A Cool Florist’s Perfect Summer Weekend
FRIDAY NIGHT
I love the looseness of summer. Everything feels slower and softer. The light lingers longer and nature feels at its fullest. The flower market is at its most abundant and evolving... It's a really exciting time of year for a florist.
My Friday evening typically includes a nice dinner. Ideally outside – weather permitting – with friends. We’ll either head to a restaurant we love or host at each other's houses where we can enjoy lots of seasonal food and wine. We love a picnic in the park or pub garden at this time of year. Right now, my drink of choice is an Americano – it’s like a negroni, but lighter. Perfect for warm evenings.
I’m a salad person through and through. So, if I’m hosting, I love building fresh, simple plates using whatever’s at its best – peaches, ripe tomatoes, soft herbs, good olive oil, maybe some burrata. I like to let one or two ingredients take centre stage and keep the rest unfussy. I always come back to the Towpath cookbook. It’s as much about atmosphere as it is about recipes. Either that or anything by Nigel Slater. His writing is so instinctive and seasonal.
SATURDAY
Saturday always begins with an early walk to the farmers market in Victoria Park with my dog Nova and husband Dom. We will usually get a coffee and have a mooch around. I do a lot of my food shopping here. You can find beautiful fruit and veg, and it always feels like a proper weekend ritual. Pea shoots in a salad, courgettes with lemon zest and burrata with anything. I’ve also been adding lots of fresh lemon to everything – it's just the easiest way to make things feel bright and summery.
We'll usually see friends for dinner or drinks on Saturday evenings. Out east, we have so many more options to choose from. I love Café Cecilia – the team serves the best food and I’ve never been disappointed. Italian hotspot Dalla is one of my absolute favourite restaurants. It's a ten out of ten in every single way. Towpath along the canal always feels really special – trust me it's worth the queue. And I've been loving having a cocktail at Brillo, Forno's late-night bar that’s only open Friday and Saturday evenings.
SUNDAY
Sundays are all about enjoying a slow breakfast and reading the newspapers, before we head out for a long walk with the dog. I love walking along the canal paths and visiting Victoria Park. Abney Cemetery is another favourite, it’s peaceful and slightly wild in the best way. It feels like a bit of the country hidden in the city. Wilton Way Deli is a great spot for an al fresco lunch or a late afternoon negroni in the summer. It’s one of my favourite hidden gems. I also love Pavilion for a coffee and Forno for its maritozzi sweet buns.
Summer is my favourite season for dressing. You can play with clothes more freely while still feeling put together. It's easier for work too – I love teaming a silk slip with my welly shoes and a Barbour jacket. In the winter, I’m wrapped head to toe in thermals, so it’s fun to have some options in summer, even if it's raining.
On our way back from a walk, we might pop to Columbia Road Market then spend the afternoon parked up in a pub for a late lunch/early dinner or head home to make something simple for dinner with a glass of wine. I also have a summer tradition of making sure we go for a swim at the lido. I’ll often spend a little time in the studio at some point too, just to pick up some weekend flowers or do a little prep. I love those quiet weekends when you can completely reset.
I tend not to watch too much TV in the summer. It feels like time is better spent outside. I do love to read though. I've just finished David Sedaris's Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls. It's very witty and very funny – and perfect for a holiday read because it’s a collection of short stories and essays. I also recently finished Celia Paul's Self Portrait, which was excellent. And I always have the latest copy of World of Interiors or Apartamento to hand for some light reading.
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