This is a tribute to the Somerset summers that shaped me. Sunny days filled with wildflowers, bees, and the quiet magic of my grandparents’ home.
Some of my happiest childhood memories come from the summer holidays my sister and I spent with our grandparents in Somerset. They lived in a little haven with a cider apple orchard, chickens, and my Grandad’s meticulously tended vegetable garden. Still in our pyjamas, we’d pull on our wellies and excitedly trudge through the damp grass to collect eggs for breakfast.
Days were spent pottering in the garden, harvesting and podding peas (some even made it into the pot for dinner!). Making fairy houses at the bottom of the orchard, and playing hide and seek. We’d wander to the village for bread and bits, always stopping at Crombleholme’s Shop. It was a place that seemed to stock absolutely everything. To me, it felt magical.
Wildflower Lessons in the Hedgerows
Most afternoons we’d set off on bike rides or wander the nearby lanes and fields. Grandad would teach us the names of the wildflowers growing in the hedgerows. Sometimes we’d pick a small bunch for Nanna or press them carefully in a flower press. On damp afternoons, you’d usually find me drawing at their kitchen table.
Buttercups were always the easiest for us to spot — five glossy, sunlit petals that seemed to glow even on cloudy days.
Grandad shared the most fascinating facts. That buttercups are actually poisonous to humans and animals. And that they follow the sun throughout the day — a little botanical magic called heliotropism. He also loved sharing old wives’ tales. I took great delight in testing the “highly scientific” buttercup-under-the-chin method to see who really liked butter. Spoiler alert: we all did — especially spread on fresh bread with honey from his bees.
Awe and Liquid Gold
My love of nature was undoubtedly nurtured by his passion for the natural world. Grandad kept bees and would proudly point out which flowers they favoured. I remember the awe I felt watching him in his beekeeping suit as he checked the health of the hive and harvested the honey. Liquid gold, he called it. He was a hero in my eyes, especially when he was called out to deal with a swarm of bees or wasps in a nearby village.
My new Buttercup Posy Art Print brings all those happy memories flooding back. It’s a celebration of wildflowers and the gentle beauty of nature. Alongside the buttercups, I included cow parsley (a familiar favourite from childhood hedgerows) and a stylised bugle flower for a hint of woodland magic. The White-Tailed Bumblebee, Bombus lucorum, quietly going about its important work, is a little nod to my Grandad. He adored all pollinating insects — though he was far less fond of the caterpillars that munched through his vegetables!
Bee and Buttercup Joy for your Home
This print feels like childhood curiosity, sunshine, and the magic of nature all woven together. I know my grandparents would have loved it.
So, if you’d like to bring a little wildflower joy into your home, Buttercup Posy is now available as a Giclée Art Print in my Etsy shop.
If you’d like to wander a little further down memory lane with me, I’ve written a blog about how my Grandad inspired my love of letter writing. Read my blog Letters Mean Connection.