Spring has Sprung!

Here in the Midlands the weather lately has been surprisingly good (probably tempting fate now) and despite the odd frost the ground is warming up in the beautiful sunshine.  Down country lanes, in City parks and in gardens and window boxes everything is coming out of winter hibernation.  The sight of blossom on the trees and Tulip and Daff bulbs opening up in the Spring sunshine makes me want to spend so much time outdoors!




Cheery yellow daffodils - a sign that Winter is over!

 
 
I love brightening up the rooms in my house with a bunch of freshly picked flowers popped into a small glass jar, or several branches of blossom displayed in a tall vase. 



Blossom with a cloudless blue sky!
 

I also use a lot of faux flowers, as although they are an investment initially, they are very cost-effective in the long-term and are not killed off by the wrong conditions or forgetting to water them (guilty!) and we keep having new stock in the showroom, some of which are available online, such as this beautiful orchid.

 

Orchid available from Bayswater Interiors

 

 

Now is also a good time to get thinking about some improvements to the garden too - you can certainly plant many new plants as soon as the risk of frost has passed.  I love looking at Houzz for inspiration for garden design, as well as the fabulous Sarah Raven website for fabulous planting inspiration and a wide selection of seeds, bulbs and plants.  Remember that even your vegetables can be planted in an ornamental design to add interest in the garden - the image below shows that even your cabbages can be beautiful!
 

 





Traditional Landscape by Shelburne Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Paintbox Garden

Some Colour Inspiration from the Garden

The weather today has been gorgeous - the sun has been shining, it has been lovely and warm with a slight breeze carrying the scent of those early Spring blooms on the air.  In the early evening light I have taken a stroll through the garden, taking a look at how the plants and flowers are progressing as the soil warms up with a mix of sun and rain to bring things to life.

I find the colours of the garden can be very inspirational in terms of interior colour schemes - from the vivid colours of some of the flowers, through to the more delicate variation you see on certain leaves.

The leaves of this Hosta in my garden (above) combines shades of green and white.  Used together in an interiors scheme these colours can combine to create a lovely restful feel or an energising and uplifting one depending upon the tones used.

 

Traditional Living Room by Little Rock Interior Designers & Decorators Tobi Fairley Interior Design

 

Traditional Living Room by Toronto Architects & Designers Heintzman Sanborn Architecture~Interior Design










Just in case you need more vivid colour inspiration, here are a couple of other shots from the garden - nature really does offer some excellent inspiration!  In my home there are some rooms with a backdrop of neutral and paler colours, but I cannot resist the odd bit of drama, and colour is a great way to add interest to a more subtle scheme.

  

Fingers crossed we have a sunny bank holiday and can get outside to enjoy the creations of Mother Nature!