Erica James
Erica James - Author of twenty-four bestselling novels. Mothers and Daughters now out in paperback.
A sunny good morning to you from Suffolk! I was incredibly lucky to be invited to go to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show yesterday and I'm enormously grateful to the art gallery Gladwell & Patterson and the super-talented artist Stewart Lees for arranging the invitation. I had a wonderful time and even bumped into fellow HQ author Liz Fenwick.
There was a variety of show gardens to look at - if you could get near them, such were the crowds! - but my two favourites were designed by Chris Beardshaw and the inimitable Kazuyuki Ishihara. For me they both tap into my love of what I regard as a 'classical/traditional garden' and not one that merely goes along with a current trend. Having said that, it was fascinating hearing everybody else expressing their opinions on the gardens. Interestingly, most of the colour on offer was inside the Pavilion where it was ablaze with every vibrant colour under the sun. I think my favourite display in the Pavilion was the vegetable garden with the greenhouse, just look at those leeks!
Apologies for the overload of photos, but it really is so hard to take the perfect photo which shows the gardens at their best.
X
So pleased that Best In Show this year was actually a garden! I’m not into these ‘landscapes’, they’re all very clever but not my idea of what Chelsea should be ❤️
Thank you for posting those! I used to go every year so this brings back memories ( it was my ‘trade fair’ as I was a garden designer) but haven’t been for some years and keep meaning to go again. I used to come home weighed down with all the latest catalogues. I too had ( still have) a floral jacket. Some years it was brilliant, some years a bit samey, but it was still good to listen to the band and have a Pimms!
I’m very jealous! I used to go for the BBC!
A secret garden affair, I've done very little for 3 days, I felt as though I knew the characters personally what a brilliant book Thank you Erica James
Ooh I love Mr Ishihara! And his gardens alwYs beautiful.
Gorgeous photos and I love love your coat!
Stunning pictures .. so pleased you had chance to go .. nothing compares to your beautiful garden 🪴
Lovely photos, I agree with you about Chris Beardshaw’s garden, my favourite. Hope you had a wonderful time, any inspirations?
Beautiful photos Erica and thank you for sharing your wonderful day! Love love love your gorgeous jacket 🌼🌸🌺 💗💞🥰 xxx
So beautiful, I'd love to go one year xx
This was was on my bucket list for many years and I finally got there in 2019...it was a gardeners delight around every corner. So glad you had a fantastic day
Thanks so much for sharing your lovely photos, Erica. There certainly were some amazing colours ! x
Loving all the photos as I’m not going to Chelsea this year! X
Thank you for sharing your day. Xx
Beautiful pictures Thank you & pleased you enjoyed the show
Beautiful photos. I love the greenery, its so peaceful and relaxing. Thank you for letting us have a peek of some of the gardens x
How lovely glad you had a nice time x
Thank you for those lovely photos.
Love the outfits a very Chelsea colour scheme going on
Great photos Erica. Glad you had lovely time at Chelsea. Stunning gardens. xx
What a great experience and weather sunny as well. Lovely pictures Erica x
Wow so pretty and relaxing!
Stunning photos,never miss watching it but never been lucky enough to go although my husband has been
How lovely
Looks wonderful!
The Pink Power Suit made another appearance yesterday when I was in Holt (Norfolk) to give a talk to the library there and then afterwards I signed books for the local independent bookshop, run by the wonderful Pam.
Holt is a beautiful small town and if you ever visit, do call in to the bookshop as it has a wonderful selection of books and currently there are signed copies of A Secret Garden Affair, as well as a few of Mothers and Daughters. .
This afternoon I'll be gabbing away again, this time with a book group in Weybourne village.
X
P.S. Thank you Ian Wilfred and Rosie Hendry for coming along and joining in with the fun at Holt Library, it was so lovely to meet you both. I hope our paths cross again before too long!
Loved this book ,actually I love all your books xx
I love it! 💗
Finished reading A Secret Garden Affair last week, and absolutely loved it. I didn't want it to end. Would love a sequel......❤❤
Erica I am loving your A Secret Garden Affair as we travel around Cambodia and Thailand. Happily loosing myself with Elfrida, Bess and Libby as I wait at aeroports or enjoy the hotel's air conditioning.
Hi Erica you look great in your pink suit. Good luck with your touring. xx
Love your suit!! Glad touring is going well , you come across wonderfully xxx♥️
I loved this book. ❤️
Working the Barbie pink well, Hun ❤️
Lovely photos - Holt is one of our favourite towns and we visit Norfolk as often as we can - stay in Blakeney or Wells and love it.
You look stunning and pink is my colour of choice 💕!
Whenever I visit my cousin in Norfolk she always takes mr to Holt. I love it there. She introduced me to your books and now I can’t put them down! Im reading Swallowtail Summer at the moment.
Lovely to meet you, Erica, and thank you for such a fantastic talk. Your pink power suit is amazing.
You look very nice x
It’s a gorgeous pink! 💖 X
Thank you for a fabulous morning at Holt Library. I really enjoyed it.
My favourite color for summer clothes!!
gorgeous colour!!
Well, you certainly won’t be missed in your power pink outfit!!
Eye popping suit!
I'm in Norfolk not far from Holt. Missed you grrrrrrŕ
My current read Erica James 💕
Wishing all my Norwegian readers the very best on what today is Constitution Day and which marks the anniversary of Norway declaring itself an independent kingdom back in 1814.
What I love about the occasion is the enthusiasm for wearing traditional costumes and quite frankly I think this is something I'd enjoy doing myself! I've picked a few photographs (sorry the quality is so poor) from the internet to give you an idea of what is worn. The embroidery on some of the costumes is just exquisite.
In other news and it's yet to be confirmed, but it looks like I'll be returning to Norway at the end of the summer when A Secret Garden Affair is launched there. I can't wait to go back!
Tusen takk! <3 I have a costume (bunad) from Bergen and I love it! 😃 (The blue one in the middle in the picture of the three girls). 🙂
Tusen takk🇧🇻❤️
So wish England had a national costume😢
Tusen takk😊
Tusen takk /Thank you 🇳🇴🥰
Back from my hols and now tackling the garden which has grown like crazy in the week I was away - the alliums in the front garden have opened up and the lilac is the best I've seen it since I moved here and everything in the greenhouse is now twice the size it was!
But before I don my gardening gloves, a quick heads-up on an event I'm doing on Thursday 18th May at Holt Library in Norfolk. If you're in the area and free that morning do come and say hello. I'll be there at 11.00 am talking about A Secret Garden Affair and answering questions and, of course, signing books. Tickets can be obtained from the library by giving them a call on 01263 712202.
Have a great weekend and for those who enjoy the spectacle that is Eurovision have a fun and very glittery evening. Anyone seen my gold Kylie hot-pants?!
X
Whilst out shopping this morning I came across this .. I couldn’t resist an early birthday present to me .. thank you Erica for all your books .. I’m currently reading song of the sky lark .. x
Dicentra is the heart shaped plant! Beautiful garden!
I love your garden xx
You really are funny xxx your garden is looking amazing , very inspirational xxx
Lovely garden. Here in Canada my alium is budding but not flowering. And my lilac not even in full leaf yet. But it I look forward to it all coming to life and enjoy your pictures in the meantime.
Can just picture you bopping round the lounge in hot pants 😊 also can I ask what the pretty plant that looks like hanging hearts is called please?
Beautiful
Have been in the garden myself everything is so lush. It’s surprising what grows in a week and a lovely surprise when you have been away. 🌻🌻
Enjoy your gardening 👩🌾 xx
your garden is beautiful mari a scoc ca
Gorgeous garden ❤️
Looks lovely Erica enjoyed meeting you in Mold.😊🪴🪴
Nearly finished A Secret Garden Affair and I love it!
Today has been the last day of my holiday here on the beautiful Norfolk Broads. We've had thunder and lightning and downpours of torrential rain, but also brilliant sunshine. Tomorrow I leave Horning and drive the short distance back to Suffolk and I'm going to miss seeing these wonderful views of the River Bure. But there's always next year!
I’ve just finished your latest book, it was such a pleasure, an amazing read. Lost now without them all. Thank you x
Can we expect another book set in that beautiful area, Erica? I hope you feel rested. A beautiful day here on the South Coast, with a sudden downpour about 5.00pm. xx
I feel very blessed to live in this part of the world.
We are on the Southern Broads and have been fortunate enough to see otters and muntjac deer today 🩷. We are moored up at Peto's Marsh tonight and it is beautifully peaceful - just what we are needing atm ⛵️🌞
Right on my doorstep! Hope you enjoyed the break x
Hope you tried the River Cottage Restaurant, fantastic food x
How beautiful. If I ever get back to England for a holiday I hope to see this area of your country.
Sounds lovely… glad you have had a break. Drive safely and enjoy all you have around you.. It sounds lovely!
Many happy childhood memories of Horning, I used to holiday there every Summer break. My Grandfather was postmaster.
We love the Norfolk broads especially Wroxham 💕💕
I adore Horning. So many happy memories there.
It was the best holiday we’ve had I think. A week felt like a month. Stunning landscape. ♥️
Safe journey home, Erica..x
I’m so pleased you had a lovely holiday with all four seasons! North Norfolk is certainly my happy place. I have just finished A Secret Garden Affair - I thoroughly enjoyed it - pure escapism. Thank you. 😘
Sounds like a typical British holiday!! ⚡️🌈☔️🌦️🌞🕶️💨 So glad you enjoyed it though!
We're off to Norfolk soon, love it there. Glad you had a good break.
Such a glorious part of the country. 🥰
Stunning views, lovely memories created for you and by you ❤️ xxx
A beautiful place xx
What a relaxing view .. hope you had a lovely break x
Beautiful pics. Sad you had one of our worse weeks for rain, thunderstorms and hail! 😘
Safe journey
Looks wonderful! X
Beautiful.
Looks wonderful!
Yesterday I took some time out away from the river and my keyboard and visited Hoveton Hall Garden. I'd been before but I'd forgotten just what a gem of a place it is and I'm surprised it hasn't been featured on any of the garden programmes on the television. If you're ever in this part of Norfolk (the Norfolk Broads) do plan a visit, it's well worth it.
The colours of the Acers, azaleas and rhododendrons are dazzlingly gorgeous at the moment as were the woodland paths through bluebells and fallen cherry blossom petals. Give it a few months and the hydrangeas will steal the show!
Today it's back to my keyboard and occasionally taking a few moments to watch the boats going by.
X
Gorgeous ❤️ could be used for a future book cover of yours x
I just had to follow on from this post about Norfolk Broads. I bought Swallowtail Summer on my kindle and saved it to read on our Norfolk Broads holiday. It absolutely did not disappoint - I've enjoyed reading it as we've moored up at some beautiful places. That just leaves me to say thank you Erica James ⛵️🦋🐦⬛🌿
Off to the Norfolk Broads today - our happy place ⛵️🩷
Absolutely stunning, I love the cobweb gate and the spider.
Absolutely glorious 👏
Beautiful I visited Sherringham park a couple of weeks ago and that also has lovely acres and rhododendrons worth a visit if you are ever that way.
Plants sound gorgeous.. tho I don’t know what an Acer is!
Just gorgeous photos - we went there some years ago - I had forgotten how lovely it is.💕 Would love that gate.
Wow! They are absolutely beautiful! 😍
Absolutely gorgeous and so peaceful 💕
Absolutely gorgeous!!!
Such beautiful pictures. Wish I was there enjoying everything about it.💕🌹🍀🥂xx
Lovely photos
Really love the Spider Web gate!!! Definitely my kind of spiders Xxx
Yes we have visited it and it is lovely, especially the spider's webs. Enjoy your break 🤗
Just beautiful!
Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful photos with us all, Erica. x
Beautiful photos
Simply beautiful 😍
Beautiful
That looks lovely Erica , good to seek energy in the nature❤️
Lovely photos
Absolutely gorgeous 🙂
It sounds beautiful!
Really lovely 😎