Just Now...

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Just now I have decided that...

1. I need a big white chaise to blog on in a white garden room for Winter

&

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2. A porch to nap on in Summer

Not too much to ask for-is it?

It's A Complicated Garden...

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G'Day Poppets!

I am in the mood for diggin.

I know, it is Autumn here in Australia and we woke to a serious frost  here in Tasmania and the last thing I should be thinking of is gardening, let alone building a veggie patch!

Not sure what it is, but Autumn always makes me want to garden.

Anywho, I am in full veggie garden want and have been doing a little bit of planning and researching into the way I will shape this little plot.

One things for sure I want it to look nice and reflect the era of our old home.

This picket fence looks great, but wouldn't work for us. I do love it though.

It's Complicated garden

From experience building our last garden, I am sure I will need some gravel or something through the beds that I don't have to mow. That was a nightmare!

Ever since I seen the veggie patch in the movie It's Complicated I was hooked and it started me thinking about rebuilding ours. That was a while ago...not in Autumn ;0)

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Raised beds is the way to go here and Brooke's garden is a delight.

The idea of a little spot to sit and ponder the next plantings I like.

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One thing is for sure....I will be including some climbing frames, homemade style, and hopefully a cold frame

...but that's another post!

I you have any tips, tricks or ideas I can try for this little garden of ours, I would love to here from you.

Need all the help I can get that's for sure!

Preparing For Tomorrow...

house beautiful

Today was one of those relaxing, sunny days - you know the type where you have every intention of doing something grand, but the warm Summer sun just beckons you outside?

Well that was today. Tomorrow we celebrate Australia Day and just about everyone I know does this with a good 'ol Aussie barbie, or B-B-Q. We are having one here with our family, so today I spent some time sorting out where we will be eating and celebrating what it is to be Australian...it doesn't look as good as the image above, but it will do.

Eva Lindh

I did come to the realisation while I was out there, that we have to get started on the gardens. We started, then we were held up inside again fitting French doors and the like.

Oh well.

I had planned to bring you some more of the 'No cost bathroom makeover' today, but I didn't do a thing in there, but I will show you some images soon.

Have a wonderful day, wont you?

Ness xx

A beautiful, busy day...

from my dream house file - unknown
My Lavender has finally 'woke up'!!

We have had the most beautiful, busy day today. A workout in the morning, mowing lawns, a trip to the beach to chase the boys along the sand and look for crabs and shells, a quick post, make dinner then off to Bootcamp!!! I feel tired just reading it.

I hope this is the start of some lovely weather over the weekend...we deserve it after all the rain.

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend too,

Ness xx

Where Ever You Are

skona hem

An early post for me today as I have a date with a stack of material to re fill the store and catch up on some orders over the weekend. So, I hope where ever you are, your weekend is filled with inspiration. See you on Monday!

Ness xx

Thank you!

Katherine Field

I had a lovely Birthday yesterday and I thank you all for your wishes.

Present wise I was given from Mic and the boys, Paul Bangay's Complete Garden Handbook (as you know we are trying to create a garden) and some new Sable Artist brushes. I made it quite hard for him this year, as I didn't really want or need anything, so I was very happy with these.

From Mic's Family, beauty products, Pilate's DVD, Somethings Gotta Give Soundtrack (which I have listened to all day). I also got some English box hedges and Pittosporum screening hedges en mass for our garden. A few things will be arriving this weekend as well when my Mum flies in to stay for 2 weeks...yay! Oh and I bought myself some things too, so I done really well considering I made it hard for everyone!!

The cheesecake went down well..but then I felt a little ill...maybe guilty, not sure.

Ness xx

An Autumn Weekend

Autumn is well and truly here in Tasmania, Aust. Last night I even contemplated putting the electric blankets on! This morning we woke to a cold morning, and I had to put the heater on.

So I thought these photos by Landscape designer Katherine Field would be fitting to welcome in an Autumn weekend. I can picture us all lounging around this pit fire with the boys' roasting marshmallows, watching the last glimpse of sunlight go over the hills. Then this house takes on its own.....
...when the lights come on!
We will be off to view the Glover Prize Art Show at Evandale, then to the Homespun Markets, also to buy some handles for the French doors and finally home to potter around and get a few things done.
This week I am going to have a giveaway!!! =0)
So come back on Monday to find out more about it.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend planned.
Ness xx

Hydrangeas, dust and inspiration...

OK, for some of you this post may seem a bit 'all over the shop', but bear with me...there is a theme. Gardens and Hydrangeas. I have been looking for inspiration as you know for our garden (which currently resembles a dust bowl) and found images from favourite garden designer Katherine Field. If you want inspiration the check her site out...anyway, this house/garden below speaks to me so I had to show you.

Not only is the home divine...but there are Hydrangeas, Agapanthas, formal gardens...

...more Hydrangeas, urns, a brilliant pool...and green grass!
This below is a hint of what is happening with our veranda makeover-

See, no grass. Just a grey dust that cloaks anything that will stand still long enough to be covered when a puff of wind blows!!! Now you see why I needed this post today. I have no grass and it is raining. Also, we have just entered Autumn, which is one of my favourite times in the garden next to Spring. So, motivation is the key here.

My beloved Hydrangeas are in there last stages of beauty, before they turn into brown sticks for the Winter. I am going to have to cut some to savour them over the cold months.

This is the first year that this particular one was the colour it said on the tag!
...anyway...

I am looking for some designs that will kick off our garden. We don't have any pathways yet. I don't like hard concrete, but would settle for something that included grass in it like this, in a more random layout. We will have box hedges everywhere as well.

Since we have a large space to turn into a garden. I would really hope to have a little 'secret' space like this in a more cottage feel where I can cut flowers from to bring inside.
Maybe some paving for extra seating areas and a kids play space...with Hydrangeas of course

Now this idea is if we win lotto! A pool house, pool and spa, surrounded by Agapanthas, Hydrangeas and loads of green. The light fitting in the pool house is beautiful.

...but I will be happy to turn our dusty patch beside our veranda into a lush oasis that is filled with one of Dads' birdhouses on a pole, loads of box hedging, Agapanthas, a seating area, and ...Hydrangeas! What do you think?

Ness xx
all photos Katherine Field except #3,4,5...by me!

Outside Thoughts....

Now that our veranda is underway my thoughts have turned, naturally to the decorating of this space and the new garden beyond. I have been pouring through your blogs, Magazines and file photos to try and come up with a concept for it all. I have a rough plan as to how it will all go and have started sketching these spaces to keep me on track. We would love a place to sit with coffee and watch the kids and garden in the shade of our huge Sycamore tree.

Country Home Ideas

I am thinking more along the lines of padded or wicker seating as it would withstand our harsh weather here...and be comfy at the same time.

This is our little Crab Apple tree I planted out the backyard (Christmas 07, and it is triple the size now). We have decided to have a line of these down our driveway with a native grass (flax) or maybe Agapantha's. I has to be something low maintenance as our property is just over 3/4 of an acre. Underneath this tree I planted Lavender, Snow in Summer and Seaside daises, which have all done so well they will be making an appearance elsewhere in the new garden layout.

I love this tree and as it sheds to bare sculptural branches in Winter to let in the Winter sun, it is ideal....and it is oh so cute. I cant wait to be able to cut small branches of this to bring inside. I am a lover of formal gardens, although I do love casual wild looking areas too and would ultimately love a wild flower meadow somewhere.

Country Home Ideas
One of my Dads bird houses is being painted up to match the house. It will be hoisted on to a pole to sit in between our Hydrangeas. Although I am loving the Star Jasmine version too. maybe I will have one in the backyard like this also...

...this is for certain. I have already got my cross wire supports with jasmine growing up them along one of the back entrance fences. I have put skinny pines at intervals along them with Sea Side Daisies in the front. I want it to bush up like this....now!

Le Forge
An Architectural piece like these iron gates would be superb somewhere. I imagine them in a corner part of the yard, leading you on to another secret section, or with mirrors behinds the bars to reflect and open up a space, maybe hiding something ugly like the bins.

Le Forge
One thing we want somewhere is a water feature. Maybe something formal like a beautiful Urn surrounded by clipped box hedges, or something more natural looking like a rock water fall...with hedges. I love low box hedging.

Mic has taken a photo of the Paul Bangay book I want to help with the garden makeover as I love how he he uses mainly green in the garden with out a lot of flowers. If I win the lottery however, Mr Bangay will be coming to do it all himself!!

Ness xx