Pia - The Constant Gardener

The

"Swedish Riviera"

is located

in the south eastern part of

Sweden.

It's made up of many charming villages,

with equally charming cottages all

huddled together like

in a 

fairy tale,

of a land faraway.

And in one of these cottages,

lives our friend

Pia.

Having resided in many parts of the world,

Pia

decided to relocate here seven years ago,

from

Stockholm.

Her property is set on large piece of land

&

is made up of

3 separate buildings.

As we drove up,

the garden first came to view.

Enchanting & breathtaking.

It was a beautiful

Summer

evening

when the sun was

still

warm & bright.

Casting bright rays through the mature

chestnut tree

 &

 foliage

surrounding her home.

Simply magical.

And there she was,

waiting to greet us with

champagne

&

a warm embrace.

This is

Pia Alice Wallin.

Mother.

Design Entrepreneur.

Avid Gardener.

This visit is long overdue.

But we kept our promise

&

promptly arrived

on schedule.

We last saw

Pia

on

Christmas day

last year.

As we sat,

sipping bubbles,

long shadows from the evening light

surround us.

Her garden is truly breathtaking.

And her styling is

astoundingly unique.

Her home is simply

Pia!

What are you thinking of right now?

Spain.

Favorite movie?

Forrest Gump

A common mistake made by many people...?

Failure to say sorry.

Best buy ever?

This house.

Favorite cuisine?

Indonesian.

Orange or pink?

...actually orange as it has a lot of energy.

Greatest accomplishment?

My garden.

Camping holiday or white water rafting?

White water rafting.

What do you consider overrated?

Electricity & water bills in Sweden.

Muffins or cup cakes?

Cup cakes.

What drives you?

Positive curiosity...

I always want to see what's around the corner.

What is the world missing?

Love

What are you reading now?

Himmel Over London.

( Sky Over London )

Favorite shop?

Peter Hoe.

Most memorable experience?

Giving birth.

What do you cook best?

Fish.

Favorite city?

Barcelona...even though I've never been there.

How important is technology to you?

Not so important.

Define a journey?

A journey comes upon me, when I don't plan.

Do lines have to be straight?

Oh no!

What's next?

Spain.

Our two days here in the

Swedish

south coast,

was oh...too short.

Waking up to the

call of nature

&

the fragrant

smell from the garden,

is totally

therapeutic.

"Far From The Madding Crowd".

We cooked.

We laughed.

We toured the countryside.

And of course we exchanged ideas.

For

Pia,

the direction

decorating is heading is towards a

personal view point.

As opposed

to being told how it should be.

Her philosophy is to

"Live Today"

&

she has very few rules in her life.

A great way to go

for a woman

on the go!

In Summer,

Pia

shows off her

creative flair

by selling her line of

jewellery in the

village market.

Her positive outlook on everything

is clearly evident in the layout of her garden.

It appears that there are

no challenges

large enough to deter this

woman

born in the

town of

Enkoping,

Sweden.

Travel is in her blood.

Curiosity flows through her,

while

enthusiasm

bubbles forth.

And all this is accomplished on her own speed.

Her own vision.

Our friendship was a chance meeting,

many,many years ago.

I'm glad to see this

blossom & bloom

just like her garden.

Pia

has a natural ease about her.

Her personality is all over her home.

The use of

bright splashes of color

&

unusual props,

shows us that

the norm does not apply.

And rightly so!

As we drove away,

we were under this

 beautiful spell

from this corner of

 Sweden.

Where quaint cottages sit neatly

together.

Gardens overflow

with

fruit trees

&

flowers.

Fields ablazed with a

golden hue,

blessed from

Summer sunshine.

And in all this

magical beauty,

lives a woman

named

Pia.

Thanks again

for

a splendid visit!