London, Spring

 A few weekends ago I was in London to visit my brother 

The weather was glorious and while this was a family weekend 

I did manage to squeeze in a few shop visits 

Mini bouquets on Dalston High street

I finally got to visit 

FOLKLORE

in Islington 

a beautifully curated shop 

simplicity

honesty

integrity

as I made my way up Islington high street I popped in to 

OTTOLENGHI

I didn't stay........

I love Ottolenghi,

but now that he is a "celebrity"

the place was rammed!

well, it was a saturday afternoon

bought some cookies to go and kept on moving

Next I popped in to 

ATELIER ABIGAIL AHERN

which was mostly full of beautiful faux flowers

Next was a trip to 

AESOP

where it seemed like a really good idea to part with a large chunk of cash for some beautiful products 

Since I have been home Spring has well and truly landed 

Every year it feels like a full body stretch after being curled in a ball for 5 long cold months

Such a feeling of hope and optimism

projects, small and large vying for space in my brain 

and all seems possible

ROSE CUPCAKES

I bought my first piping bag last week 

While I have been an avid baker for more years than I would like to mention

For some reason piping bags intimidated me

But now I feel like we are going to become best friends 

What could be better than combining two of my favourite things 

Cakes and Flowers

 

Vanilla cupcakes with Vanilla icing

All photos by Helen James 

Copyright Helen James

Strawberry and Rose Petal Ice Cream

.....Or Summer on a plate

Ireland is enjoying an uncharacteristically hot spell

Temperatures are averaging 24c

and have been that way for a few weeks now

We just don't know ourselves!

I cracked out the ice cream machine 

last week I made a pretty delicious caramel ice cream with almond praline

basically it was a basic custard mix with half a can of carnation* caramel tossed in

then almond brittle broken into pieces and thrown in while churning

This week though I felt like something a little fresher

and considering I had 2 punnets of strawberries that were past their best in the fridge this seemed like the perfect answer

The addition of rose petals gives this a slightly more grown up twist 

You could also throw in some chopped pistachios 

which would taste great but also look incredibly pretty

I added a few mint leaves chopped finely

I always use Apple mint (wooly mint)

Ingredients

500g strawberries

175g sugar, + 2 TBspn

500ml full fat milk

500 ml double cream

TSpn vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

2 TBspn lime juice

Method

Hull the strawberries and chop 

Place in a flat dish (like a lasagna dish) and sprinkle with the 2 TBspn of sugar

Pour the milk and cream into a heavy based saucepan

heat, not to boiling

remove from heat

place egg yolks in a bowl and whisk with sugar until pale

gently pour on the heated cream and milk

whisking while you are pouring

place back in pan on the heat and stir until it begins to thicken

10 mins approx

Mash your strawberries with a fork or potatoe masher

add petals from 1 rose roughly chopped

(make sure you use an unsprayed rose)

add vanilla and add mixture to cream

pour into ice cream maker 

add chopped pistachios or mint if using

I am off to Turkey on a much needed vacation see you in a couple weeks 

x

The garden

The weather is perfect for pruning

warm, dry (ish) 

I have spent most of the day and a good day last weekend back out in the garden

That first work day of the year is a momentous one for any gardener

As you see the first shoots peeking up 

the ground is warming

the garden is waking up and so to do my gardeners fingers

Have you been watching Monty Don's French gardens on BBC

Last night he was talking about secateurs and how they changed the way we garden

Invented in 1818 by a French Noble man called 

Marquis Betrand de Molleville

who fled to England during the French revolution

Secateurs gave gardeners a way to make a clean cut with less force and 

get into places that were previously unreachable

 They literally shaped they way people gardened 

and still do today 

 

While everything is looking a little bleak in the garden right now 

there is something so promising about those bright green spikes poking through the debris

and it reminds me of what I can look forward too

 foxgloves in the garden last summer

last June in the garden

Clematis  and honeysuckle

The resolve and promises that this year it will be different

I will weed once a week

I will remember to stagger my seed planting

I will clump plants together to create impact

I will clear another patch of border from the grass

I will finally get around to reclaiming the vegetable patch ...........

well, I may achieve one of these

but the great thing about gardens is 

whatever I do, whether I procrastinate or not the garden will do it's thing 

the plants are not waiting for me to make a decision 

they are getting on with the business of growing 

I look forward to june and july when I can sit and look again at a green patch bursting with life 

but for now I am content with the promise 

 

Country Garden update

You may remember in April I posted this photo of my garden 

 Since then I have done a lot of work 

Update Here

Well I thought you might like to see it

I am not completely happy with everything
way too much green
The apple mint has run riot
I have pulled a lot of it out this morning
but like all gardens this is a work in progress
and well, it's certainly an improvement

Flowers and Cake

What could be nicer than Flowers and Cake?

So when a friend called me recently and asked if I would provide both 

for her daughters upcoming christening 

of course I said 

YES

A large bouquet of Peonies, sweet william, laurel, cow parsley, mint, foxgloves

and honeysuckle

All the flowers were sourced either from my own garden, a local grower or the side of the road

My respect for Florists increased 

This is physical work!

I think this Posey of Roses with Lupin and Jasmine was my favourite 

The theme of this was scent

There were cakes  as well

The icing station

 Carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting 

Chocolate cupcakes 

and Vanilla cupcakes below 

for which I individually made each rose

but 

in retrospect I think the above petals/flowers look just as good and were so much easier

Things have been a bit all over the place recently

lots of coming and going and reflecting and decisions

Change is something I fear

but attempt to embrace

It often makes me want to retreat like a Tortoise into my shell

I feel quite protective even if I know that the change is a positive thing

I am a big believer in

"feel the fear and do it anyway"

But

that doesn't mean you don't feel it 

So here's to change and the future

x

Flowers

Flowers, flowers, flowers

How I love them

I missed my garden so much whilst in NYC

The first Roses are blooming

and I am waiting in anticipation for the Climber at the back
of the border that is a wall of tiny pale pink double roses

with the most beautiful delicate scent

For now I must content myself with

Deep red Astrantia, Pink and Purple Aquilega, Geranium, Chive and the beautiful "Veilchenblau" rose, the first to bloom this year

and the garden is bursting with greens, so lush after the recent heat and wet,

all of the above flowers have beautiful greens that can be used
and there is also 

Mint, honeysuckle, Lady's mantle, Narcissus, Fennel

I like a lot of greens in my bouquets

I think that is a mistake many make

not enough greens

It doesn't have to be in a fancy vase either

a jam jar tied with a piece of twine

you can also see above some frost damage on a rose leaf

I don't mind that

I like my flowers naturalistic, 

I like to mix textures

but keep my palette tight 

The bouquet can be simple, just a few buds with greens

Often if I am having people over 

I will do many small poseys

group them together for the table

and then afterwards, sprinkle them around the house 

This also has the affect of covering the containers and gives a very abundant feel to the table
and gives you flowers for many rooms
every room should have flowers or failing that, a living plant

We are well on our way to High summer and I cannot wait, blossoms, blooms and bouquets
all summer long....

Do you put flowers in your rooms?