1. our Botanica print linens on al fresco tables all summer long

2. slip on, straw slides… summer holiday ready

3. Italian twill stripes on a flare for maximum summer flair

4. the Sloane - smart, pop of red, linen - perfect

5. collagen in a sachet for wellbeing on the run

6. fresh lawn stripes and it’s not even Wimbledon yet

PS. Willow Loves (6 more!)

The swimsuit of the season, body SPF, culottes you’ll thank me for & more…

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Summer is the season for celebrations and flowers are naturally the main event in my eyes. Whether you’re professionally flowering for weddings or events over the summer, or a fellow flower lover wanting to fill your home and tablescapes for any occasion, there is an abundance to play with right now - seasonal, local and absolutely beautiful.

Here are my forever go-tos for summer flowering…

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Summer at last! It’s been hiding again this weekend after coming on very strong throughout May. However, the promising signs of almost everyone’s favourite season are everywhere - the roses are out with abundance, summer plans are being finalised, birdsong is strong, evenings are long and that wonderful feeling that slower, summer days are stretching ahead of us.

But first, it’s a busy month to get through. I’m heading to Italy next week to flower for a high summer event there (I can’t wait to report back!) and I know that wherever you are, there is lots to do before a summer slow down.

I hope you enjoy this free monthly edition full of my summer loves - flowers (with rose advice from the experts!), fashion, outdoor furniture, inspiration for creative pursuits, garden tips (and tour), and a mini interview with the charming and wonderfully inspiring, Meredithe Stuart-Smith from the imaginative and chic global party brand, Meri Meri.

Wishing you all a very happy month of June.

With Love,
Willow

*This is my Monthly Free Edition, but every week, I send out emails to my paid subscribers with flowery, fashion, food and wellness content - ideas to inspire, create and nurture. Plus videos, chat and much more. I hope you will join us!

Willow Loves

What I’m loving this month - stripes, linen, collagen and our tablecloth of the summer!

1. our Botanica print linens on al fresco tables all summer long

2. slip on, straw slides… summer holiday ready

3. Italian twill stripes on a flare for maximum summer flair

4. the Sloane - smart, pop of red, linen - perfect

5. collagen in a sachet for wellbeing on the run

6. fresh lawn stripes and it’s not even Wimbledon yet

Willow Loves… (6 more!)

(scroll to the end for our paid subscribers)

Coming Up Roses

June is definitely a time to stop and smell the roses and this year they seem better than ever - resilient through a heat wave and heavy rain storms; big and blousy and heavenly scented. So we chatted with Liam Beddall, ‘Head Rosarian’, at David Austin Roses to answer some burning questions about one of June’s favourite friends - the rose…

This month, the roses feel even more plentiful and of scale than usual - has this anything to do with the mast year? could there be other reasons?
I definitely agree that this year has been a year for the rose! This could be to do with the mast year, but equally we had a fair amount of rainfall over the winter. There is plenty of moisture; this, coupled with the wonderful sunshine and heat we have had over the last couple of weeks will certainly have helped.

What are your 3 best tips for getting the best out of roses?
First of all, ensure you have chosen the right rose for the right place, don’t put a 35ft rambler on a 6ft fence! To do this consult experts, rose guides and online resources.
Secondly, spend time improving the planting space by adding plenty of organic matter, soil improver or compost to the soil. Choosing a space that is light and airy is also very important.
Finally, keep on top of maintenance throughout the year, giving the rose lots of water if it is dry, a feed in the spring and deadheading where needed throughout the summer.

What are the David Austin bestsellers?
Olivia Rose Austin is one of our best all-around shrub roses, it is great for containers and borders and has a beautiful flower.
Gertrude Jekyll, voted the world’s favourite rose last year, has a wonderfully strong Damask fragrance and is another favourite.
Tottering by Gently is a single flower rose and very attractive to pollinators. It works really well in wild spaces, mixed borders, and hedges, it also produces brilliant hips if you don’t deadhead it.
For climbing roses, The Generous Gardener is great on a north-facing wall, it has a lovely fragrance and will climb to about 15ft.
Or Mary Delaney, that’s my favourite English climber.

Best roses for pots and how best to look after them?
When selecting a rose for a container you really want to look for those key words: bushy and rounded, that is the growth habit which is really important. Olivia Rose Austin and Dannahue are both great for containers, Dannahue has a beautiful apricot-colored flower, it is quite compact and has a strong fruity fragrance. Finally, Princess Anne will always be my favourite in a pot, is is very robust and free flowering.

Best roses for a novice gardener or a small space?
For smaller spaces, Eustacia Vye is a great option, the blooms start an interesting apricot pink and then as they age become a very pure pink. Scarborough Fair or Desdamona are also brilliant options for smaller spaces.

My tips for flowering with roses - if you can to let them be on their own or together with others, there is almost nothing better! But they also work beautifully with seasonal summer flowers such as sweet peas, campanula, honeysuckle and cosmos….

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Let’s Go Outside

The outside beckons (we promise!). It’s time to hoist up the parasol and wheel out the sun loungers, bring out the cushions and fire up the BBQ….

Centre:
Odd Vaas Manganese Rocker by Emma Grant

Clockwise from Top Left:

Octagonal Double Top Crank & Tilt Parasol With Scalloped Edge
Haymes Metal Sun Lounger With Wheels
The Stripes Company Sun Shelter in Green Stripe
Secateurs
Breakwater Navy Stripe Deck Chair
Berkfield Home Adirondack Chairs
Haymes Outdoor Metal Sofa Set & Coffee Tale in Scarlet Stripe
Curato Garden Sofa - Green
Willowbrook Lattice Sun Lounger in Natural
Clarence Urn
Set of 2 Bianca Solid Teak/Woven Resin Dining Chairs

Interview
The very ‘Meri’ Meredithe Stuart-Smith

The uber creative founder of global party brand, Meri Meri, Meredithe Stuart-Smith transformed her early passion for design into a big business. As a child, she would stick cards she designed in her window - in the hopes that a Hallmark employee walking past would notice (the Hallmark HQ was just nearby in Kansas City). By the 1980s, creating handmade cards at her kitchen table, Meredithe laid the creative foundations and Meri Meri was born. Fast forward more than 40 years to today and Meredithe’s global brand is sold in over 80 countries; and with a new flagship store in Notting Hill and office headquarters in The Cotswolds, Meredithe is now also calling England home.

We spent five minutes chatting with the visionary Meredithe about big dreams, dream parties, global travel; and we play favourites…

Tell us about your early years and upbringing. Were you always artistic, visionary, and interested in creativity?
I grew up in the 60s and 70s, which was a pretty fun time to be a child and teenager. My family felt quite bohemian and a bit crazy looking back. My stepfather was part of a university and our house was always full of students, parties, and great music. What an era!

When and why did you start Meri Meri?
If I really think about it, I started Meri Meri when I was about eight. I grew up down the street from the headquarters of Hallmark in Kansas City. I used to hand-make greeting cards and tape them to my bedroom window (facing out), hoping someone from Hallmark would walk by and spot them.

What’s been your biggest lesson in business?
I think you always need to be offensive and defensive in strategy. If you carve a niche in the marketplace, it doesn’t take long before there is serious competition. You have to be constantly changing in product and strategy.

What is your proudest moment since launching Meri Meri?
I am proudest of the team I have built. We have so many wonderful people that have been part of the company for 20 years plus. Many started just out of university. Seeing our big display in Bergdorf Goodman was probably my proudest singular moment.

How do you stay relevant as a global business?
I love fashion, art, travel—all things cultural. I am excited every day by the creativity going on in the world. I think the more chaotic the world is, the more people create amazing things to find refuge in that chaos. It all influences what we do. I took someone from our team to the ballet last night, just to get inspiration for some products.

Best piece of advice you’ve been given as an entrepreneur?
There has been so much good advice. The two that really guide me: 1) try hard to stay focused on the things you are good at and 2) hire for the areas you are not.

I was told by a very successful business person, “You are carving a niche in the marketplace; others are going to try and take that from you. They will only know what you did yesterday, not what you are going to do tomorrow.” That advice always keeps me moving forward.

When did you move to England and what do you like (or dislike!) most?
I moved to England in the early 90s. I immediately fell in love with everything about London. There is so much going on. Brexit did break my heart and has definitely affected the way I see living here. However, I still feel it’s a wonderful, vibrant, exciting place to live.

What 3 elements does every party need?
A theme for children or adults makes a party so much easier to host. Even if it is just around food, it helps you focus and be more creative. Have at least one absolutely fabulous element to any party—mine is often dessert! It is also so much fun to set the table. Covid brought all this back into fashion and everyone is having a great time with it.

Tell us about your dream party…
I have a summer house on the coast of Downeast Maine. My dream party would be at my house, surrounded by my whole family and lots of friends.

Homemade pasta to start (my son makes the best), followed by Maine lobster (with a lot of salted butter for dipping), fresh corn on the cob, and a side of garlic bread. Coffee ice cream with hot chocolate sauce for dessert.

Homemade Margaritas are always a hit. We also make a wild Blueberry Smash in Maine.

What would you have for your last meal on earth? A drink, a starter, a main course, and pudding? You never get full and you can be wherever you want in the world…

It would have to be a large bowl of spaghetti bolognese with a lot very good Parmesan. My friend’s mom’s (Jodi Bergin) coffee ice cream pie for desert. A never ending supply of ice cold super fizzy Pelligrino.

You’ve opened your first store in Notting Hill - tell us more about that and how it feels…
It is so much fun to have a shop and tell the full Meri Meri story visually. We have visitors from all over the world that have been Meri Meri fans for years. It’s wonderful to meet them.

What’s next for Meri Meri?
We have some amazing collaborations coming out in the next 18 months. We are working with a lot of cool brands, designing products we never could have imagined.

Let’s Play Favourites

Flower: Absolutely anything Willow is using
Artist: Matisse is so joyful. I just saw a great exhibition in Paris. I wish I would have bought a Lynette 20 years ago!
Interior Designer: Stephanie Scheer Young. She is so smart.
Scent / Fragrance: Parade by Celine
Travel destinations: Maine always. I also love Jaipur
Place in the UK: The V&A
Book: Currently reading Lonesome Dove—so many cowboys! I also loved Keith McNally’s book, I Regret Almost Everything, and Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis is so good and very funny
TV series: Currently, Margot has Money Troubles. Also The Sopranos (I’ve watched it 3 times)
Film: The Wizard of Oz
Wellness ritual: Walking
Colour: Orange
Beauty essential: Highlights in my hair
Music or soundtrack: Anything from JJ Cale to the Black Eyed Peas
Season: Late summer
Restaurant: The River Café
Meal: Homemade pasta
Mentor: Michelle Obama

Visit MeriMeri.co.uk / Follow @merimeriparty

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Create in a Kit

We’ve noticed a rise in interior craft projects for the home that arrive in a chic kit box. A perfect invitation to slow down, indulge in creativity and add a handcrafted piece to your home. A lovely idea to give, to treat oneself to or to entice offspring to create together (and lure them off screens)…

Rosie de Ruig - Paper Lampshade Making Kits
These are gorgeous, and there is a video on Rosie’s site to help you all the way. Choose from different patterned shades, singular or a pair, and we think this Aubrey in putty paper is particularly pretty.

Molly Mahon - Block Print Tea Towel Kit
A very lovely git idea and and easy crafting project, these tea towels can be created by little people with a little help and make a lovely present, and you can keep the block print for future endeavours. Molly also has lovely stationery kits.

The Fabled Thread - A Night At The Circus Embroidery Art Kit
These kits are beautiful - a little more advanced in the creating ability -collect all the designs to create artwork for the home with beautiful framed borders included in the kit.

Meri Meri Flower Embroidery Suitcase Kit
What little person doesn’t love a suitcase! And a kit to embellish one’s own is just such a sweet gift and something to do together.

Have you seen any other kits you love?

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Open Garden in Wales

Vaynor Park in the Welsh countryside is my family home - where I spent my childhood roaming free, foraging with my brothers and where my love of flowers and gardens was first ignited. There is an open garden on the 24th of June hosted by my mother, artist and gardener, Kate Corbett-Winder. She and my father, William, would love to see you there.

Having opened for a number of years for the National Garden Scheme, this year, my parents have decided to open on a private pre-ticketed basis only and to provide a special event opening with a talk and private guided tour by my mother, Kate.

For more information, directions and bookings (which are essential) click here.

Garden Tips for June 🌱

• It’s not too late to sow for summer flowers in the garden for colour or cut flower use. In much of England, June is actually one of the most productive months for getting seeds into the ground. For annuals, choose Cosmos (one of the best and easiest to grow cut flowers and also work in pots), Cornflowers, Calendula, Nasturtiums, Nigella, and Sweet Alyssum to flower in summer and into the autumn. You may still be able to plant Dahlias in tubers to flower in late summer and into autumn.

• For vegetables, you could try Lettuce, French beans, Beetroot and Radishes for harvest this summer.

• Don’t forget to water your garden! This is so important in June. Pay particular attention to newly planted perennials and bedding plants and especially during dry spells

• Deadhead roses, geraniums and other flowers in their flowering peak to encourage more blooms

• Keep on weeding where you can while the soil is still relatively moist

• Stake the tall flowers such as delphiniums, dahlias, and sweet peas before they flop over

• Trim spring-flowering shrubs after flowering

• In the greenhouse, ventilate to prevent overheating, make sure you water daily during warm weather, feed tomatoes and flowering container plants regularly and check for pests such as aphids and whitefly

• To encourage wildlife in the garden, leave some areas uncut for pollinators, keep bird baths topped up with fresh water and avoid spraying insecticides when bees are active

June Arts & Culture

What to see, visit & plan this month…

1. Don’t miss Rosamind Pike in Inter Alia at The Wyndham Theatre until 20 June

2. Take a trip to my parent’s open garden in Wales through National Garden Scheme on 24 June

3. Don’t miss Romeo & Juliet at The Harold Pinter Theatre (until 22 June)

4. Join Countryside Arts Club at one of their events this June - Threads Through Time: Goodwood Art Foundation in Chichester on 11 June, The Secret Garden at Worcester College, Oxford on 18 June, and In Essence - sculptors in conversation, near Wantage on 19 June

5. Go and see 1536 at the Ambassador’s Theatre

6. Go and see Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at the V&A

7. Don’t miss Tracey Emin: A Second Life exhibition at the Tate Modern until August

8. Visit a Giffords Circus this summer when it’s nearby

9. Book now for Marilyn Monroe - A Portrait at The National Portrait Gallery

10. Book ahead with tickets for To Kill A Mockingbird at the Wyndham Theatre (starts 25 June)

PS. Willow Loves (6 more!)

The swimsuit of the season, body SPF, culottes you’ll thank me for & more…

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Mine has been other-worldy, truly. From a bank holiday heat wave to Dior in Venice and back to supervising GCSE revision during half term - the yin and yang of my life is possibly what I love the most. Venice captured my heart and I am floating on the high that exquisite beauty and a feast for the senses delivers. I’m back in my wellies and wondering, was it all a dream?!

In this week’s dispatch - all the magic from Venice with Dior, plus a summer soiree dress code edit…

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love, Willow

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Venice with Dior!

Another dreamy trip with Christian Dior, this time to Venice. I was so delighted and honoured to be invited to the unveiling of their latest high jewellery collection, ‘Diorissima’. Held at the casino in Venice, the show itself was pure captivating theatre and the pinnacle of a few days of magic.

Since 1999, Victoire de Castellane has been exploring the poetic and narrative dimension of Christian Dior’s unique legacy, reinterpreting it with masterful creativity and audacity. The Artistic Director of Dior, Joaillerie presented the collection, merging abstract with naturalism - named Diorissima - as an homage to the House of Dior and to Venice, La Serenissima.

Come with me for a pure escape - soaking up the beauty and inspiration all around from Venetian ceilings to stripy poles viewed from my gondola, and of course the show itself and the magical jewellery collection…

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This Spring/Summer season, I’ve streamlined my beauty shelf and make-up bag to only the essentials. I want to take the overwhelm out and keep the daily routine simple, light and carefree (but effective, of course!) and for my make-up to ‘look’ barely there, luminous and natural.

Here are 12 faves I am swearing by at the moment (including the fail safe besties I’ve used for ever, like the Mac foundation and Jones Road mascara):

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What products or supplements are you loving at the moment? I’d love to know!

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Love,
Willow

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Happy Friday!

I hope you’ve had a good week. I’ve spent most of mine wandering around in a slightly exhausted haze after a rather mental couple of weeks, not making a huge amount of sense and surviving mainly on coffee and autopilot.

I’ve loved seeing everything from Chelsea in Bloom and the Flower Show. Sadly I couldn’t get there in person this year, but from what I’ve seen, the gardens felt much wilder and more natural than usual — lots of vegetables tucked in among the flowers and far fewer clipped, manicured vibes. Very much up my street. And did you see the feasting table by and Hazel Gardiner? Obsessed.

I especially loved the RHS King’s Foundation Garden designed by Frances Tophill and Darren Hawkes’s Silent No More garden for The Lady Garden Foundation.

We’ve got half term coming up which is going to be very chilled — apart from some serious GCSE revision supervision and a quick trip to Venice with Christian Dior. I’m trying to act very casual about that last part while secretly being beside myself with excitement. More on that next week!

In this week’s dispatch - A flowery lunch with LA Based denim brand, Mother, the part of my garden that’s bringing me the most joy and some weekend denim inspo.

Wishing you a wonderful Bank Holiday if you are UK based and I hope you enjoy this issue.

Love, Willow

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A Mother Start to Chelsea Flower Show

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Wow this week has flown by in a flower-filled, all-weather, chaotic, creative blur. There have been flower deliveries, all-night installs, Diwali-style flower garlands for Meri-Meri, sculptural centrepieces for Zimmermann, much-needed blow-dries, some last minute outfit sourcing (the duality of being the guest as well as florist for said events); a little rain, some sunshine and lot of driving. And exhale… How was yours?!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend - pack an umbrella, sunglasses, a cardigan, and possibly a coat!

Love, Willow

In this week’s dispatch - All the flower prep for events, garlands for Meri Meri, installations at Zimmerman, plus the parties, what caught my eye in London, my new summer drink, a theatre must visit & more…

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A Very Meri Install

I was very honoured to be asked to decorate the flagship Meri Meri store in Notting Hill this week to celebrate Craft Week. I am long time lover of the brand and loved the challenge of creating a hanging installation to last, out of water for the week, incorporating their products into the mix. The bit I found the hardest was whittling down which of the thousand lanterns/ garlands/ hot air balloons/ hanging stars to use. I’ve never known decision paralysis like it!

We ended up using their red and pink, scallop glitter garlands and went for a full on red and pink vibe. It looked utterly mad but (hopefully) in a good way! We used foliage that is happy(ish) out of water, asparagus fern, ruscus and eucalyptus as a base and then hundreds of carnations and chrysanthemums that we strung into garlands. A happy, joyful, celebration of spring and the beautifully joyous brand; it’s up for a few more days if you want to go and visit.

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What Caught My Eye in London

While racing around London between recces and events, I snuck into Selfridges et al and snapped a few treasures - from embellished collars to floral embroidery and whimsical accessories, this a a fun, flirty spring/summer season with lots to tempt to ‘invest’ in. Here’s what’s caught my eye…

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1. Gerard Darel Paloma raffia belt, 2. Zara tomato cross-body bag, 3. COS sculpted straw bucket hat, 4. Wolf & Badger cherry raffia key ring, 5. Gerald Darel Rosi…

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This (short) week has gone by in a blur - organising several events for next week and month, home and abroad; moving into my new office at The Old Coal Yard (cue flat pack furniture assembly made easier with delicious coffee), layering up again in coats with the turn in the weather, and popping outside for a mini walk any time I can to breathe amongst the bluebells and cow parsley. This time of year is so delicious, a feast for the senses, especially in the countryside but in London there is also a collective spring in the steps…

In amongst the madness of bank holiday fun and event overwhelm, I managed to book in some me time via the most incredible facial recommended by the LucieApp founder Lucy herself. Not only was Lee incredible but he was very forthright with his opinions on my beauty cupboard and what was to stay and go (spoiler: most of it has to go!). He has recommended the most incredible arsenal to fight to pigmentation so stay tuned (plus the details below).

Bank holidays at home are lovely but they make me want to book somewhere for the next one! And Banchory Farm in Scotland looks utterly dreamy and they are kindly offering us all a discount to stay anytime (bank holiday or not!) so more on that below too.

In this week’s dispatch - Behind the story of The Lady Garden at Chelsea Flower Show, ideas for prettying up our new little (shed) office, Stella McCartney x H&M (run!), a Scottish idyll to stay for your next long weekend (with a discount), salmon sperm for skin (yes really), pigmentation be gone & more…

I hope you have a happy weekend.

Love, Willow x

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The Lady Garden at Chelsea Flower Show

Award-winning garden designer Darren Hawkes has this year designed his RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden for the Lady Garden Foundation, it’s aim to shatter the silence surrounding gynaecological cancer.

The Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent No More’ Garden will be located on the prestigious Main Avenue of Chelsea Flower Show and aims to use this powerful platform to propel these often-overlooked cancers into the national spotlight.

With its striking, immersive design - featuring forms and planting that subtly echo the female body - the garden invites curiosity and conversation about gynaecological cancers. These are cancers that, tragically, claim the lives of 21 women every day in the UK.

Jenny Halpern Prince MBE, Co-Founder & CEO of the Lady Garden Foundation, said, “We are incredibly proud, as a small, but fearless charity, to continue our campaign work on shining a spotlight on the vital conversations men and women need to have in the UK to overcome the devastating mortality rates of gynaecological cancers. We want our RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden to challenge traditional taboos on a national scale so every RHS Chelsea visitor who sees our garden will stop in their tracks and understand how our design can provide the language, knowledge and confidence to be comfortable engaging in vital conversations about their ‘private parts’ - whether with a friend, family or medical professional –to change the dial on real women’s cancer survival rates across the UK.

The other co-founders and I launched the charity because we all had a personal story of gynaecological cancer that had been devastating to our families. Our road to Chelsea is resonant of that too. One of our patient advocates, Emily Plane, who often spoke at our events, sadly lost her life to ovarian cancer at the age of 28 in November 2023. Before she died, she had become a powerful voice, friend and advocate of the Lady Garden Foundation. She messaged me from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2023 urging us to have a garden at the Show, convinced of the power a Lady Garden Foundation garden would have to ignite life-saving conversations about gynaecological cancers. She was the spark that started the journey to Chelsea 2026.”

Follow the Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent No More’ Garden journey to RHS Chelsea at @ladygardenfoundation.

Escape to Scotland

Banchory Farm is a 700 acre farm in the heart of Fife, Scotland and in the rewilded rolling fields you will find six impeccably restored and beautifully decorated holiday cottages. After 15 years of living in Asia and working in the corporate world, owners Jane and Jono took over the reins of the farm from Jane’s grandparents who first bought it almost a century ago. It is a change of pace but one that keeps them busier than ever. “We are determined to ensure that the farm can continue on for generations to come so we are always working or dreaming up new projects” Jane tells us. The couple have been painstakingly renovating the farm cottages while working on regeneration projects for the farm itself and during this time the farm stays have garnered much attention from press and visitors alike. The Grieves Farmhouse is one of six cottages now available to rent on the farm and it’s caught our eye. Banchory have kindly given Seedling readers a discount code to use for booking any cottages at Banchory any time this year (until 15 December).

Visit www.banchoryfarm.co.uk | Follow @banchory_farm

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1. Heart drop earrings to spread love this spring

2. Pretty porcelain plates for summer soirees

3. Psychedelic 70s summer pants

4. Retro analogue time in style

5. Linen culottes to live in all summer long

6. Red + raffia = summer style sorted

Willow Loves (6 more!)

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Happy May Day (for Friday) and Bank Holiday! I hope you are having a beautiful long weekend.

May is my absolute favourite month of the year. There is something magical in the air - the windows are open, the sun is out, smiles emerge from hibernation; and with the arrival of spring blossom also drifts the anticipation of summer and happy times ahead. May is magnificent here in England - cow parsley lines the hedgerows with light, frothy abundance, blossom and lilac hang heavy from the boughs of trees, Solomon’s seal (my all-time favourite flower) emerges, and bank holidays beckon. There’s Chelsea Flower Show, light lingering evenings, the sound of bird song and tennis balls, cucumber sandwiches and cricket overs, elderflower, strawberries, linen aplenty, and raffia returns. I could go on…

I hope you enjoy this free monthly edition full of my loves, beauty besties, raffia edit, my last supper, flowery and garden tips and more…

Wishing you all a very happy month of May!

With Love,
Willow

*This is my Monthly Free Edition, but every week, I send out emails to my paid subscribers with flowery, fashion, food and wellness content - ideas to inspire, create and nurture. I hope you will join our growing community, we have so much planned this year!

PS. this is a long read so might be best to read in web browser (just in case it cuts off in your email).

Willow Loves

What I’m loving this month - gold hearts, ditsy floral ceramics, 70s groovy prints, red raffia, navy linen and going analogue at home…

1. Heart drop earrings to spread love this spring

2. Pretty porcelain plates for summer soirees

3. Psychedelic 70s summer pants

4. Retro analogue time in style

5. Linen culottes to live in all summer long

6. Red + raffia = summer style sorted

Willow Loves… (6 more!)

(scroll to the end for our paid subscribers)

May Flowers

I don’t think there is a better month for flowers than May. I look forward to this moment all year; the moment when all my favourites are out on the town together. The blousy blossoms, the peonies, the lilacs; my beloved Solomon’s seal and her delicate, lily-of-the-valley-shaped sister; the first of the roses, the dancing corncockle and self-seeded aquilegia. The hedgerows are wild! overflowing with clouds of hawthorn and frothy cowparsley. Back in the garden, there are papery poppies, towering alliums and clematis scrambling up the walls. They were early this year but the last jolt of colour from the tulips bring so much joy.

Things in the greenhouse are gathering pace, and I’m so pleased to see my seeds finally beginning to show signs of life. It’s been a busy week, mostly spent in my car, so I haven’t been able to tend to them as much as usual. Charlie, however, has very happily taken on his new role as mother and father of both his and my seedlings…

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Rejoice! Raffia Returns!

One of the highlights of the summer season is the return of raffia, rattan and other braided, textured, earthy summer delights. This season, the madder the better. Watering can handbag, anyone?

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1. Gerard Darel Paloma raffia belt, 2. Zara tomato cross-body bag, 3. COS sculpted straw bucket hat, 4. Wolf & Badger cherry raffia key ring, 5. Gerald Darel Rosie raffia phone holder, 6. Bonpoint Laney cherry raffia bag, 7. Me+Em summer raffia & leather belt, 8. Loewe bird bag in palm & calfskin, 9. Zimmerman carousel raffia espadrille slides, 10. Loewe Paula’s Ibiza watering can raffia bag, 11. Sézane Coeur coin case, 12. Anya Hindmarch Maud raffia shell bag, 13. Me+Em summer carry all raffia & leather bag

My Last Supper

With Eleanor Steafel

For our May edition, we asked my favourite ‘last supper’ question to the lady of the moment, Ellie Steafel, whose wonderful new cook book, But First, Dinner is out early this month. Ellie is also the Lifestyle Director of House & Garden and writes about pasta (yay!) on Substack.

In But First, Dinner, Ellie weaves together recipes, memories, essays and strong feelings about supermarket cheddar, female friendship and food we eat when we're alone.

What would you have for your last meal on earth? A drink, a starter, a main course and pudding? You never get full and you can be wherever you want in the world…

“Firstly, this is my favourite question. At this point my friends are sick of me asking them to tell me their desert island meal, and I often ask it on dates as the answers can be so revealing.

I’d be in the south of France on a warm spring afternoon with all my favourite people. We’d start with martinis - gin, dirty, ideally three olives. Ideally there’d be some cheese to nibble on at this point, maybe some radishes and good butter, little olives and some salt and vinegar ridge crisps.

The starter would be spaghetti with my mum’s pasta sauce. It’s just a slow-cooked tomato sauce; it’s nothing fancy, but it’s deeply nostalgic to me. It’s onions, garlic, bay leaves, tinned toms and passata, a little red wine, plenty of salt and pepper and a smidge of sugar - then at least four hours of low and slow cooking. It’s heaven.

To follow we’d have a proper seafood feast. Oysters, prawns, langoustines, crab, plus plenty of aioli, lemon and good bread and salty butter. As this is my last meal on earth I’d probably get us some chips too (chunky homemade ones), because why not. Very cold rosé is essential.

For pud, I’d like an ice cream sundae. I’m torn between a scoop of apricot sorbet, another of good vanilla and plenty of chantilly cream, and a café liegeois with coffee ice cream, chilled slightly sweet coffee, whipped cream and some sort of silly biscuit. On balance, that sounds more frivolous and therefore appropriate for a last meal on earth, so café liegeois it is.”

Order But First, Dinner which is published on 7 May
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My Spring Beauty Besties

This Spring, I’ve streamlined my beauty shelf and make-up bag to only the essentials. I want to take the overwhelm out and keep the daily routine simple, light and carefree (but effective, of course!) and for my make-up to ‘look’ barely there, luminous and natural.

Here are 12 faves I am swearing by at the moment (including the fail safe besties I’ve used for ever, like the Mac foundation and Jones Road mascara):

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What products or supplements are you loving at the moment? I’d love to know!

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Garden Tips for May 🌱

Planting & Sowing -

• Flowers: sow annuals like cosmos, calendula, and nigella for summer colour

• Vegetables: after the last frost (which I hope is over!?), plant out courgettes, pumpkins, sweetcorn, and beans

• Herbs: basil, parsley, coriander and dill can go outside once it’s warm enough

Pruning & Support -

• Tie in climbing plants like roses and clematis

• Pinch out tips of young plants to encourage bushier growth

• Deadhead spring flowers (like tulips and daffodils) but leave foliage to die back naturally

Maintenance -

• Weeding: stay on top of weeds as they grow very quickly now!

• Mulching: add a layer of compost or bark around plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds

• Watering: water in the early morning or evening, especially for new seeds, bulbs and in containers

A Spring Brunch with Donna & Clodagh

What a treat this week to have a Monday brunch in London with three culinary greats (Donna, Clodagh, Thomasina!) and the very best salmon I’ve ever tasted! A very happy visit the London home of Clodagh McKenna Herbert and to meet one of my long term girl crushes, Donna Hay, who was visiting from Australia with her new book. I think I have every book Donna’s ever written and so am very happy to add her latest, Sunshine, Lemons & Sea Salt to the stack (the chilli-home glazed salmon she cooked with Clodagh is from this new book - it’s the best, most delicious dish to prepare for friends at home).

May Arts & Culture

What to see, visit & plan this month…

1. It’s Chelsea Flower Show! Don’t miss it (starting 19 May) and if you can’t get tickets there is always something going on in and around Chelsea, including some wonderful store window displays to celebrate spring at Chelsea in Bloom participating retailers. This year’s theme is ‘out of this world’ and starts on 18 May

2. Don’t miss the Stella McCartney for H&M collaboration, launching 7th May

3. Get tickets for 1536 at the Ambassador’s Theatre (nominated for Best New Play at the Olivier Awards and runs until 1st August)

4. From 18th-31st May, Claridges X The Next will see the unveiling of a sculptural installation, ‘A Farm in Mayfair’, that brings the life and theatre of The Newt’s rural idyll to Claridge’s famous art-deco lobby

5. Go and see Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at the V&A

6. Don’t miss Tracey Emin: A Second Life exhibition at the Tate Modern until August

7. Take the family to Giffords Circus this summer when it’s nearby

8. Visit the David Hockney exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery (until August)

9. Don’t miss Romeo & Juliet at The Harold Pinter Theatre (until 22 June)

10. Plan ahead to see Marilyn Monroe - A Portrait at The National Portrait Gallery starting 4 June

11. Book ahead with tickets for To Kill A Mockingbird at the Wyndham Theatre (starts 25 June)

PS. Willow Loves (6 more!)

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Happy Friday!

It’s been a verrrry long week. My smallest has just started a new school and it’s been a serious emotional roller coaster. I feel a little bit like I’ve been run over. We have also starting building work at home which is exciting but I didn’t really think about what it would mean; (obviously) a lot of builders, scaffolding, a bright blue ‘Bobs Bogs’ portaloo in the middle of the drive. Dust, noise, heads snapped off tulips, smashed windows and a lot of mess. I’m not very good with mess. I can’t concentrate in it. But, the sun is out. As are my tulips. Which are still bringing so much joy. This week my shares are all about the little things. The little things bringing a lot of joy; bluebells, my teaming garden, a brilliant gradual tanning lotion, summer embroidery and tennis get-up must haves and a new collaboration.

In this week’s dispatch I share what I’m loving this week; bluebell central, gradual tanning, Gap x Victoria Beckham launching today!, tennis get ups, failsafe pretty summer tops and more…

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Love, Willow x

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Garden Update

I don’t think there’s a better time in the garden than now. The tulips, the blossoms, the bluebells. The drifts of frothy cow parsley, the birds in overdrive. The giant milky green towering cardoons; peony heads getting fatter every day. The dahlias warming up in the green house, itching to get outside. The seeds sprouting. And the absolute best bit of all? The Solomon seal - I’ve got 15 about to unfurl!

Embroidered Beauties

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Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a lovely week. Mine’s been blissfully quiet, mostly pottering about in the greenhouse (more on that saga later!), walking in the bluebells and spending time with the boys, supervising GCSE revision before the new school term kicks off again.

This spring, though, is behaving like it can’t quite make up its mind - one minute it’s winter, the next it’s practically summer; I’m finding it thoroughly discombobulating. It’s also turning getting dressed into a daily guessing game! At one point, I was helicopter-parenting my tulips, desperately trying to shield them from golf ball–sized hailstones and five minutes later, I was back inside reapplying factor 50 like I was on a beach holiday.

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In this week’s dispatch I share what I’m loving this week; my new glasses, the favourite tulips in my garden, what’s going down in the greenhouse, a stripy summery co-ord, the kaftan of dreams & more…

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Love, Willow x

Blind as a Bat!

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I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Easter break. I have been away for a week, staying with friends in the sun which was just what the doctor ordered. A week of proper switching off; no laptop, no school run, no getting in the car full stop; just hanging out with my boys, lots of laughing, lots of chatting… We then came home to more sun and all the tulips flowering and it feels like a whole new world! It’s amazing the difference a week makes isn’t it? How is your garden looking?

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In this week’s dispatch - my new greenhouse update, a skincare saviour, a fabulous holiday read, my summer dress hero & more…

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Love, Willow x

My Greenhouse Update

I have longed for a greenhouse for about ten years and finally, she is here! The boxes were delivered back in January and have been sitting patiently waiting ever since for nice James from the Greenhouse People to come and put it all together. He finished last night and now we have a dark green, 7ft x. 12ft Victorian style vision of a greenhouse sitting in the garden, ready for action. I can’t get my head around the fact that it’s actually here! I am so excited to get in there and start sowing seeds. First on my list is Ammi, Cosmos, Corncockle and zinnias; and warming up my dahlias which I’m a little behind on. If anyone has any greenhouse tips, please do share them!

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Hero Holiday Dress

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Today we’re not not doing the usual dispatch but instead, have a special treat for you from Create Academy - a bonus tutorial lesson to watch for free where I show you my favourite ways to decorate an Easter table plus a 30% discount on both my courses (and in fact all of Create Academy courses) to use this long weekend.

So if you’ve got that spring feeling and urge to create, now might be the time to get started learning a new craft…

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In this week’s dispatch - How to dress your Easter table, an Easter wreath and more bonus tutorials (plus a 30% discount on courses) from my friends at Create Academy…

I hope you have a very happy Easter weekend.

Love, Willow x

My Easter Table

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Top row, left to right:

Linen Striped Trousers
Mini Raffia Bag
Rainbow Embellished Hoop Earrings
Red High Waist Wide Leg Trousers
Denim Blue Shirt
Summer Raffia Belt
Palest Pink Sunglasses
SÉZANE X SEA NY Avery Jacket
Chunky Knit Cotton & Linen Knitted Tank
adidas Originals Silver Samba OG’s
Red Scarf Silk Top
Brown High Wasit Wide Trouser

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top row, left to right:

Meet Clara - a scallop-edged navy linen dream (with trousers!)
Our Kate Trelawny X Willow Crossley stoneware footed bowl
Bikini bead necklace to make spring sing
Perfect legs really are a skin miracle
The raffia basket in my favourite weave
Candy stripes are always a good PJ shout

Willow Loves… (6 more!)

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In this edition, we chat with the divine Milli Proust about her wonderful new book, ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’ and also chat with the super creative and talented cook-turned-cermacist, Kate Trelawny who we’ve just launched a collaboration with this weekend.

Willow Loves this month include stripes and skincare, pyjamas and heels. My flowery tip is my favourite spring centrepiece - a Shell Garden - spilling over with potted paperwhites and muscari. Make one for Easter weekend and add in some snakes head fritillaries and speckled eggs if you can.

Our My Last Supper guest is my friend Hattie Rickards whose fine jewellery is beyond exquisite and has now launched a collection of ‘ready to wear’ pieces to elevate the everyday.

Our edit to Spring Forward are 12 carefully curated pieces I think every wardrobe needs for this season (and next): colour, stripes, denim, raffia, a pop of red and some sparkle too.

Plus there’s garden tips for April and what do visit and look forward to this month.

Wishing you all a very happy month ahead!

With Love,
Willow

*This is my Monthly Free Edition, but every week, I send out emails to my paid subscribers with flowery, fashion, food and wellness content - ideas to inspire, create and nurture. I hope you will join our growing community, we have so much planned this year!

PS. this is a long read so might be best to read in web browser (just in case it cuts off in your email).

Willow Loves

What I’m loving this month…from vases to baskets, stripes and scallops, beads and more…

top row, left to right:

Meet Clara - a scallop-edged navy linen dream (with trousers!)
Our Kate Trelawny X Willow Crossley stoneware footed bowl
Bikini bead necklace to make spring sing
Perfect legs really are a skin miracle
The raffia basket in my favourite weave
Candy stripes are always a good PJ shout

Willow Loves… (6 more!)

(scroll to the end for our paid subscribers)

March Flowery Project - Shell Garden

It couldn’t be easier to create this beautiful spring table centrepiece. You can fill with whatever bulbs you have to hand (I’ve used paperwhites and muscari), and add some speckled eggs for a nod to Easter….

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Spring To It!

12 new season essentials that pack a spring dopamine punch

GET THE LINKS

Top row, left to right:

Linen Striped Trousers
Mini Raffia Bag
Rainbow Embellished Hoop Earrings
Red High Waist Wide Leg Trousers
Denim Blue Shirt
Summer Raffia Belt
Palest Pink Sunglasses
SÉZANE X SEA NY Avery Jacket
Chunky Knit Cotton & Linen Knitted Tank
adidas Originals Silver Samba OG’s
Red Scarf Silk Top
Brown High Wasit Wide Trouser

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Like the reference to the popular traditional nursery rhyme, ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’, Milli Proust and her latest book carry an air of whimsical nostalgia about seeds to flowers and a love of the land, while at once being relevant for today and inspiring for the future of gardening.

We spent five minutes chatting with Milli about her wonderful new book, the power and pleasure of creativity, biodiversity for beginners, and much more...

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Visit MiliProust.Com | Follow @miliproust | Order ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’

5 minutes with Kate Trelawny

We are very excited to announce our special collaboration with talented British ceramicist, Kate Trelawny this weekend - two beautiful stoneware footed bowl vases that have been hand thrown on the wheel in Kate’s London studio and delicately decorated by hand. I have keenly followed Kate’s work and her story of cook for the fashion crowd turned ceramicist with a cult following. Here we we spent 5 minutes with Kate to find out more about her passion pivot into the world of ceramics…

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Visit KateTrelawny.Com | Follow @katetrelawnyceramics

My Last Supper

With British jewellery designer, Hattie Rickards

Hattie Rickards is well known for her incredibly beautiful bespoke fine jewellery, and has now created a new collection of ready-to-wear pieces. Wardrobe ICONS are the foundations of a Hattie Rickards Jewellery wardrobe: refined, versatile, and designed to be worn on repeat. Built around the brand’s distinctive use of custom cut natural diamonds against polished gold. Hattie is our My Last Supper guest this month:

What would you have for your last meal on earth? A drink, a starter, a main course and pudding? You never get full and you can be wherever you want in the world…

Drink: A cold glass of manzanilla sherry.

Starter: A whole artichoke with warm melted butter - slow, indulgent, and worth every leaf.

Main: A beautiful charcuterie board - jamón, good cheese, chutneys - the kind of spread where you just keep picking and the conversation never stops.

Pudding: Dark chocolate truffles with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Setting: A long table under an orange blossom tree in Andalucía, with the people I love most

The Wardrobe ICONS collection, perfect for dining alfresco in Andalucia is available now.

Visit HattieRickards.com | Follow @hattierickardsjewellery

Garden Tips for April 🌱

Tulips, daffodils, and cherry blossoms are usually at their best in April. Patience is also needed as while the frost has usually departed, April showers can be persistent. If your soil is still cold or heavy, wait a bit—working wet soil can ruin its structure.

Here are some jobs I’d recommend this month:

Feed & Mulch
- Add compost or well-rotted manure around plants
- Mulching helps retain moisture and suppress weeds
- Start feeding roses and other hungry plants
Prune & Tidy
- Lightly prune shrubs that flower later in summer (like buddleia)
- Cut back dead growth on perennials
Water Smartly
- April showers help, but containers dry out quickly
- Water early morning or evening to reduce evaporation
Indoors Out
- Harden off plants grown indoors before moving outside
- Protect them if a late frost hits (common in the UK even in April)

April Arts & Culture

What to see, visit & plan this month…

1. Visit Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at the V&A

2. Visit Tracey Emin: A Second Life exhibition at the Tate Modern

3. Visit the Lucian Freud Drawing into Painting exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery

4. Go to the David Hockney exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery

5. Go and see the new production of Romeo & Juliet at The Harold Pinter Theatre

6. Don’t miss the Rose Wylie exhibition at The Royal Academy of Arts (until 19 April)

7. Plan your Chelsea Flower Show visit in May

PS. Willow Loves (6 more!)

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