Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts

Friday, 5 February 2010

A Serene Garden

Today I thought I would share some photos of my mum's beautiful garden.  Whenever I visit my family home, relaxation hits immediately.  The wonderful green-ness (is that a word?!) is a cooling sight, particularly in comparison to the often barren Summer we have at our country home.
Memories of growing up surrounded by gorgeous blossom trees and golden Autumn trees has definitely been the basis of my love of gardening. 

We all need a space that is inviting and peaceful, a place to go when it is hectic with children indoors or crazy outside the boundary of our homes.  And probably most importantly it becomes a reflection of our personality, a glimpse of our creativity and nuturing spirit.

This seat has become my favourite chair, a fantastic place to sit and re-charge.

"The Fairy" Rose
I will leave you with a picture of someone who is obviously enjoying the fresh burst of rain we have recently had.


Thursday, 14 January 2010

Velvet Pears by Susan Southam

Ok, Book Review today . . .

If you have a love of gardens and need fresh ideas or are new to the hobby and would like some inspiration, this is the book for you!
Less like a "step by step" and more of one woman's account of making her dreams a reality, this book is a little like dipping into someone's personal thoughts, loves and ambitions.
I really fell in love with Velvet Pears; the story, the gorgeous photographs, and the idea that anyone can hold a dream in their mind of something special, and make it come to fruition with a lot of hard work and passion.


The book is set out in seasons, and the author describes her experiences gardening within each one.


Just look at these colours, as a crafter I can find a lot of inspiration for future quilts, as well as my future garden!


Maybe it is Susan Southam's love of full blown roses that attracted me to the book (they are my favourites!), or maybe it was the beautifully crafted book that was lovely to hold and to read.
Whatever the reason, "Velvet Pears" has motivated me to visit Susan's garden "Foxglove Spires" in Tilba Tilba one day.  It is top of my Destination List! If you would like to see more of her place go here

Wednesday, 6 January 2010

Sustainable Gardening

Well, it is set to be another scorching day here today, a frequent occurance that has spelt out drought, as for most of us.  We have had a fortunate enough amount of rain over the last few months which has resulted in us living off one tank of water without having to buy any in.
However with these increasing extreme weather patterns combined with a total reliance on tank water, I would love to develop a garden that is relatively sustainable as well as beautiful.
To be completely honest, my total love for gardening still plays second fiddle to a busy life raising children, so I need a garden that can stand on its own two legs without overuse of precious resources such as time, money and water.
So have a look at our tranquil oasis . . .

Green, isn't it?! The imagination is an amazing thing though. When I look at this picture, I see a star picket fence bordering a modest front garden, with climbing Honeysuckle, Chinese Star Jasmine and Rosa Crespsucle creating a lush barrier to the farming aspect of the property and a welcoming sight for visitors.  I see an arbour in this fence to walk through, down a curved gravel path to the front door flanked on both sides by lavender and seaside daisy.

Either side of this pathway is a little patch of Lawn Chamomile surrounded by drought hardy shrubs such as Salvia, Echinacea, Cotton Bush, and Mexican Orange Blossom.
And where would we be in life without beautiful trees to admire and draw a microclimate from? Gorgeous Crepe Myrtles and silver birches, with hopefully a lilac protectively planted in there somewhere too.  To top this off, climbing Ornamental Grape shelters the verandah from direct heat, and allows a small refuge to be created where a comfy chair beckons with a good book and a beverage of choice.
Now to start . . .

Wednesday, 30 December 2009

First Post

Hello world,

This is my very first post on a very scant looking blog.  Inspired by all the other blogs I have run into on the course of my internet craft searches, I am now attempting my two cents worth.

Lets hope I can suss out the mechanics of these things so we wont look so boringly naked!!

Hopefully I can get some pics loaded soon which will give you an idea of the loves of my life - in no particular order: my two beautiful children, my georgous pooch Millie, quilting, sewing of all descriptions, gardening and decorating our newly built home.  I am sure there is lots more I can't think of now but will add later on.

If you happen to run into me on your internet travels, I hope you are having a nice relaxing day in your world,


Lisa