Celebrate | Imbolc

As winter thaws, take a moment to mark Imbolc, the moment spring starts to peek through

Imbolc is the Pagan festival that marks the sight of spring around the corner, celebrating light and fertility. It’s the start of the agricultural year, when the earth warms up, everything begins to grow and lambs and other livestock start to be born. But it’s a lovely moment in the calendar to celebrate in your own private way. If you’re still waiting patiently for winter to be over, to be able to get out in the garden again, feel the sun on your face a bit more and look forward to longer days, Imbolc marks that moment we say goodbye to the harshest days of winter and welcome the light and warmth to come. Here are a few things you might like to do:

• Light a candle - a flame is the traditional symbol of Imbolc, which is a ‘fire’ festival

• Spring clean  your home, or perhaps just make one corner of it look shiny and new. The home is central to the celebration of this festival.

• Plan your planting for the coming year and maybe sow a few early seeds. You can start off tomatoes or sweet peas indoors in February.

• February 1st is also Brigid’s day, the Celtic Goddess of, among other things, poetry. Read a poem to yourself to (or to Brigid, if the mood takes you). Try our poetic pause on p67 of the February issue. 

• Visit a river or stream and have a paddle if it’s not too cold. Alternatively, take your cleansing ritual home and have a nice long bath. 

• Eat something creamy or cheesy (like we need any excuse). The word imbolc comes from ‘ewe’s milk’ so you might like to enjoy a fondue, cream with your pudding or a simple milky drink at bedtime. If you’re not a dairy eater, you could prepare something like a curry, to celebrate the warming of the earth, with lots of fragrant spices.

• At sunset, put the lights on in every room in the house to welcome back the sun.

If you’re inspired by our Imbolc ideas you might like to read ‘Re-emerging’ on p12 of our February issue, all about that moment between winter and spring.

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Make: Ornament cards

During the build-up to Christmas, spare a thought for the postie with his bag full of cards. The British send more per person than any other country, so it’s not surprising that we were the originators of the first commercial Christmas card, in 1843. We have a fine tradition of making cards, too – even Queen Victoria had her kids at it.

And the Queen was spot on: making your own cards is a satisfyingly easy way to add personality and sparkle (depending on how liberal you are with the glitter) to your Christmas. It will even save you some money, too. These clever cards can be adjusted to size to allow for any desired festive greeting, whether it’s a to- the-point ‘Merry Christmas’ or a lengthier salutation. They can also double as gift tags or ornaments.

You will need:
Colourful card
9–10cm bowl or other circular shape to use as a template
Pencil
Washi tape (Japanese masking tape: there’s a colourful selection available from www.papermash.co.uk)
Glitter tape
Scissors
Hole punch
Ribbon, twine or string
Glue (optional)

Step one

Fold a piece of card in half. Trace around the bowl carefully, leaving approximately 1.25cm of space by the fold. Apply a strip of metallic washi tape to fill the space between the fold and the top of the circle shape.

STEP TWO

Cut out your ornament shape, keeping inside the pencil outline all the way round – you don’t want any lines to be visible on your finished card. Cut a straight line down each side of the metallic tape to shape the top of the ornament.

STEP THREE

Decorate the card with strips of glitter and washi tape. To make small glitter dots, use a hole punch. You can decorate both sides of the card if you like.

STEP FOUR

To create a slightly different look, get inspired by the swirls of peppermint lollipops. Mark the centre on your circle, then position triangular-shaped strips of glitter tape so that the points meet in the middle. Trim tape ends.

STEP FIVE

Open up the card and punch a small hole in the centre of the tab. Cut a piece of twine or ribbon approximately 25cm long. Fold the length in half, tie the loose ends together, then feed the looped end through the hole at the fold of the card. The knotted end will be hidden neatly inside the card when it’s closed.

STEP SIX

To make them into ornaments, decorate both sides, add the string, then dab a bit of glue in the centre to fix the two sides together. Allow to dry before hanging on your tree.

Make it mini

Handmade gift tags are a sweet finishing touch. Punch or cut circles out of card before decorating them with glitter tape.

This craft idea was first published in our December 2014 issue. MARISA EDGHILL is a Canadian craft designer and lover of pretty tapes. Her book Washi Style: Make It With Paper Tape (Search Press) is available in bookshops and online. Marisa can be found blogging at www.omiyageblogs.ca and shares crafty inspiration on Instagram @omiyage_ca.

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More things to make…

Judith Shakespeare: heroine who never was

A short biography of an imaginary woman we should all get to know a little better

We’ve been hankering after ‘a room of one’s own’ this month. You can read about how to create the perfect R.O.O.O. in the November issue, but one thing’s for sure, a little spot somewhere in the house that is ‘just yours’, whether to glorify in mess, old books and bits of paper, or to keep like your own tiny palace, is a luxury we all would love.

In her essay ‘A Room of One’s Own’, published in 1929, Virginia Woolf asserted that a woman must have “money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”. It never stopped JK Rowling, but to be fair she had the advantage of women’s liberation.

To prove her point that in Elizabethan times it would have been impossible for a woman to have written the works of Shakespeare, no matter what her talent, Woolf introduces us to Judith, Shakespeare’s sister. “We thought his sister’s name was Joan?” we hear you cry, as one. Well, yes, it was. No one is quite clear whether Ginny just wanted to jazz her up a bit or if she’d made a mistake. But nonetheless, Judith Shakespeare is the imaginary sister of William who appears in the essay.

She is a clever girl, with all the gifts of her brother but they come to naught: "She was as adventurous, as imaginative, as agog to see the world as he was. But she was not sent to school.” She hides her reading and study for fear of a telling off from her parents and is forced to become engaged at a young age. To avoid a life of domestic drudgery she runs away to become an actress, is roundly ridiculed by all and sundry, falls pregnant by her employer and takes her own life. “She lives in you and in me,” said Woolf, “and in many other women who are not here tonight, for they are washing up the dishes and putting the children to bed.”

The sad story of Judith Shakespeare is one of the most famous parts of Woolf’s essay and has inspired all sorts of writers and artists since. Not least, the band Shakespeare’s Sister who named themselves for Judith, and The Smiths, who recorded a song of the same name.

The inspiration we are taking from poor Judith’s short (imaginary) life is that we owe it to our literary fore-sisters to make the effort to find space for a room of our own. Because we’re worth it. Our regular feature, The Comfort of Things, in the November issue has more on how to create your very own ‘room of one’s own’.

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Nest | Kangaroo paw

Kangaroo paw, also known as Anigozanthos, is native to Australia and has a paw-like structure, hence the name. It’s now available in shades of silver and pale pink though it’s best known in its fiery colours of ochre, amber, red and rust.

The flowers work well in a mixed arrangement due to their stiff structure. Kangaroo paw is also good in mini bouquet-style buttonholes as its native climate means it can last all day without water.

Photography and flowers: Ellie Marlow, Catkin & Pussywillow, Winchester railway station (catkinandpussywillow.com)
 

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Five black plants

Don’t be afraid of the dark: adding a touch of gothic horror to your garden can be smart, dramatic and not at all spooky

THE NEW BLACK FIVE FAVOURITE PLANTS

1 ALCEA ROSEA ‘NIGRA’

Tall, stately hollyhocks are a staple of the traditional English cottage garden. Subvert their easy charm by choosing the mysteriously dark variety, ‘Nigra’, with its glossy velvety petals. Available from crocus.co.uk.

2 ZANTEDESCHIA ‘BLACK STAR’

Sending their silky maroon spathes out from speckled green leaves, these arum lilies add an exotic flavour to patio containers. They also make elegant and long-lasting cut flowers.

From jparkers.co.uk

3 OXALIS TRIANGULARIS ‘BURGUNDY WINE’

The purple-leaf false shamrock is ideal in a conservatory or on a sunny windowsill. It’s lovely to look at, its deep-plum leaves folding themselves up at night.

From thompson-morgan.com.

4 SAMBUCUS NIGRA F.PORPHYROPHYLLA ‘EVA’

A stunning variety of our native elder. Umbels of pale-pink flowers stand out against its dark lace leaves in summer, and you’ll be rewarded with deep, glossy berries come autumn.

Available from crocus.co.uk.

5 TULIPA ‘QUEEN OF NIGHT’

These graceful tulips make a bold statement in the garden, in pots or borders. Plant the bulbs over the coming weeks to enjoy their deep velvet blooms in spring. They also make excellent cut flowers.

Available from sarahraven.com.

Turn to page 113 of October’s The Simple Things for more black gardens.
 

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The Comfort of Things | An organised wardrobe

My teenage stepson lives with us part time – a set-up I enjoy very much, but with one reservation. He is the master of the ‘floor drop’, ie, the notion of hanging clothes up is totally alien to him, so they lie heaped on the floor mouldering away. I am loathe to tiptoe into his room when he’s out, pick up his jeans and T-shirts and put them away in his wardrobe for him, but I can’t bear to see them lying there. What to do?

Answer in brief: make hanging up clothes cool
The ways of the teenage boy are indeed mysterious. Whereas you take pleasure in rows of neatly hung jeans, to him that idea is beyond consideration. Clothes are to be worn, then discarded until they need washing (preferably by someone else). But it’s good to encourage him to take responsibility. Try propping a vintage wooden ladder by his bedside (or buying a ready-made version, left) to drape his clothes on. It will take less effort than opening a wardrobe and finding a hanger, and may just persuade him to do it.

Turn to page 114 of October's The Simple Things for more on organised wardrobes.

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Nest | Hydrangeas

The mophead blooms of the hydrangea look as good in a vase as in the border.

“They may not be the cheapest cut flowers,” says Ellie Marlow, florist at Catkin & Pussywillow, “but they work well either as statement arrangements or single stems in bud vases. As their name suggests, they are thirsty blooms and like a lot of hydration. Should they droop, dip the stem into boiling water for a minute. That will revive them.”

Photography and flowers: Ellie Marlow, Catkin & Pussywillow, Winchester railway station (catkinandpussywillow.com)
 

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The Comfort of Things | Handmade home

My eldest son has started pottery classes at school, which he enjoys and which is to be applauded, etc. However, I now have a shelf laden with misshapen bowls, approximately rendered plates and several lumpy things beyond description. I would rather replace these with lovely handmade ceramics made by proper craftspeople but I don’t want to upset him. How should I go about it?

Answer in brief: select a single piece to display, then chuck the rest. Although the artistic soul is a sensitive thing and needs to be tended to carefully, you don’t want to give your son a false sense of his own genius if it’s not deserved. Does he, actually, show any real promise? If so, select one of his better pieces and display it prominently: on a side table, say, with an anglepoise directed at it in the manner of a gallery. Then sweep the rest into a box and put under a bed. He will be so thrilled with the attention given to one of his works, he won’t notice. If he doesn’t show any real promise, just chuck the lot out. It’s a tough world out there and he’d better get used to it.

Turn to page 114 of September's The Simple Things for more on how to make a handmade home.

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Roominations

What’s your favourite room in the house? On page 34 of September's The Simple Things team meditate on the indoor spaces that they love best – and ask you to share yours

Kitchen by Iona Bower

Too often described as ‘the heart of the home’, I’ve always thought of a kitchen as ‘the engine room’. Nowhere do I feel more capable than here, at the helm, Gardener’s Question Time chattering, kettle bubbling, and something lovely on the stove.

There’s something about a buzzing kitchen, for sure. I once considered too many gadgets naff, but these days I get a warm glow from my breadmaker, coffee machine and juicer chugging happily. I recently reached peak smug when I purchased another freezer so I could whip out a pork ragu or a crumble at a moment’s notice for unexpected guests. (I may or may not drop this into conversation à la Hyacinth Bouquet: “I was just passing my second freezer, when...”)

I’ve had teeny bijou kitchens before, lovely in their own way (mainly for being able to shout “No room for two” (while flapping at intruders with a tea towel). But

now that I have a big kitchen, I love it.
Half is ‘kitchen proper’, where the burning and swearing happens (and the second freezer lives –

did I mention my second freezer?). The other half is ‘dining and lounging’: a teak table, stained with memories: spilt glasses of red, children’s careless paintings and a deep scratch from that time the cat evacuated it too quickly. There’s also a sofa, because a good friend told me every ‘proper’ kitchen should have a sofa to accommodate poorly children, off school.

And in one corner, I have an office; despite having a study, I’ve finally admitted I just want to hang out in my kitchen. It’s where I naturally retreated in labour to moo loudly; where I take friends-in-crisis for medicinal G&Ts; where I’ve feasted, feted and felt a bit green the following morning. Something pulls me to my kitchen and it’s not just the biscuit tin.

READER SURVEY

Tell us which is your favourite room and why and – if you wouldn’t mind – answer a few questions about The Simple Things, too. There’s £200 of John Lewis vouchers to be won! thesimplethings.com/blog/roomsurvey.

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The Comfort of Things | A guide to home fragrance

There are many different ways to perfume your home. Try these, for starters

CANDLES

Buy cheap and your olfactory system will pay. Invest in a candle, made from premium wax and perfume-grade fragrance, though, and hours of transportative scent will be yours.

Reine de la Nuit by Miller Harris is heady with the scent of tuberose; £45, millerharris.com.

REED DIFFUSERS

Best for continual fragrance, as long as you remember to invert the reeds every couple of weeks. If you don’t like the container the liquid came in, pour into one of your own, or learn how to make your own.

Bergamot Reed Diffuser, 200ml, £35, geodesis.com/en

ROOM SPRAYS

Great for spritzing around the home prior to guests arriving (or post, come to think of it). Look for ones that disperse fine droplets: you want a mist not a downpour.

58 Balancing Room Mist, is free from chemicals, and smells fresh and delicious; £23, 58lifestyle.com.

AROMA MISTERS

These eject a fragrant, thin, dry mist. Select an essential oil (lavender is great beside the bed to help you slumber), add a few drops to the water inside, plug in and inhale. Soothing and spa-like. Also has a dimmable light for extra ambience.

Aroma diffuser, £59.95; muji.eu.

Turn to page 119 of August's The Simple Things for more ideas for a fragrant home.

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The tiny house movement

Originating in the US, the Tiny House Movement is about the freedom that comes from living with less. Once you understand what you really need and get rid of the rest, life simplifies and opens up. Resisting the urge to buy a bigger house, with all its attendant requirements – maintenance, heating, cleaning, furniture, bigger mortgage – and living in a modest home instead, benefits your budget, your soul and the environment.

Architects and designers have responded to this new way of living by creating a variety of tiny houses that measure no more than 46 sq m. Coming in all shapes and sizes, some with wheels, the focus is on efficient and eco-friendly design. The downside is that you have to be supremely tidy to live in one and get on extremely well with the other occupants. Which is why
many Tiny Houses are used as weekend getaways (see issue 70, on tinyhomesholidays.com) or an extra room in the garden.

Turn to page 104 of August's The Simple Things for a look inside a beautiful tiny house in Johannesburg.

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Nest | Cornflowers

With pretty ruffs of cobalt blue* petals, cornflowers bring a little wildflower- meadow magic into the home.

“They work brilliantly as a cut flower, either alone or mixed with other British garden flowers like dahlias,” says Ellie Marlow, florist at Catkin and Pussywillow. “For anyone planning a late summer wedding, they also make beautiful buttonholes and flower crowns.”

*Although don’t be limited to just blue: there are also white, pink, red and purple varieties.

Photography and flowers: Ellie Marlow, Catkin & Pussywillow, Winchester railway station (catkinandpussywillow.com)
 

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Facti (facts about cacti)

Inspiring paper cuts, embroidery, jewellery and more, crafty cacti are showcased on page 112 of August's The Simple Things. But what about the real thing? 

• The tallest cactus is Pachycereus pringlei, which can reach heights just shy of 20 metres; the smallest, Blossfeldia liliputana, is an easy-to- overlook 2cm diameter.
• Think you’re thirsty? A fully grown saguaro can take up to 2,500 litres of water in 10 days.
• Legend says that the Aztecs were told to settle where they spotted an eagle, carrying a snake, perched on a cactus. This spot became Tenochtitlán, now part of modern day Mexico City – and is visible on the coat of arms of the Mexican flag.
• In the wild, cactus plant can live from between 25 to 300 years. Less in the home, especially if you overwater – which is the biggest killer of domestic cacti.
• ‘Cacti’ is the Latin plural; ‘cactuses’ is the English plural. Pedants please note: dictionaries list both.
• They’re only native to North and South America, with one brave exception found in tropical Africa, Madagascar and Sri Lanka.
• All cacti flower: it’s just some only do it at night and, for some, the bloom only lasts a few days.
• Cacti feature in the cave paintings in Brazil’s Serra da Capivara. Seeds have also been found in ancient middens (waste dumps), in Mexico and Peru, dating from around 10,000 years ago.

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The Comfort of Things | A guide to outdoor lighting

Easy options that bring a little magic to the garden but don’t require an electrician

SOLAR LIGHTS

Most come with a stake to sink into your borders thus creating a row of lights to guide your eye (and guests) along the garden path. Try: Solar bubble outdoor stake lights, £24 for four (johnlewis.com), which change colour and add a little festival flavour to proceedings.

FESTOON LIGHTS

Bigger and brighter than fairy lights with round bulbs best hung in swags. They look good strung from trees or a pergola and provide enough light to eat by. Try: Elan solar festoon lanterns, 20 LEDs, £19.98, thesolarcentre.co.uk; LED connectable perspex festoon lights, £35, lights4fun.co.uk.

GARDEN TORCHES

Garden torches with LED lights exist but are tame compared to the guttering flame of an oil lamp. Try: Iron garden torches, £15.95 each; 120cm high (allthingsbrightonbeautiful.co.uk); bamboo garden torches, £5.90 each; 180cm high (homebase.co.uk).

HURRICANE LANTERNS

Created to withstand storms at sea, these robust lamps are fuelled with paraffin with a wind-up wick, and won’t blow out. Put one or two on the table or hang from wall hooks. Look out for them at army surplus stores. Try: Silver hurricane lantern, 10 inch, £5.99 (surplusoutdoors.com).

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Nest | Nigella

With its tangle of spiky foliage, Nigella (Love-in-a-Mist) is the quintessential cottage garden plant. “Nigella lends itself well to meadow- style jar arrangements, small posies and wedding bouquets,” says Ellie Marlow, florist at Catkin & Pussywillow. “The dried seed pod is beautiful, too, and looks great matched with autumn colours when summer has passed.”

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Nest | Delphiniums

The towering spikes of delphiniums (aka larkspur), at their best in June, make ideal cut flowers. Easy to look after, they will last for up to seven days in a vase.

“They are best displayed en masse in a tall vase,” says Ellie Marlow, florist at Catkin & Pussywillow. “Or with other strong blooms like hydrangea or peonies for a gorgeous summery bunch.”

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The Comfort of Things | A guide to vases

Which kind of container will best suit your bunch? Try these for size

BUD VASE

Small and dumpy and suitable for small posies of delicate flowers: lily of the valley or forget-me-nots, say. A pretty addition to a bedside table, especially when making guests welcome in the spare room.

CERAMIC PITCHER

A large jug with a wide opening – either vintage or new (John Lewis’s Croft collection has a plain white Luna jug, £25) – is lovely filled with branches of blossom or twigs festooned with catkins. The country cottage/ farmhouse table vibe, right there.

GLASS COLUMN VASE

These come in a variety of widths but are always tall – 28–40cm usually – and elegant. Suits long-stemmed blooms with height like dahlias or gladioli. Flowerheads just about popping over the rim look foolish.

SINGLE STEM VASE

Use to show off an attractive specimen: a peony head perhaps, or a chrysanthemum mop. A single tulip looks equally good, though, especially as it twists and lengthens.

JAM JAR

Just the thing for handfuls of wildflowers – buttercups, daisies, grasses – arranged casually for maximum naturalness. A twist of raffia or string at the rim adds to the effect

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Nest | Rosemarijn's style

Just because a house is old, it doesn’t have to look old-fashioned. Modern furniture and materials will bring it up-to-date.

• I love plywood and we used it extensively throughout the house to clad walls, and make furniture. It’s light, affordable and looks contemporary.
• All our walls are painted white because we wanted the house to be light and feel spacious. It also shows off the loveliness of the timber beams and natural materials.
• I don’t like a lot of clutter but I do like to have beautiful things, like classic pieces of furniture and art, around me. They lift my spirits.

Turn to page 98 of May's The Simple Things for more of Rosemarijn's tumble-down farmhouse.

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Nest | Lily of the Valley

With delicate, nodding blooms, lily of the valley is a popular choice for brides. Which doesn’t mean the rest of us shouldn’t enjoy them in the house. Their ephemeral nature means they won’t last long as cut flowers, however.

“Keep them out of sunlight in a miniature mixed posy or as a single bloom in a votive holder,” says Ellie Marlow, florist at Catkin & Pussywillow. “Or dig up and display with roots intact in a slim, glass, bud vase.”

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The Comfort of Things | A lovely window

There are certain things in your home that are like old friends: they always cheer you up. This month we feel the love for a lovely window - turn to page 115 of April's The Simple Things.

This month's home quandary:

My kitchen is at the front of the house, which means that as I cook or stand by the sink, I am visible to anyone walking along the street. Can you suggest a neat and clean way of obscuring the view of passersby? I don’t want to hang net curtains, as they’ll get grubby and are old- fashioned. And I am not a fan of blinds as I would have to have them down the whole time, which would be gloomy indeed.

Answer in brief: disregard fabric options and go for a frosted pane.
Is your window double-glazed? If it isn’t and you are thinking of making it so, choose frosted glass. This will screen your activities without blocking the light. If replacing a pane of glass is unnecessary or too costly, window film is your friend. These days it comes in many different different patterns from plain frosted to elaborate designs (left, Saplings by MissPrint, windowfilm.co.uk). It’s easy to clean and has a smart industrial look about it. Anyone strolling past will still be able to see shadowy outlines within, but your anonymity will be protected.

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