Monday 14 July 2014

In Hugh we trust

A while ago, we took ourselves off to our local Open Gardens. There were some beautiful homes adjoined by gardens with all manner of different styles of planting. Some natural and wild-looking, others more manicured and perfect.

Unfortunately this event has become rather a victim of its own success, with an expected turnout of 4000 people to look around 14 domestic gardens. In practice that meant lots of queuing to squeeze in and squeeze out and very little chance to properly see and appreciate the beauty.
I loved that romantic looking balcony and look, an authentic original Anderson shelter in a little suburban garden. It was tiny. I can't imagine what it must have been like for a family to spend the night in there.

We had our lovely friends Eloise and Patrick over for dinner. We relied heavily on Hugh for inspiration.
Rosemary potatoes, thyme and garlic tomatoes, broad beans with goats cheese and yoghurt, olives, green salad and an aubergine and chick pea dish. All washed down with prosecco, because it was Saturday night and it's summer.

I dressed as Huggy Bear's girlfriend with my 70's patchwork print flares and a halter neck top with a palm tree print, which makes me think of holidays...






























Finally, Serena has tagged me on a blog tag thingy, where you have to answer some questions about what you would give as presents to someone who is on an exotic island

Book - Arundhati Roy, The God of Small things, 
Beauty product - lipstick
Favourite snack - roasted chestnuts, wasabi peas, homemade cheese, olive and paprika biscuits
Music album - forgotten the name of the album, but it's Gregory Isaacs and it has Loving Pauper on it.
Other item - I would say flowers, but there will be flowers there already, so it's got to be alcohol! Lots of alcohol. Well, it is a birthday after all.

I tag all of you!



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

That food looks delicious! Lucky guests...
Love the Huggy flares.
Would find it impossible to choose only one book xx

Anonymous said...

PS: Do I spy ( with my little eye) a new picture behind Eloise? Your fair hand in action?? Xx

Vix said...

Those gardens look amazing, love the gravelled path with the chair and the discarded books. What a massive turn out though, worse than the queue for a jumble sale.
Your feast looks absolutely splendid, I think I need to gatecrash your next gathering. Love me a bit of Hugh.
Love those patchwork flares, Huggy Bear's girlfriend is the perfect inspiration for almost any occasion.
I think my answers would probably be identical to yours but might swap the album for The Bombay Royale. xxxxxxx

Fiona said...

I've been hoping to visit the open gardens in my village but it's always a weekend when I have to work, bugger it. What delightful gardens you saw, 4000 people is insane though! Your dinner party fare looks amazing....so healthy looking, you must have been cooking all day? Fantabulous flares!
x

Helga said...

I bloody WISH your feed would update promptly! Can't figure out what the problem is....anyways...it's just that I get anxious when I miss your FABULARSENESS! Especially when there's a bit of CLEAVAGE!!! Woof!
Those PANTS!And o, MY, what a feast....Hugh IS a God, isn't he?! G and I have been re-watching the first 3 series of River Cottage...and re-watching them as we forget where we're up to, and don't mind re-watching what we watched the day before. Ah, Winter! I make one of his salads quite regularly in Summer.
I've never been to ogle other peoples gardens, except occasionally from the street.Hmmm.
The God of Small Things was a wonderful book....I wonder what else she has written?! Must have a look.
LOVE! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Curtise said...

Excuse me, HOW did you sneak this post in without me noticing? Is it because I am useless? Probably! Anyway, look at the gorgeous gardens, how lovely, but oh soooo many people! That's the trouble, isn't it? Everyone wants to do the same delightful things in the same beautiful places!
Patchwork Flares of Glory! I love them. And a dinner party feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds - your food always looks amazing, Tania.
Oh I can never do those desert island/favourite things quizzes - I like different things on different occasions. And here the gifts are for someone else, so it would entirely depend on who it was! See? Told you I was useless! xxx

Lally said...

Oh it looks like a fabulous meal!! I do love a broad bean especially combined with feta.
The flares are SO great X