a few new favourite books now in store

...I love books and can't resist having fabulous garden and home books in store. 
I look to books and magazines and blogs constantly for inspiration and ideas and to see all the latest things. 

Two of these books are relatively new releases that have crossed my desk lately and are really lovely. 

Luciano Giubbilei does formal but tranquil gardens in the true Italianate style with layers and layers of green.  They form wonderful formal oasis to live in and make life easy in terms of maintenance!.

The New Eighteenth Century Home is full of absolutely fabulous things.  You could look at it for weeks and see something new everytime.  I love the use of outdoor things brought inside to create beautiful but simple panoramas. 

How's that for a dovecote!!

True Form has been around for a while but I go back to it again and again for its simplicity and constant source of ideas.

  

hampton court

After visiting England,  I am now a convert to the extravaganza that is  THE Chelsea Flower show (see my blog about it if you missed it from May).   I finally understand what all the fuss has been about for years and have embraced the inevitable show fever. 

But with summer in full swing in the northern hemisphere it seems I need to broaden my horizons a little I think......

I have it on good authority from an lovely well connected English lady with a fabulous English accent, that really the best place one should go is to Hampton Court Flower Show.  Chelsea is all well and good but its crowded and full of "wanna..be's" apparently.

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show on the other hand is almost certainly guaranteed better weather,  is much more fun, less crowded and all the important people still go.

I unfortunately am languishing back in the Australian colony again, so am having to have a peak at all the gardens and winners on their website. 
Not quite as fabulous as being there but it gives you the idea.

I want one....or two

I want an indoor plant wall....and I think I have figured out how to do it easily.

Indoor plants are making a come back. Definitely lush. 
Great for indoor spaces and creating clean air.

These are all from woolly pockets, made from recycled plastic and felt and water proof for indoor plant walls. The ideas for their uses are endless and they look great in any situation.

We have done one in store just this week and it worked brilliantly.
This is a 3 pocket in black newly planted and it was easy to do.  

We needed two peolple to help hang it.We now have the 3 pocket and 1 pocket in store ready to go for the adventurous person wanting to do their own planting. 

These are a great way to have a wall feature that is green and inspiring.

It really does look like living wall art........
I love it and I am going to do one for home now. 

One for the kitchen full of herbs would be great also.

tasmanian awe!

I am very lucky that i get to hop in my car and travel all over the place as I visit clients and their gardens.  The consultation service I run for gardeners and those wanting to garden means I see lots of people every week and see lots of different places.  
And often i just forget how lovely the countryside is until i am in it again.   I have been lucky enough to go to a few wonderful but not out of the way places lately on late winter days that are cool, clear and immeasurably still.  Windless, beautiful and reflections shining back at you from the water....   
They are quite awesome (or sicknuts as I am told is the new awesome!!...but we won't even go into that! - ask your teenagers if you don't know what I am talking about...)  Its lovely to be reminded of how close to our cities the beauty, peace and untouched landscape is.

The views are all hazy bluey grey and deep purples and have the effect of taking your breath and hearbeat down to moderate in our stressed lives and giving a calm ahhhh just when you need it.

These photos aren't of the gardens I've visited lately but the amazing and inspiring scenery I have travelled past.  Its leaves me happy and in awe for the rest of the day and totally thankful that i can live somewhere that gives me an experience worth smiling about. 

Its also incredibly inspring when you are making and working with people to make gardens, to remember & be reminded of the colours, forms, spaces and monuments of nature.

incredible colours and views.....surely one should be used to it by now??

 winter orchards have a special form colour and look all of their own and say so much about the tasmanian contrasting countryside.  nature and agriculture in the one majestic spot

  and of course the requirements of agriculture commerce and apples and fruit that we love.  straight across from awesome views and water.  fabulous in their own tottering castle.

 what colours...no wonder I sometimes love to use pink....this wonderful shade of vibrant pink is natural!