Wildflower meadow in Preston Park

Last year I noticed colourful wildflowers on a drive past Preston Park (Brighton), but didn't have time to go back and see them properly. This year, I made a special trip. I visited my sister and we got the bus to Preston Park. The park has a lovely rose garden at one end, near to the cafe.

The wildflower meadow is nearby. Two unused bowling greens were transformed by council workers and volunteers last year, and it looks fantastic. We went at the end of July, so it should be looking good for another month or two.

British Flowers Week: Brighton Rock

I'm off to New Covent Garden Market for the launch of British Flowers Week. In the meantime, here's a bouquet of scented South London flowers rocking the beach in Brighton.

It's as subtle as the luminous pink bucket and spade, but who cares? It's Brighton Pier - the new one is so busy and bright, it was overlooked for the location of the 2010 film in favour of Eastbourne! The lifeguard seemed bemused as I took the photos.

I read Graham Greene's novel Brighton Rock during a phase fifteen years ago when I tried to work my way through must-read modern classics. It's been a while, so I need to read it again! I saw the 2010 film at the London Film Festival. It was the 'surprise' film that year and I was pleased - not only was there Sam Riley playing the gang leader Pinkie as if he were a firework about to go off, there was also Helen Mirren and my absolute film idol, John Hurt. I don't remember when I first saw the 1947 film, but it's brilliant. It's more tense than the 1960s-set recent film, and Richard Attenborough's Pinkie is haughty and chilling. It sticks to the book's 1930s setting.

I'm not sure what Pinkie Brown would make of my cheerful, floral ode to his story, but I'm sure Rose would like it - the pink bucket and spade for Pinkie, and the red and pink roses for her. And Ida might appreciate the brightly-coloured rock: "I've never changed. It's like those sticks of rock: bite it all the way down, you'll still read Brighton. That's human nature."

You can see the old West Pier, which I think is charming and melancholic (or "atrabilious", as my old publishing manager calls it), all the more so for being wrecked by fires.

You can just about make out the new pier, with its fairground rides, and the deckchairs stretching along the pebble beach.

The other flowers in the bouquet are "Harlequin"and "Dot Com" sweet peas, Verbena bonariensis, Scabious "Pink Mist" (which has survived from last year), and Escallonia "Apple Blossom". There is also some apple and lavender mint, and lemon balm, hence the strong scent, made stronger by the warm weather.

I hope this is a good introduction to British Flowers Week - our gorgeous flowers are as much a part of the landscape as beautiful beaches and classic books and films!

Time to Talk Day - what to do if you can't talk

Today was Time to Talk Day - organised by the charity Time to Change to get people talking about mental health, and encouraging people to give a little bit of time for a chat with someone who might be struggling.

Unfortunately, both my sister (who is severely autistic) and I have depression and anxiety, which can be unnoticeable or overwhelming, depending on how things are going in our lives. There has been much discussion about the mental health benefits of gardening and being outdoors, and I think both have been a blessing for us.

Whether it's going for a walk on a beach in Brighton...

...or spending an hour or two in a garden or park, there lots of ways to make the darkness a little less intense. This is a picture from her Brighton garden last August. She often sat outside in the summer.

Last weekend, she came back to stay with the family, and she was ever so quiet. But she seemed to enjoy watering the autumn-sown nigella, cornflowers and Aquilegia 'Nora Barlow'.

None of these are a cure for mental illness. But for people like my sister who can't really have conversations with others, these are ways of making the days a bit brighter. And for someone like me, who appreciates thoughtful talks with friends and family, these are ways to help myself.

Let them eat Cake Maison

I find wedding shows a mixed bag. There are usually some suppliers who have such colourful, attractive stands, I can’t help but look, even if I didn’t think that I would be interested in their products. But in general, I am put off by the vastness and the crowds, the ‘sameiness’ of so many of the products and the styling, and the stereotyping. I was furious when I went to one show when I was engaged, and a person working on a cake stand offered cake to my then partner but said to me, “Oh, I guess you need to fit into the dress, don’t you?”  How sexist and rude!

I don’t need to tell you that that stand wasn’t Cake Maison!

I’ve seen Emma Drew and her wonderful Cake Maison cakes a few times now – at her home and at wedding shows – and she is as delightful as her cakes. Her consultation with me and my then partner lasted hours as we happily chatted away. Oh, and her cakes! They taste delicious, her sugar flowers are so exquisite you might mistake them for real ones, and her designs are stunning and reflect love, life, nature and beauty. Have a look here and you will see what I mean. The Alice in Wonderland-esque red hearts cake and the pale pink and blue chevron peony cake are especially enchanting in the flesh. Or rather, in the sugarpaste. As she is based in East Sussex, she also did a beautiful bright cake with deckchair-inspired stripes, in honour of brilliant Brighton.

I couldn’t take great pictures of her cakes at Brides the Show last autumn because her stall was so busy, but here are a few. I love, love, love this one! I’ve seen a few variations on it, and this was the cake that made me and my ex go ‘Wow!’

Even though I prefer the natural, country garden look, thanks to Sofia Coppola and her visually stunning, historically-patchy film, the Marie Antoinette look is a guilty pleasure of mine. This gold cake is perfect for a would-be Versailles bride.

The final picture is a Cake Maison cake beautifully adorned with flowers by Flowerbug Designs. I’ve seen many photos of beautiful windows at the Mathilda Rose bridal shop, with gorgeous dresses, amazing cakes and wonderful flowers.

If you go to a wedding fair and you see that Emma has a stall there, make sure you have a look…and a taste!

The Selfish Giant Maze in Brighton

What a genius idea! A pop-up maze outside the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, based on the short story by Oscar Wilde. I read The Selfish Giant as a child, but this refreshed my memory, with text from the story dotted around the maze. 

There were visual treats to be found in the maze, in the form of seasonal flowers and leaves, riddles and giant gardening tools, as well as aural treats.

It was the first time my little sister had been to a maze and I’m happy to say I didn’t get us too lost! She smiled and seemed to enjoy it, which is the main point of my days out with her.

But hurry - the maze is only there until Tuesday.