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.

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 . . .

The Fruits of Summer

Sitting outside after putting the children to bed, I noticed the sky changing and moving rapidly.

What an inspiration for colour, light & texture.  The photographs probably don't do the sky justice; it looked like floating pink, blue and yellow glowing fairy floss.  If I waited long enough, I would catch a dart of lightning passing through it.

Another common sight over Summer: the humble tomato. . .

They may be small, but boy do they taste spectacular!!  More flavour in one of these little puppies than kilos of the supermarket variety.  My husband and kids have done a great job raising them.

And one last pic, this time a Christmas present from my wonderful mother.

Isn't this a brilliant idea?! Knowing we have nothing but a dust bowl in our new place, Mum thoughtfully planted a mini vegetable patch containing lettuce, capsicum, thyme, marigolds, nasturtiums, basil, chives, and I am sure something else I can't remember.  It feels like my little patch of green - love it!