the man with the bronze walnut

Wow, where does the week go sometimes.....
We are gardening, installing and designing gardens madly at the moment....well I suppose it is spring....and having a ball with all this lovely green growth, blossom and flowers shining at us.    
Suddenly this week,  I've realised Christmas is just around the corner....and although its sometimes better not to think about it, I have promised the Christmas decorations in store and looking fab by 1st November.  So this Tuesday, we are rearranging and setting up for all those lovely things Christmas brings.

But in the meantime, there is a lovely story I would like to share about finds at Chelsea.

When I was at Chelsea in May, I stumbled across a small stall there that was connected to a foundry which did the lovliest sculptures.  We weren't really intersted in things like this as it was a bit impossible to take home, but for some reason we were drawn in. 

At the back of the stall on a little stool tucked away was a lovely collection of bronze cast life size walnuts.  They opened up like a little jewellery box and were totally irresistable, so being a good price, I just couldn't resist having something special like this to bring home with me.

 

When I returned home, I pondered the idea of having a few special things like this in the store from the  clever and lovely man, Robert from Felix foundry who was making these little treasures.
He hadn't ever considered sending things to Tasmania little-own Australia and really the these walnuts were sort of a side line ....but being generous of nature and with my wonderful powers of persuasion... I convinced him that it would be perfect to have them in my little store on the other side of the world.

So he has sent me the last 5 he had for this year.....hopefully he will do some more next year....cross your fingers and toes.  They are instore now and we admire them everyday.  Great for a gift or something special just for yourself.

Oh by the way come and find us on facebook Karen Wagner garden design Hobart, if you like to keep up to date every few days with all that is happening.....like those lovely bunches of peonies we are gettign every week at the moment....don't miss out.

contemporary garden art & pots

I stumbled across these fabulous contemporary fluid outdoor pots and sculptures recently...it's great to see wonderful, unique and exciting pieces turning up that are done for gardens.

These are by a French Canadian sculpture Marie Khouri who in collaboration with a Canadian landscape architect produced these wonderful curvy individual planters and seats.  They are divine...

I love them.

source garden design photos by Dave Demers

the parallel universe of giant pumpkins..

WOW....I found this endearing article when flicking through some older New Zealand house & garden magazines recently.  I do love NZ H&G as its always interesting and just a little different to our Australian take on things, and they have beautiful views, countryside, interiors and exteriors.

This lovely letter from a reader about his and his children's giant pumpkins brought a smile to my face.  I got thinking about those mad Americans to whom growing mighty big pumpkins is a yearly challenge and lifestyle almost.  There are lots of interesting  very mid-west American looking countrified websites out there all about giant pumpkins, winners, world records and vast essays on how to grow them. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing...it makes the world seem all that bit smaller and more homely sometimes.

I also was reminded about the times I had visited our very own Bream Creek Show in Tasmania, and we had awed and ahhed at the giant pumpkins.  Well hop onto the website because growing giant pumpkins is becoming a bit of a show stopper and there is lots of encouragement and information to get you on track and started.  What a fun thing to do!

If you have the space and inclination, then now that Hobart show week is upon us, and it is planting time for tomatoes, zucchinis and all things tender, it may be a good time to really gear up and get enthused and get those pumpkins seeds well and truly underway. (I hope its not too late to get them going)

I certainly wouldn't mind having a go myself....unfortunately my back yard is slightly small...but suddenly I could consider the heady competition of growing enormous pumpkins and entering the Bream Creek Show.  Anyone keen???.

a most magnificent wedding

Just recently, I had the good fortune and privilege of attending a friends wedding. This wasn't just any old wedding....this was more like the wedding of every girls' dreams. A beautiful Australian country wedding with garden flowers, a huge white marquees, wild country paddocks, jewels, frocks, toughened boys in smart grey morning suits, laughter, joy and some tears. A bit like a chocolate box full of luscious favourite centres.

My family and I travelled from Hobart all the way to country NSW out the back of Scone. We were very lucky to stay with the groom's family, as my hubbie was best man for the occasion. They live on a large property in a homestead that has seen generations of the same family grow up, and all the family was home for the occasion so there were about a dozen children and nearly as many adults. Think comfortable well appointed rambling rooms, luxury sleepouts, covered verandas, rambling country garden, big old trees, a generous kitchen at the heart of proceedings, linen, love and laughter. It was crazy and fun and generous and we enjoyed long table dinners with much toasting and great food......but on to the wedding.

...out the back of Scone...

The Wedding itself was tear jerkingly beautiful of course. Held in a little sandstone country church in almost the middle of nowhere, the bride wore traditional white, the groom got nervous and we all enjoyed our frocks and hats for the occasion.

The flowers were all done by the ladies of the district who have watched both the groom and bride grow up. It was their loving contribution to the day, and the flowers were from all the gardens in the district and there were buckets and buckets and buckets of them of every assortment. The resulting giant gardenesque bouquets were romantic, old-fashioned, striking and not a patch on anything you could ever hope to get in a city florist shop.

buckets and buckets and

 buckets of flowers from beautiful gardens in the district.

 that turned into the most romantic, blousey bouquets.

exceptional!

...the bride on the way down the isle.

an enormous marque in the paddock..

set in a enormous rambling, impressive country garden...

..generations have enjoyed this exceptional country homestead...

Despite dreams of hot spring days and cool frocks, the weather didn't cooperate and it was cold and rainy nearly the whole time.....but the show went on and continued on into the depths of the evening.

It was one of the most fabulous and memorial experiences we as a family will ever have.

today in store.......

We seem to be overrun by obelisks of every size at the moment.

Many are made locally, are very simple but work wonderfully to give height and interest in the garden.

We get them made to almost any size.

Tall skinny ones, rounder squatter ones (hiding behind)...

 our talles triangular ones...

For almost any garden with or without plants added.  They can look wonderful with climbers or clematis on them or to give great height in the vegetable garden.   
And the plants are enjoying some quick time in a downpour....

great hanging basket....something that is rare to come by these days.

 

 getting ready for summer with sling back chairs for sunny days and a relax in the back yard.  And some great botanical prints back in store that look wonderful when framed.

from entanglements.... a very impressive laser cut steel 3 metre long metal wall piece.  Looks really wonderful with lights behind it illuminating the new growth of leaves. 

 these lovely rusted finials have been really popular.

Our newest giant garden photo in store and lots of new pots and fabulous amish barn stars.

pot holders, string and a few festive wreath basics arriving.

 an old gate in classic green.....