Episode 42 - Show Notes & Advice

episode 42 | show notes & advice

episode description

This week, Arthur and Sarah pick their favourite things in our Christmas range.

The countdown to Christmas is on and what better place to look for inspiration? Sarah wanted to make this year’s Christmas range as jolly as possible, after last year being so difficult.

The Sarah Raven Christmas range has everything you need to make your home and garden look gorgeous, festive and sparkly. Even Arthur, who is a self-confessed Grinch, couldn’t help getting excited for Christmas looking through the catalogue and website with Sarah. 

episode 42

LIGHTS

• Solar alliums

Both Arthur and Sarah love alliums – like the best firework display. And the amazing thing is solar does work – to come on as it gets dark and then last 5-6 hours, beaming away.

(Please note brightness can vary, due to seasonal light levels.)

• Wire Lights

These are one of Sarah’s favourites year-round. They are light, delicate and incredibly versatile for weddings, parties and of course at Christmas. They can be battery or solar and Sarah twists wire lights through wreaths for the door.

WREATHS

• The woven willow wreath is Arthur’s favourite. Brilliant to use with almost anything from dried hydrangea heads, to bracken and wild clematis — reusable, sustainable, super-quick to do and elegant. Put the flowers down into a bath of water once a week or so for a few hours. That will keep the flowers looking fresh for longer.

• Bamboo Shell wreath — Sarah and Arthur added pussy willow and mini baubles to ours for the Christmas range shoot and it became a favourite. Can be dressed up with strawflowers etc in summer too.

Both of these wreath bases look very natural and can be stripped down, the fresh stuff removed and stashed in the attic and used again next year.

CANDLES

• Micro LED hanging globes

Arthur is going to use his either hanging like a witch’s ball, or in a bowl on the centre of the Christmas table.

• Oval Magnetic Candleholder Tray in copper

Sarah loves this because it’s so versatile. You can move the candleholder bits around the tray and they stick with their magnetism. Sarah loves using these all year and uses them for floating flower heads e.g. cosmos, dahlias and chrysanths. At Christmas she fills the whole tray with different decorations, hellebores, baubles and candles. It’s perfect for a mantelpiece or small table centre.

DECORATIONS

For Razz-ma-tazz

Arthur is crazy on his Christmas decorations – loving wild things turned into decorations and he particularly loves the Glass Beetles. Other highlights for him are:

• Glittered Multi-coloured Glass Beetles

• Colourful Bird Decorations

• Glass Parrots

• Glass Fox

We all need to take care of using too much glitter, (which is often made of plastic) particularly when not stuck on well. The legs of the beetles do have glitter.

To avoid glitter and bling, Arthur has also chosen our set of ceramic pigs.

For Calm

• Snowdrop Glass Baubles

Sarah has chosen the simple and pretty clear glass baubles painted with snowdrops as her favourite thing to arrange on a vase full of silver birch branches.

STATIONERY

• Sarah Raven Diary and Calendar

These are Sarah’s favourites, with fabulous photographs by Jonathan Buckley of the Perch Hill garden – the pictures are selected to be our very best.

• Our puzzles

Arthur is giving one of these to his mum.

• The Flower Yard.

Arthur’s latest book follows Arthur as he gardens through the seasons in pots. It is a beautifully visual yet personal and highly informative read on his love for bold colours, cut flowers and bees.

• A Year Full of Flowers.

Tracing the year from January to December, Sarah's new book provides inspiration, planting ideas and expert advice for a beautiful garden all-year round.