V is for.....Victoria!

It's Victoria Day here in Canada, in celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday on May 24, 1819. This silhouette of a grand statue of Victoria presides over the harbour in the city named her honour; Victoria, B.C.

The weather here in Calgary has been cool and rainy all weekend - which is somehow appropriate for the Victoria Day long weekend. Hope you had a chance to do something to celebrate despite the weather! Camping? A Barbeque? Last night we prepared a feast of English pub food for a bit of fun in celebration of the occasion.

Old Town Victoria

Some lovely outdoor vignettes around Victoria's old town...I love the combination of this mint green door and with crisp white - so fresh!

These doors at the Duchess and Duke are the perfect shade of red.



I love the look of painted brick paired with warm wood materials. We have the same bistro set sitting in our garage. Remind me to stain it before spring arrives!

These outdoor lights look magical amongst the lanterns hanging across Fan Tan Alley in Chinatown. 

Spring is certainly in the air around here. Hope it's the same where you are. Time for me to get outside and start arranging my planters and decorating the front door for the new season!



Blossom

 

Dainty pink petals on the magnolia and cherry trees have emerged throughout Victoria.

 

Such a pretty sight to see!

Easter Tea

Inspired by a recent trip to Victoria, we're having a small tea party at our house for Easter this year instead of a dinner. Not sure if I'll be able to replicate tea at the Empress, but I do have their Empress blend on hand! Hyacinths and lilies are popping up everywhere around our garden - a beautiful sight!

Enjoy the Easter weekend!

Spring Teaser!

Some pretty spring-like images to share of our recent trip to Victoria, BC. Looks like Spring is in full-swing over there already. Can't wait for greenery and flowers again... 

Check out my next post on terrariums for more spring-time inspiration. Enjoy the weekend!...

Countdown to Spring

 

Well, what I'm calling, 'The Big Melt', has begun here today. With balmy temperatures this weekend it seems we're finally making way for the spring season, and not a minute too soon. Meanwhile, our friends on the west coast usually get a good head-start on the season. Some hopeful and inspiring images from our Victoria respite last spring.  Rosebuds and robins are on their way! I promise!

Don't forget that the clocks 'spring ahead' this weekend.

Hope you enjoy the extra daylight!

Spring Fever

I can't possibly focus on interiors right now. I'm to far too distracted by what's going on outside. Or rather, what isn't going on outside....Still no springtime here I'm afraid. I've become obsessed with the (impending) arrival of this uplifting season. Crikey! Please let it be soon! This time last year we were having a lovely spring with newly-hatched finch chicks on our front porch. Alas, our latest snow storm was last weekend. Bah!!! Fortunately, we managed to escape it as we were in Victoria, BC. Things are looking slightly different over there....

It's beautiful there, non? It amazes me that this temperate paradise is just over an hour away.

One day, we'll call it 'home'.

Garden Envy

Lately I have been suffering from a rather serious case of garden envy. Above is just a tiny morsel of the stunning (stunning!!) Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. We have been trying to establish our garden since moving into our house last fall. All we have to work with is grass and some desperate earth. Is it possible for any tree, plant or flower to actually grow here? Alberta does not have the same climate or topography as British Columbia so no recreations of the above will be happening. Our garden "dirt" is certainly different from what Andrew is used to in England so there is a lot of "bloody hell" remarks. All this work (Okay, mostly Andrew's work) has made me appreciate the incredible gardens that many Calgarians have created in our cool and dry climate (Zone 2 - yikes!). I am discovering that each part of a garden large or small should be "furnished" and styled just like an indoor room. Give us a few more weeks and I will post some photos of what we have completed in phase 1 of our garden. In the meantime I will dream of luscious gardens in far away places....Some gardens from our travels that really captured me:

The Gardens at Kensington Palace London, England

The Botanical Gardens in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Relaxed old-Hollywood feeling gardens at the Colony Palms Hotel Palm Springs, CA USA

More of the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Nicely put! Smith Square in London, England