Flying boat on the water in Mortsund, Norway.
Photograph: Inntravel, the Slow holiday people
Competition: win a memento box with Inntravel (archived)
In our new competition, Inntravel is offering one lucky ready the chance to win this elegant memento box! It’s specially designed to keep your holiday postcards, photos, souvenirs and letters safe. And to make it totally personal, you can choose an original map to cover it.
Measuring 22.5cm x 11.5 cm x 5.5cm, this delightful keepsake by Bombus is handmade to order in birch wood ply.
Not only can you use it for your own holiday mementoes but you could also use it to hold the postcards, letters and notes you receive from loved ones abroad.
‘Like’ the Inntravel Facebook page and enter your details for a chance to win this exquisite prize. Remember the Moment with Inntravel, the Slow Holiday People.
Sponsored post: July's cut flower patch planting diary
Louise Curley, author of The Cut Flower Patch, shares this month’s planting diary.
'Mid-summer is the peak for any cut flower patch. July is all about maintaining your patch to get the most from your plants, to enjoy the fruits of your labour and to pick, pick, pick.
'Weeding, watering and deadheading might sound dull but there’s something really quite meditative about an hour or so pottering in amongst your flowers making everything look tidy and well-cared for. You’ll have the visual delight of the colourful tapestry of all of your flowers, the heady scent from sweet peas and the pleasure of seeing so many insects enjoying and sharing the plot too. So don’t see your time maintaining your plot as a chore but revel in the opportunity to be outdoors with bees buzzing and butterflies flying silently past.
'It’s easy for weeds to take over so keeping on top of them with a little regular hoeing is the best way for you and your flowers to not be overwhelmed. Get to weeds before they have a chance to flower and you’ll also prevent another generation of weeds springing up. Cut flower plants are much more tolerant of a dry spell than many vegetables but to keep your plants in tip-top shape, a watering once a week will be of benefit. A good soaking is much better than just a quick sprinkle every day or so. This is really just a waste of time as the water is not sufficient to penetrate the soil and much of it evaporates never actually making it to the plant.
'You won’t need to do too much deadheading if you’re picking flowers on a regular basis. But, if you go away for a holiday or there are flowers you didn’t get round to picking you’ll need to snip them off once they’ve gone over so that the plant doesn’t go to seed. Keep doing this over the summer and your plants will keep on blooming well into autumn.'
Wordless Wednesday
Trail of Aphrodite along the Akamas Peninsula in Cyprus. Photograph: Linda Lashford for Inntravel, the Slow holiday people
Wild Swimming Italy
Discover the most beautiful rivers, lakes and waterfalls of Italy in Wild Swimming Italy.
The Wild Swimming series travels to Italy to explore freshwater lakes, rivers, waterfalls and hot springs.
• Dip in to the emerald-green plunge pools of Sicily and swim at river beaches in Campania • Discover the secret hot springs of Tuscany and amazing waterfalls of the Dolomiti • Explore the hidden shores of Lake Como and Garda
Perfect for family explorers or romantic adventurers, this stunning travel book combines beautiful photography with all the practical information you’ll need to get off the beaten track, including maps, directions, grid references and walk-in times. There are also recommendations for canoe trips, campsites and tavernas.
From the emerald streams of the Dolomites, to the azure colours of the Trentino lakes. From idyllic Tuscan hills with thermal pools to basalt gorges and valleys immersed in fragrant scrub, Wild Swimming Italy is a comprehensive guide to Italy’s wildest and most beautiful natural areas.
Recipe: Chocolate dipped strawberries
Fancy a fruity summer treat? Try our recipe for chocolate dipped strawberries - perfect for parties and picnics. Wimbledon fortnight is nearly upon us. The polite cheer of the crowd, the dull thud of ball against racket, and the wall-to-wall Pimms and strawberries make this British institution a true staple of summer. Ditch the cream and try something a little different this year, with a recipe for indulgent chocolate-dipped strawberries from Betty Twyford.
Chocolate dipped strawberries
You will need: 450g strawberries 100g dark chocolate 100g milk chocolate 100g white chocolate
To make: Melt the chocolate by breaking it up into squares and placing each type of chocolate into separate bowls. Place the bowls into a neat little row at the back of the Aga (or place each bowl over a pan of boiling water) and leave there until melted. Rinse the strawberries and pat dry. Lay some bake-o-glide (silicone paper) onto a flat chopping board or tray. Leaving the stalks and leaves intact, dip the tips of the strawberries into chocolate and lay onto the bake-o-glide. Transfer to the fridge to cool. When set and cool, and you are ready to serve, put your strawberries into a serving dish and decorate with a sprig of mint. Want to get fancy? Double dip the strawberries to create whatever combinations you like. We particularly like a dark chocolate base and white tip.
Sponsored post: June’s cut flower patch planting diary
Louise Curley, author of The Cut Flower Patch, shares this month’s planting diary.
'June is the month when I breathe a little sigh of relief. The seeds which I have nurtured into young plants over the last few months are all now planted into their final homes on my cut flower patch. The last of the half-hardy annuals have been planted out as the days and nights should hopefully be warm enough now for these tender plants. Cosmos, rudbeckias and dahlias will take a little longer to come into flower than the hardy annuals but they will provide buckets full of blooms throughout the summer and autumn.
'It’s a little odd after months of there being a sea of green my windowsills, greenhouses and cold frame are now empty. It would be easy to sit back and think that was the last of the seed sowing for the year but there’s a range of plants which can be sown now if you can muster up some more seed sowing energy. Miss this opportunity and you’ll miss out on some of the best cut flowers.
'Biennials tend to be a bit neglected but they are well worth the effort. Sow from now up until mid-July and they’ll make small plants this year which will sit in the ground over winter. Then, next spring they will shoot away providing cut flowers in late spring through to August. This makes them perfect for that difficult gap when spring bulbs have finished and your hardy annuals are yet to start flowering. Sweet williams and wallflowers are classic cottage garden flowers; both are fragrant and last well once picked. Other biennials to try are Iceland poppies, forget-me-nots, sweet rocket and honesty.'
Louise Curley is the author of The Cut Flower Patch, published by Frances Lincoln.
Wordless Wednesday
The perfect spot to reflect. A jetty at Aperlae, The Lycian Way, Turkey. Inntravel the Slow holiday people
Wordless Wednesday
Inntravel the Slow holiday people
Sponsored post: Creative cooking by the campfire
Warming, comforting and incredibly satisfying, sausages may be the ultimate campfire food. Read on for a simple recipe.
For summer road trips, family barbecues or camping in the garden with your little ones this is a particularly sumptuous way to cook them, and it looks fantastic. If you’re making this at home, try serving it with a pile of creamy mash.
Ingredients
600g cumberland sausage ring 1 tsp oil 1 onion, finely sliced 2 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp honey 150ml cider 100ml Yeo Valley Single Cream
Method
1. Insert 2 wooden skewers in a cross shape into the sausage to pin it into a spiral. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan, large enough to take the sausage wheel. 2. Cook the sausage on a medium-low heat for 10 mins until browned, then turn it over and cook for a further 5 mins. 3. Lift the sausage out, spread the onions into the pan, stir into the pan juices then replace the sausage on top. Continue to cook gently for a further 5-10 mins until the onions are soft and the sausage is cooked through. 4. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Spoon off any excess fat then stir the mustard and honey into the pan. Pour in the cider and bubble for 2 mins before stirring in the cream and seasoning to taste. 5. Divide the sausage into 4 and pour over the cider sauce.
Sponsored post: May’s cut flower patch planting diary
Louise Curley, author of The Cut Flower Patch, shares this month’s planting diary. 'For most places in the UK May is the month when the danger of frost eases and planting out on to the cut flower patch can begin in earnest. The transition from sunny, protected windowsill or greenhouse to the great outdoors can be quite a shock to young plants. The best way to ease this impact is to harden off any plants for a few weeks by gradually acclimatising them to cooler temperatures, wind and rain. Cold frames are perfect for this job but grouping pots together in a sheltered spot near your house and covering them with a layer of horticultural fleece at night will work just as well.
'Hardy annuals are the first plants to be planted out on to the cut flower patch this month and they will keep me supplied in flowers right through until the first frosts in October or November. There are sunflowers such as ‘Vanilla Ice’, the pincushion-like flowers of Scabiosa atropurpurea, ammi, cornflowers and, for climbing up hazel wigwams, I couldn’t be without fragrant sweet peas. And if spring has caught up with you a little this year and you feel like you’ve missed the boat when it comes to seed sowing don’t despair. Garden centres and some mail order plant nurseries have small cut flower plants which are perfect for planting in May.
'Spring bulbs may be fading but summer flowering varieties are perfect for planting this month. Bulbs take up very little room so are fantastic for maximising your cut flower growing potential – plant in blocks or in between low growing flowers such as statice and Anemone coronaria. Plant acidantheras and freesias for scented flowers in August and September, and forget the old fashioned, frumpy reputation of gladioli; there are some fabulous varieties to choose from. Grow the sumptuous crimson coloured ‘Espresso’, the rich velvety ‘Purple Flora’ or the zingy ‘Green Star’. Sometimes arranging a traditional cut flower in a more contemporary way is all it takes to update an image. Try putting single stems of gladioli in a massed collection of simple milk bottle vases for a modern take on these exotic blooms.'
Louise Curley is the author of The Cut Flower Patch, published by Frances Lincoln.
Sponsored post: April's cut flower patch planting diary
Louise Curley, author of The Cut Flower Patch, shares this month's planting diary.
'Another season on my cut flower patch is starting to come together. After months of poring over seed catalogues and making wish lists of the plants I want for cutting I can actually get started on the best bit – the growing. April is a month of frantic activity with every available surface that gets enough light covered with seed trays and pots. Early sowings in March tend to be indoors to protect them from the fickle nature of spring weather but by now the ground should be warm enough to sow hardy annuals directly into the soil. Country lore used to suggest testing the temperature of the soil by sitting on it with a bare bottom. An easier and less embarrassing way is to see if weed seeds are germinating. If it’s warm enough for them then it’s perfect for your hardy annuals too.
'Sowing directly is an option if you don’t have much space to start off seeds indoors and is the best way to grow certain plants which dislike the root disturbance involved in sowing into trays and then transplanting them. Hardy annuals to sow direct include nigella, cornflowers, ammi, dill, calendula and sunflowers. Direct sown seedlings are vulnerable to slug attack and, as their roots have yet to develop fully, they will suffer in a dry spell, so check over your cut flower patch regularly. Water if necessary and use organic slug pellets to protect your young plants.
'Now is also the time to start off your half-hardy flowers. These are plants which originate from countries such as Mexico. They need warmth to germinate and grow, any hint of frost and they’ll be wiped out. Sow now into seed trays, place on a sunny windowsill and they will be the perfect size to plant out by the end of May when any danger of frost should have passed. Half-hardies perfect for your cut flower patch include zinnias, cosmos, rudbeckia and ten week stocks.'
Louise Curley is the author of The Cut Flower Patch, published by Frances Lincoln.
Wordless Wednesday
Inntravel the Slow holiday people
Kirstie Allsopp presents The Handmade Fair
We are delighted to announce that we’ve teamed up with Kirstie Allsopp and Hobbycraft to bring you The Handmade Fair, coming this September to Hampton Court Palace!
Join The Handmade Fair mailing list to get all the latest updates and for access to the ticket pre-sale.
Wordless Wednesday
Inntravel the Slow holiday people
Sponsored post: From Dawn Till Dusk
Yeo Valley’s Dairy Herd Manager Richard starts work at 4.30am to ensure that the family farm’s cows are in tip top condition. Click here to read more about life on the farm.
Sponsored post: Anyone for scones?
The Great British Bake Off has really brought baking to the forefront. My cousin sends me the link to the entry form every year and I shudder with horror. I love baking but I like making a mess in my kitchen, covering surfaces in flour and yelling for the kids to come down quick…”they’re just out the oven!” The thought of having to produce perfect cakes makes me fill with dread. I like imperfection, huge portions, messy dollops - and excess! I love the baking adulation my children provide me with. It isn’t true that you can’t buy love - in my experience you can if your currency is baking smells and cakes that make your mouth water..
The favourite cakes in our house at the moment are scones, not neat little circular affairs but great mountainous creations piled high with clotted cream, jam and butter. Salted butter…served warm. Utter bliss!
(Not so) Perfect Scones
Ingredients:
450g (1lb) self-raising flour
1 heaped tsp. baking powder
75g (3oz) salted butter
2 large free range eggs
About 225ml (8fl oz) milk
Preheat the oven: Conventional oven 220C/425F/ gas mark 7.
AGA – Roasting oven, second set of runners from the top.
1. Rub the fat into the flour with light finger tips, stir in the sugar and add the beaten eggs and milk (adjust the milk for a more or less sticky mixture) handle as little as possible.
2. With floured hands, form into rough rounded clumps and place onto a lined baking sheet. I use bake o glide. Brush with a beaten egg and bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how big you like to make them.
3. Go on, tuck in!
Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
High on the hill. Photograph: Linda Lashford
Inntravel the Slow holiday people
Sponsored post: A day to remember
Gone are the days of cheesy and cringeworthy wedding videos. The London Wedding Film Co. create wedding films which are unique and beautiful, telling the story from start to finish, capturing the energy and essence of the day so that it can be relived forever. We film weddings across the UK so don't hesitate to enquire. www.thelondonweddingfilmco.com