Hello everyone , it is that time of the month when I join with fellow bloggers for our monthly writing challenge. Our theme this month is favourite things , which was my suggestion.
I must admit I found this one tricky not because I don’t have favourite things – quite the opposite I have so many that in order for this post to not become way too wordy I will include an ecclectic mix of my favourites.
Flowers of all sorts have always played a part in my life from an early age as my mother was a keen gardener. When the time came to plan my own garden I knew roses would play an important role , especially the highly perfumed old roses .
This one is the beautiful centifolia Fatin Latour . It is a soft blush pink with the most wonderful fragrance that only flowers once but makes up for that by flowering generously over an extended period. It was my first heritage rose and still my all time favourite.
Spending time in my garden and watching it come back to life in the Spring would always rate highly on my list of favourite things. Seeing the first of the Spring bulbs poking through the ground or those new shoots on the roses sparks all kinds of joy for this gardener. Once again this year I will miss seeing the roses in full bloom as I will be in Japan for their Autumn colours but hopefully some will still be flowering on our return.
Visiting gardens be it at home or when I am travelling is always such a pleasure , they can be small suburban gardens as part of the open garden scheme , large public gardens or well known gardens , such as Monet’s garden at Giverney in France that I am fortunate to have seen in both Spring and Autumn.
As a lover of all things fashion it will come as no surprise that a visit to a fashion exhibition is always at the top of my list . I have been fortunate to enjoy several exhibitions in Melbourne , including Dior, McQueen , Viktor and Ralph , as well as in Paris and London. Visiting the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris back in 2018 was a special experience.
Books of all genres were always a shoe in to make my list of favourite things . These are a small selection of my fashion related books collected over the years . I find I return to my favourites over and over for style inspiration .
A small selection of my garden books , most of these are many years old now and have provided me with both good advice and inspiration over the years as my garden evolved. I was fortunate to find many of these at thrift shops .
Spending time with my family and friends , enjoying long walks with John , cuddles with Raffy , travelling and meeting online friends are also just a few of my favourite things .
Once again my lack of technical skills have left me floundering so to see my fellow bloggers posts please go to Gail at Is This Mutton .
Ooh absolutely! Flowers, gardens, books and …fashion! Plus of course fashion exhibitions – you are a woman after my own heart. I would have chosen exactly the same as my favourite things!
Author
Thank you Penny , yes we do share so many of the favourite things . I just had to include the fashion exhibitions.
I love your roses and a visit to Monet’s garden sounds wonderful, this summer I expanded the number of open gardens that I visited and found so many ideas to inspire me in my own garden.
Author
Thank you Rosie , it is lovely to meet you through the challenge. Isn’t it good to glean ideas from others gardens.
Those roses are so beautiful! I have 2 of the same gardening books, the David Austin and the Sarah Raven. I buy my bulbs from her. I also love fashion exhibitions and long walks. Very envious of your Japan trip!
Author
Thank you Gail, I know we share a love of roses and gardening. I am always impressed with your Sarah Raven bulbs. You are so lucky being near London for the fashion exhibits.
We share the same interest. That’s why I love your blog.
Author
Thank you so very much Nancy , so pleased you enjoy the blog.
Your favorites could so easily be mine! I love your garden and would spend so much time out there reading a really good book, maybe with a cuppa and a biscuit! And, your fashion always leaves me breathless, Jill! Loved, loved, loved this post!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Author
Thank you so very much Marsha. Glad you enjoyed this months challenge , it was good to see our favourites.
A beautiful post, Jill. Happy Spring (and autumn travels in Japan).
Your own garden is gorgeous, those roses…
Love,
Elizabeth.
Author
Thank you so much Elizabeth . Happy Spring to you in Brisbane , yours has been quite warm I believe. The Japan trip is coming around very quickly.
I’m not much of a gardener myself but that doesn’t mean I don’y enjoy them! I love visiting botanical gardens wherever we travel, and having a nosey around some of the large heritage houses with beautiful gardens is always a treat too.
Your garden is absolutely exquisite, Jill!!
Hugs
Suzy xx
Author
Thank you so very much Suzy . You don’t need to be a gardener to appreciate them as you say.
Gardens, fashion and books rank highly among my favourite things too! xxx
Author
No surprise we enjoy many of the same favourites Ann. xx
As a librarian, I am tickled to see 2 stacks of favorite books rank high on your list of favorites. Do you keep the books stacked like that for easy reference? They look so attractive, like part of the decor.
What gorgeous flowers. Oh, to grow anything other than dandelions and cactuses. Even my rose bush died. Would like to try again, though. We just have rocky, limey soil and no water. I bet you wait with such anticipation for your garden to return to life each spring.
The fashion exhibits, I’m sure, are like art shows. And in the case of the looks you shared above, almost like portable, wearable gardens. Beautiful. Give me all the color and prints!!
Author
Thank you so much Leslie , it was fun finding what are favourite things are. I must admit to having quite a collection of books, some are on bookshelves but I do like to have my current favourites close at hand and they do form part of my decor.
I am fortunate to live in an Australian state with a cooler climate and for the most part a good amount of rain. I might add there are many parts of Australia with a similar climate to yours .
Great post and prompt thanks Jill. I too love the old style perfumed roses and have a few climbing roses that I always enjoy seeing open up. Your garden looks lovely and your fashion style is fabulous so it was no surprsie to see that feature in your list.
Author
Many thanks Debbie, glad you enjoyed the topic. Your climbing roses sound lovely and should be flowering on your return home.
I share the lpve of many of your favourite things. Gardens but not Gardening for me….HA!
Author
Thank you so much Lydia for your comment. Glad we share the love of many things . I must admit my love of gardening is waning but I will always love gardens.