A four-day weekend, the trees are down and what they found inside the big one, the landscaping starts Tuesday, and a full week of beautiful things to share
I love a four-day weekend. Before we get to the good things, though, a small reminder: Memorial Day is just that, a day to remember. All of the barbecues and beach days and long weekends exist because of the people who gave everything so that we could have them. As Howard William Osterkamp, Korean War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, put it: all gave some, some gave all. Worth pausing over before the festivities begin.
The weather here is not going to be sunny, warm and perfect, but we will still have fun. A car show in the village, the farmers market, a barbecue and maybe a little time at the pool between rain drops. I also started a good book last night, so if the rain wins I will be very happy about it. What are your plans?
The big news this week is the trees. All three are down, hauled away to be made into lumber. It took three days and was a little nerve-wracking and very loud. On the last day, as they were grinding the stumps, the arborist called us over to have a look at something. The largest tree, the one closest to the house, was rotted about a quarter of the way through. A 70-plus-year-old tree. Whether it would have come down in our lifetime I can’t say, but it would have come down eventually. I am very glad we will not have to find out. Five more are scheduled for the fall.
Tuesday the landscaping on the circle begins. There are starts and stops with any project and this one is no exception. We found out yesterday that our tree may not be available until fall. The suppliers have not been able to source the size we want, and what we are likely to get is smaller than we wanted to start with. So the tree will wait. Everything else goes in Tuesday and I am excited. Kim, Juliet and I have lots to share this week. Let’s meander.
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Wanderlust
Something for the calendar if you are heading to London this summer. Beyond Strawberry Theif opens at the William Morris Gallery on 2 July and runs through 13 September 2026, and it is free. The exhibition brings together painting and stained glass united by the legacy of Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement he helped define. Artist Rosalinda Kightley presents around 35 vibrant paintings of flowers, still life and the occasional bird, rooted in close observation of the natural world.
Also this week, Dumfries House with Hill House Vintage. Paula takes us to Scotland and inside Dumfries House, home to one of the largest collections of original Chippendale furniture in the world and to the courses run by the King’s Foundation. Paula was invited to give a talk to the Costume Craft Program students and the video follows a beautiful 24 hours of seeing what they ate, wore and discovered, ending with the students’ graduation showcase in London.
In the Garden
Three gardening videos this week that I think you will love.
Chelsea Flower Show Design with Nick Turrell is full of practical wisdom from an RHS horticultural advisor. How to achieve the aesthetics you love using accessories, repetition and symmetry.
The Alchemy of Gardening with Dan Pearson is the one I thought about long after I watched. Dan is a landscape designer and this conversation goes far deeper than gardens. It is about humility, mindfulness, living in sync with natural rhythms and understanding that we are part of something much larger than ourselves. He grew up in a house where wildlife came indoors. Today he lives in a stone farmhouse in Somerset, cooks outside year-round and has a pond at the bottom of the garden for swimming or sitting quietly.
And Yasmine’s Alleyway Garden in Manchester. Residents of Moss Side with no gardening experience at all decided to transform a fly-tipped alleyway full of mattresses and old fridges into a thriving community garden. It now has a wildlife pond, a fig tree producing 3kg of fruit a year and a bar area with fresh herbs for cocktails. Everything changed. I love this one.
For Book Lovers
The Queen’s Reading Room Festival returns to Chatsworth on 19 and 20 September 2026. If you have never been, Chatsworth is one of the great treasure houses of England and the setting alone would be worth the trip. This year’s festival features Gyles Brandreth, biographer and broadcaster, and Gill Hornby, author of Miss Austen and Godmersham Park, both Sunday Times bestsellers. Miss Austen has just been adapted into a four-part BBC series starring Keeley Hawes. If you are a reader and you can get to Derbyshire in September, this one belongs on your calendar.
House Tours
Patina Meadow in Tennessee is the home and studio of Steve and Brooke Giannetti, and this is a full tour of his newly completed carriage house and custom pond project. He describes the concept as a deconstructed house, a property made up of intentional spaces that work together rather than one oversized home. The carriage house is inspired by English Cotswold architecture and old dairy barns, built around art, music, meetings and creative work. Custom pond fed by an old natural spring, stone walls, a fireplace and antique architectural details throughout. Brooke and Steve are amazing and their attention to details is unmatched.
And inside Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s Portuguese farm. When they bought this 400-year-old farm it was lying in ruin. What they turned it into is extraordinary: a multigenerational family home connecting Jeremiah to his Portuguese roots, blending rustic and modern, complete with goats, sheep and peacocks. Architectural Digest gave it a full tour and it is magical.
A Small Thought for the Weekend
I Still Have No Idea is a short film from Reflections of Life and a gentle reminder that wisdom is not about having all the answers. It is about staying open, paying attention and asking how best to use the time we have. The perfect thing to watch on a long weekend morning.
Last but Not Least
If you need a last minute sweet treat for your weekend gatherings try my Red, White and Blue Funfetti Pound Cake or No churn red white and blue ice cream with dipped cones. Both are easy, both are festive and both will make you popular at any barbecue.
If you missed it, this week on the blog I shared What are You Waiting For, a must read in my humble opinion, 7 Books for This Long Spring Weekend, and I joined Sheri for our Sweet Treats for Your Sweet Tooth Series.
Before you go, what are your Memorial Day plans? Tell me in the comments.
Don’t forget to visit Juliet at Make Mine a Spritzer and Kim at Northern California Style — we always have lots to share.
If you enjoyed this post, I would love it if you shared it. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterestand X — I would love to have you along.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends. Be safe.
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