Floral play and a coastal reset.
Were we all having a 'winter life crisis' or did we just need some Vit D?
Just over a week ago we packed up and took a trip back down the east coast to North Norfolk where we are fortunate enough to have some very comfortable accommodation in the family to visit throughout the year.
Our good friend Danielle moved into the cottage whilst we were gone to take care of our menagerie (5 ducks, 2 sheep and a cat) and keep an eye on plant developments. Everyone needs a Danielle in their life. This also became the perfect opportunity for a good spring clean which otherwise it’d have ignored for another several weeks.
Despite appearances, we can be a pretty slack family when it comes to keeping on top of the home. We spend so much time outside, carrying out renovation tasks etc, that we’ve become accustom to turning a blind eye to a little mess. Overflowing laundry baskets anyone?
With floral event work beginning to creep back into the calendar attention has also turned to warming up creative muscles once again. Having a period of out of season downtime can make getting back into the swing of things feel a little foggy, so it’s really important to set time aside to focus on my craft alongside all the growing that’s on-going at this time of year. Having an afternoon to flex tulips, fluff ranunculus and play with the architectural form of forsythia was just what I needed to reconnect with my floral flow.
Once on the road to Norfolk we like to drop in at Easton Walled Gardens as it’s the perfect midway lunch stop where Magnus can burn off some energy whilst I can enjoy the beautifully manicured gardens. It’s too early in the year for their famous sweetpea displays but there was still plenty for the eye to enjoy.
Whilst away we very much enjoyed our visit to Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum (highly recommend for the whole family).
We made plenty of trips to the beach and all our usual haunts; Blakeney for crabbing, good pastries and coffee at Two Magpies Bakery , Stiffkey for similar reasons at Stiffkey Stores, Cromer for their wide selection of charity shops and tractor lined seafront.
Holt for my favourite destination antique shop Holt Antiques.
Mannington Hall also had a NGS open garden for charity where I found myself admiring a mature Chaenomeles (ornamental quince) for some time.
Just a short 10 minute drive from our base is Cley, which is always a highlight due to the beautiful beach walks and their small selection of independent shops (the gravlax from Cley Smokehouse is delicious).
On the road home we stopped off at the NT owned Belton Estate which is one of the best properties to visit with children and great if you’re travelling up or down the A1 and in need of a break.
They have an indoor soft play if the weather is off, beautiful gardens to wander, an incredible glass conservatory which is open the public to explore, numerous walks and of course the house itself to experience.
Last Monday evening we arrived back in Yorkshire and with much renewed appreciation of our beloved cottage. It has felt like a challenging start to the year, but there is something so incredibly healing and energising about just taking yourself away to reset. I must admit the return of sunshine and plant life has also played a huge part in turning a slightly pessimistic outlook around this month.
I found a brilliant post on Instagram the other day which perfectly summarised the stage i’m in with the land project called the ‘Messy Middle’. And boy, am I in the messy middle right now. Setting up a land based business is physically and mentally challenging, it takes time, money and endless resources. It’s difficult to stay on track and not give into the the urge of giving up.
But after many late night discussions and daily planning I’m feeling more motivated than ever to keep pushing on for as long as it takes to bring our plants and flowers to market.
I’m in it for a long time, not just a good time *back aching in advance*.
Photo credit to wethinkdeeply Instagram.
I hope you too can find some solace in these words above too. Good comes to those who wait (and work their arses off) and all that right?
Hattie x
Instagram @honourfarmfolk
You should be so proud of how far you've come Hattie. I also think stepping away from a project (which also happens to fortunately//unfortunately be your home also) means that hopefully you were able to gain some perspective that you might not have otherwise found. A way to make you appreciate the hard work you have done..? I loved how you wrote about reconnecting with the land and your craft too-- That must be such a challenge being involved in such a seasonal creative job. I often wonder if you ever get the 'oh god will i still be good at this or will it still make me happy?' as you re-start your year in Spring.
Excited to follow/read/learn along with you this year. Sally xxxx