasty veg. Zingy cakes with sorbet provide a treat to round things off – but keep some sorbet back to add to a zesty cocktail and celebrate a job well done. Then sit back,…

Pots and what-not You may be able to reuse pots you already have for planting seeds, or you can try making your own by rolling newspaper around a small jar or tin. Another alternative to plastic seed trays are cardboard egg boxes. Or sow seeds in egg shells – once the seedling is big enough to be planted out, crush the shell and remove shards from the bottom to allow for the roots to emerge. These all have the benefit of rotting away into the soil if you plant them in the ground along with the seedling. Veg to try Seeds that germinate easily and prolifically are a great place to start. Root veg, like beetroot, radishes and carrots; salad leaves such as lettuce and rocket; and soft herbs – in particular, parsley…

“A discarded sofa loomed into my path, covered in the same fabric as me” When it comes to clothes, the women in my family have never been scared of resembling soft furnishings. My mum once went to a fancy party wearing a beautiful handmade dress that everyone admired. It wasn’t until she later saw a photograph from the evening that she realised she matched the curtains – except the pattern on her dress was, it turned out, upside-down. My own sartorial run-in with upholstery happened years ago, when I was walking down the street on a dingy day wearing my favourite floral tapestry coat. A discarded sofa loomed in my path, which, upon closer inspection as I veered around it, was covered in the exact same fabric as me. Accidentally dressing like a…

Why not give your garden furniture a satisfying uplift with a fresh bit of fabric? These designs may be just the ticket. Inspired by 19th-century Chinese textiles and geometric patterns, they’re also suitable for outdoors. Fantasia Jungle Easton print in Lichen (on chair) > £110/m, Palazzo Westbrook in Aqua weave (on cushion) > £104/m, all libertyfabric.com…

Bookshop browse BEYOND GRIEF The Year Of Miracles: Recipes About Love + Grief + Growing Things by Ella Risbridger ➛The Year of Miracles is a gorgeous book; there’s delicious, accessible recipes for on-the-hoof suppers, fancy fish pies, picnics in the park and Sunday morning pancakes, but it’s also a celebration of life and all it has to offer. Ella, still grieving the death of her beloved boyfriend, heads into a year of unexpected wonders; a year given over to the company and comfort of good friends, the pleasures of starting a make-shift garden and growing from scratch and the unlooked for joy of falling in love again. It’s beautifully written, filled with warmth, wit and wisdom. This is a book to cook with, but also one to cherish for its charm and compassion.…