When everything felt uncertain, I found myself returning to what I could shape;
a table, a gathering, and spaces that said ”this is all you can control; make it yours”

I have done nothing in the garden this month, but I have thought about it quite a lot, which feels adjacent to effort.

A Little Obsessed With… Glow

The Inept Gardener. 

Chronicles from someone who gardens sporadically and expects miracles.

Part 2.

A look back at the colours, menus and table styling that shaped summer gatherings at The Willows.

I guess I tried…

There has been a change at The Willows that has brought me not to a halt so much as a pause.

A lesson in restraint, creativity and letting go of perfection in favour of what really matters.

Sometimes all you need is:

A cooler week after summer heat
A deck at sunset
Something delicious in a glass
And people to laugh with

And maybe —
just maybe —
a full bag of ice.

Moments of joy, strung together like pearls on a string can create something beautiful and worth protecting and treasuring.

Before the madness of December took over our diaries we made time to catch up with dear friends for a relaxed lunch

How can I profess to love gardens so much, only to quickly and efficiently slaughter every plant I buy? It's a mystery to me. I love the colour and fragrance of gardens, the interplay of airy plants next to sturdy, impenetrable shrubs, but above all, the expanse of green soothes me. While some people seek the beach for renewal, I crave a garden, a sea of greens gently waving in a summer breeze, and I am in heaven.

Why are we, as a society, so afraid of colour? The recent Pantone Colour of the Year, white, or ‘Cloud Dancer,’ has sparked this reflection.

Hello, and welcome. I’m thrilled that you are here!  My name is Suzanne, and this is my part of the world. 

I live in The Willows, a house that was built in 1930, named for the willow trees that grow along the creek at the back of our home.