Dollops of Joy #1

The Best Water Butt Designs I’ve Ever Found, Spring Blooms, Shopping & TV Links, How to Prune Hydrangeas, A Short Video From Key West & Garden Treasure.

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Hello on this very happy and sunny Wednesday. Just a short post today as I’m away, so I thought I would provide you with a few dollops of joy from me to you. Sometimes I have things buzzing around in my head or in my notebook, things I want to share that make me smile, but perhaps not deserving of a full-blown post. I’ve created Dollops of Joy so that I can pop in with a few choice delights every now and again.

Just before we went away I planted up this little pot with the prettiest of Anemone De Caen. The red and purple always remind me of the liturgical shades used in the Catholic Church during Advent, Lent and Pentecost.

I also planted up a cute little trough of white Muscari (see centre photo above. They seemed to be right at home next the old sea coral.

Truffle Tree

Do you remember back in December, as part of my gift guide for impossible people to buy for, I recommended the Hazel truffle tree? Well, here’s the one I bought for Mr C, which we’ve now potted on. Its roots are impregnated with the native Summer Truffle fungus (Tuber aestivum uncinatum), an underground mushroom which is a highly prized delicacy worth more than its weight in gold. The truffle fungus slowly matures with this Hazel tree and, as the precious truffle nuggets ripen, in 4-5 years, they can be foraged every summer for the next 50 years. You can buy one yourself for £55. Ours will be planted in the ground once we’ve completed a little more of the landscaping.

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Treasure

In the main post photo above you can see the treasures I found whilst digging in my garden recently. I’d become so used to finding monolithic boulders that these exquisite clam shells took me by surprise. They are, all three, almost perfectly preserved and I have now popped them in the dishwasher for good old spring clean.

I’m not sure what I’m going to use them for yet. I’ve been thinking about possibly repurposing them as outdoor wall sconces to look something like this, but smaller, or perhaps garden citronella candle holders like these ones from Pottery Barn. What do you think?

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The best butts I’ve ever seen and not a crack in sight!

These are something I really want, but haven’t bought yet, so don’t go buying them all! Actually, you can’t at the moment, but stock is due back in early May at Garden Trading. Look at this thing of beauty. Have you ever seen such an enchanting water butt? They’re rather pricey at £220, but look at that brass tap and yes, they do sell the watering can to match. They also come in black and galvanised steel, which are both in stock right now.

That started me down a rabbit hole of water butts. Look at this gorgeous, but insanely expensive thing below. It’s £500 from Garden Trading again, but what a beauty.

Check out these alternative beauties too. The hot pink planter/water butt is £229.99 from Water Butts Direct. The wooden weatherboard tank is larger at 350L, but expensive at £486.41. I have to say I absolutely love the dipping tank option below as you can customise them to include a water feature, planting and living walls. They start at £395. Who knew pretty water butts were so expensive though?

Hydrangea Pruning

It’s April, so you should have pruned your Hydrangea Paniculata, Arborescens (Annabelle) and also the mopheads and lace caps by now. If not, don’t worry, it’s not too late, but you do need to do it now. Not sure how? Have a read of my Hydrangea Pruning Guide, which makes it easy.

The residence

I love everything Shonda Rhimes does with her production company Shondaland. If you’re a fan of the TV shows ‘How to get away with murder’, ‘Bridgerton’, ‘Scandal’ or ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, then you’re going to love ‘The Residence’. It’s based on the book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower.

Set upstairs and downstairs at The Whitehouse, Cordelia Cupp, played by the incredible Uzo Aduba, an eccentric, bird-watching detective, arrives on the scene in order to solve a murder which occurs during an Australian state dinner. It had me hooked within first five minutes. There are so many twists and turns, so if you love a good whodunnit, then you’re in for a treat. It’s pretty damn funny too.

Key West

I’m currently away in Key West and after the pole I did, it looks like the majority of you would like to hear a little more about the place and why we love it so much. I’ve got a video house tour coming up for you and a tour of the Martello Tower Gardens. Today I just wanted to take you on a little mini video tour of my favourite shop there, called Bésame Mucho, which means ‘kiss me a lot’, which I adore.

I took a few stills just in case the video was too fast for you. The shop is an eclectic mix of antiquities, boho chic, astonishingly good fragrances and candles, women’s clothing and books. I desperately wanted six of those botanical art plates, but at $148 each before tax, I decided on something a little less expensive.

I’ll leave with a little fella who has been keeping us company poolside this week. I’ll be back on Sunday. Until then, see you soon and enjoy the sunshine.

Go on, if you liked this then please show it! PLEASE do leave a heart ♥️ and a comment if you want to. If you really want to make my day Restack it (that’s the recycle symbol below) as well. It’s so important and it only takes a mo.