Reflecting on July

July. The month a heatwave took over the UK, exciting events lead my calendar and relaxation came in the form of an Italian adventure.

All things considered (with the weather), there have been some very exciting developments in the garden this month.

I’ve finally planted up my giant terracotta pots with my olive trees. They needed more space so I’ve put them in larger pots, underplanting them with Erigeron and Trailing Rosemary, which is perfect for tumbling over pots.

The garden is coming along nicely and has filled out throughout the summer - featuring some of the favourites: Roses, Nepeta ‘Wild Orchid’, Fennel and Verbena Bonariensis - perfect for this time of year being very drought tolerant.

Leaving my garden - and heading over to another - I joined The Future Gardeners charity, an incredible initiative which helps people get jobs in the horticulture industry. Teaching has always been a huge honour for me, so when a floristry workshop like this, is full of such enthusiastic people - it makes it even more rewarding!

When I said it’s been a busy month, I wasn’t lying.

Between some overdue birthday celebrations, gallery explorations and all-important holiday prep - July has been a month being here, there and everywhere. A few highlights are:

Planque Restaurant
We visited Planque for an extended birthday celebration. It’s been somewhere I've wanted to visit for a long time, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity. It’s one of those restaurants that chefs even love to go and eat.

Visit Planque

RH Gallery, Mayfair

I paid a visit the brand-new RH Gallery in London. They already have spaces in New York and Oxfordshire which I’ve loved, but I have to say the Mayfair location was particularly exceptional.

Jam-packed with incredible interiors, styling and curation - this was somewhere I could wonder around for hours. The Dining Room restaurant is also worth booking for a special celebration.

Visit RH Gallery

Selfridges Beauty Hall

In preparation for my trip to Italy, I visited Selfridges Oxford St for a much-needed Bio Sculpture pedicure.

An all-round wonderful experience and quite nice to have an excuse to switch off for an hour or so. This time I chose Angelina Red to match my holiday destination.

Towards the end of the month, I escaped to one of my favourite places - Le Marche, Italy. Although it’s recently been featured in Stanley Tucci’s, Tucci In Italy - Le Marche still remains one of Italy’s most hidden gems - and somewhere my husband and I have been returning to for the past 12 years.

Stay tuned for my Italian Travel Guide coming soon 👀

The wonderful team at The White Company invited me to Temple Island - a tiny island in the middle of the Thames - to watch the Henley Royal Regatta.

From sparkling wine on arrival to a long lunch overlooking the river, garden games in the sunshine and afternoon tea for the journey home, every detail had been so thoughtfully considered.

A day spent watching the boats glide by, sharing beautiful food and even better company... I don’t think summer gets much lovelier than that.

Rounding off with some of my very favourite things I’ve seen, experienced or discovered this month. Starting with flowers, of course.

Smokebush

It’s smokebush season at the flower market and one of my very favourite seasonal stems. Not only is it simply a beautiful flower, it also dries beautifully - I still have some going strong in the studio.

I recommend you buying 3-5 stems for a really striking display. Check out my instagram post which showcases Smokebush in action!

Drakes

I feel I may have left the best until last. Not only is it a favourite of the month, it might be one of my all-time favourite birthday presents.

Drakes provide a made-to-order shirt experience, which is just the most decadent treat and the perfect gift for your shirt-wearing loved ones. Despite there being no official womenswear line, I truly believe tailoring transcends gender - and if it makes you feel great, then it’s right for you.

After all, my Annie-Hall inspired RHS press day look from Chelsea Flower Show was oozing tailoring with a twist. Check out that look here! Another way of completely changing an outfit is with a good tie - my favourite Drakes tie makes for the perfect gift - whether that’s one to yourself or someone else.

For a more affordable option, M&S hit the mark every time with their ties!

July has most certainly been a busy month. I’m slightly bewildered we’re in August already and I have a feeling, it’s going to be another exciting one.

- Hazel