Saturday 23 May 2009

Stress relief

Yesterday after a manic few weeks at work and having a daughter with cabin fever in the middle of GCSEs I took a day off so we could have some together time. We drove to Stamford for the day. The drive there is beautiful with magnificent views that catch your breath as you drive by. We had no plans other than to enjoy ourselves.


Why the typewriter? It was in a shop window above lots of planters putting on a delightful spectacle. I went in closer to read what was on the paper coming out of the machine to find that it was full of details about the flower shop within.

Then I saw the delightful little arrangements in jugs and set upon old glass cakestands close by the typewriter and realised that I was at "Miss Pickerings" flower shop which I recall seeing in "Country Living" way back. The displays in Miss Pickering's shop are superb and to get an idea of her ethos view her website at www.misspickering.com. Her strap line is "Modern flowers, vintage passion". These arrangements aren't like any you would find in the average flower shop but something on an entirely different plane. They're full of cottage garden annuals and the sort of thing you wish you could pick from your own garden. Nigella,amaranthus, hydrangea, alchemilla mollis and lavender - just heavenly.

We browsed and lunched and browsed some more enjoying the lovely independent shops. Stamford has managed to keep all the chains - WHS, Boots etc separate from the independent shops and has also hung on to scores of old stone buildings which other, less enlightened, councils would have pulled down and replaced.

Then around one busy blind corner I saw these beauties. Alliums with heads the size of tennis balls! I couldn't get close without risking life and limb but managed to get these pictures of them wafting in front of the gravestones along the roadside. Such a simple display - with wonderful impact, the glorious purple set against the grey of the tombstones, neither stones nor flowers managing to stand upright.


Just a lovely day spent enjoying each other's company and the sights around us. Mental note to take more time out to smell the roses...
Love Wend
xx

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a perfect day. I took a look at Miss PIckering's web site, wonderful flower arrangements. The alliums are stunning.

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