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!

vertical green walls are the in thing!

I keep reading with interest about vertical living walls and I have been having a few little experiments of my own to try and figure out the best way to do them.  I particularly want one indoors as despite it all I really quite like indoor plants when they are beautiful and lush....a small part of me left over from growing up in the 70's!

This one below is one I particularly like that I found lately and it should give a little inspiration if you are inclined to try it!  It's at the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square, London and the idea was  to bring  to life the original Van Gogh painting  “A Wheatfield with Cypresses", painted in September 1889.

The original Van Gogh painting.

This massive scale wall was Installed by a specialist horticulture and design company ANS with each plant  selected to try and match the original painting.  More than 8,000 plants of 26 varieties have been used to create the artwork.
If you are lucky enough to be in London, the wall will remain through out the English Summer and Autum until October 2011.  Rather amazing wouldn't you say...!

So in that spirit and inspired by all that is going on, we have been scouring the globe and have found some of the best ways of making green walls and have the makings of both indoor and outdoor vertical gardens coming in store in the next few weeks.  
We are getting Woolly Pockets out of the US which I am quite excited about as I am going to definitely do an indoor one.  They can be used to create the most lush and lovely indoor and outdoor hanging plant displays - just like having your garden indoors which is rather essential through some of these rainy grey months of winter.  They are also sustainable and made from recycled products, so are great all round really.  Will let you know as soon as they are here. 

We also have some structured plastic outdoor wall modules coming that are working beautifully.  They can be used to create contemporary or traditional looks in all sorts of outdoor positions and it seems they are going to be very reasonably priced.

This is definitely the way of the future and now its going to be accessable to anyone for gardening on wall spaces at home as well on any building you can think of.  We could make all of hobart green!  The mind is in overdrive...I am making plans.  Watch out for things popping up all over the place.

colour & plants indoors

One of the things I am always struck by when I venture out of Australia, is how much pots of colour and indoor plants are prominant in the winter indoor decorating genre.  It's something that we seldom embrace whole heartedly in our environment.  Maybe that comes from our overexposure to larger than life indoor plants in the 70's.  I can certainly remember them in their macrame hangers....!

For the new era we are now in....there are plenty of lovely ways to do both indoor plants and indoor colour.

I love vases and lovely glass containers with plants and flowering plants in them.  I have had primulas and violas at this time of the year in glass pots for over 6 weeks and they are still looking great.  Maintenance is easy and they keep on keeping on.

Buxus, succulents, orchids also look great in ornamental pots or glass for the indoors at this time of the year and you can see some of their roots and enjoy having a real plant indoors.

We are finding out now just how good for you it is to have plants in your indoor environment.  They bring joy in the dead of winter and help to purify your air.  Sound like a good alternative to flowers to me and much longer lasting.

We've got some instore now...all $30 and under.  More coming all the time as we are really enjoying this.

wonderful leaves

Every now and again, you find something really special that is irresistible.  This is one of those....

Leaf-It are lovely post it or sticky notes that are in the shape of leaves.  They come in different sizes and two colours.
Made in Korea by some clever designers called Appree, they are really fun and special.

They come in a variety of packets and range from $6.50 to $13.50.

Quite the perfect little gift
Naturally inspired and quite adorable.
It’s the perfect gardeners' assistant to help save a place while leafing through magazines and books and possibly the cutest way to leave little notes.

This range also has lovely water droplet magnets that you will find in store.  And wonderful ginko and maple leaf sticky notes are on their way in the next batch.....  enjoy these in the meantime.

Growing Garlic

Growing garlic is fun & easy and it is one of the most useful things to grow in the garden - not only because its great to eat and keep colds away and  helps to make you healthy, but because the flowers are wonderful through the garden and its great for companion planting for lots of plants.

It was always the 'rule of thumb' I thought that you planted garlic and most of the onion family at the winter soltice, or shortest day of the year for harvesting after the longest day of the year.  This apparently is sort of right but I haven't got it quite right and its a bit more complicated than that..... you can plant garlic now and still harvest successfully, but its also good to get it in earlier during Autumn.

Sometimes it depends on the variety but from all the reading I have done it really doesn't matter for our cool climate.  I imagine that planting it in Autumn would mean better and fatter bulbing by the time you harvest.

So...if you are like me and have missed the autumn planting then get some in now. I just buy bulbs from the shop and put them in. Separate the bulblets,  plant at about 5 cm deep and try to make sure they are right side up. Don't plant any that are squishy, moulded or not healthy.

They dont' like to be too wet as the bulbs will rot and disappear.  Mound the soil if you need to.  I plant mine all through the garden and let half it go all the way to flowering as it is lovely to have huge allium flowers in the garden.

Hyacinths for indoors

It really is easy.  

Hyacinth vases come in a variety of different  types, colours and sizes - the common theme being that you can hold a hyacinth bulb in the top.  They are rapidly becoming collectors items...but we have a collection of inexpensive usable ones in store ($15).   It is almost getting a bit late - but if it appeals to you have a go.  

I have found that you don't need to put them in a cupboard.  Just pop the hyacinth bulb in the top, fill with water just up to the bottom of the bulb.  you don't want it swamped with water or it will rot.  Just to its bottom sot he roots can grow down into the water.  All the instructions will tell you to put a piece of charcoal in the water.  i have had success with and without it.  Then put them in a well light but not sunny spot and let them go.  the roots and shoots will grow and eventually you will have a flower.  Don't put it too close to heaters.

One of the greatest challenges is finidng good quality hyacingth bulbs - but I do it every year as I love the scent of hyacinth flowers throughout the house.  Its subtle and sweet and thouroughly enjoyable.  And they look great.

The kids love doing them also - big and small.  Its a win/win for everyone.

A few special things

ARHHH!  I have settled back into my normal chaotic life...sometimes it feels like I have never been away.  It has taken me weeks to catch up on the enormous pile sitting on my desk....how can so much accumulate in a short 4-5 weeks.  But I am almost there.

The good news is, that there are some special things trickling into the shop that I organised after seeing them in England or France.

And we are full to bursting with lovely things and I am full to bursting with new ideas thatI want to try.  I should have time now.

These journals I spied in France and had to have one.  Now we have them in store....they are a great size and are have lovely botanical pictures on them.  Great for garden notes, in your handback or a well priced present.  $12

Inspired by many things I have seen in France, I have been putting together some potted plants that are more reminiscent of terrariums.  Great for indoors especially at this time of year.  $ 75

No gardener should be without GO GO Juice.  I discovered it not long ago and have been using it to make everything grow and look fabulous in the garden.  I gave Mum some to try also and she is now convinced its the best things for vegetables and fruit.  A small amount goes a long way.  We now stock it in store.   Small  $7  Large $ 18.  Its a probiotic liquid fertiliser made by Australian company Neutrog.  Their products are sustainable and often organic and worth using.

These cast iron glasshouses are for keeping everything safe during winter frost.  They are heavy duty and I have seen through all through England and they are immensley decorative over herbs or vegetables or anywhere in the garden and over sensitive seedlings during the season.    The lid lifts off these for ventilation.  Approx 50x50cm.

Great winter reading...lots of gardening titles available at the moment.  I was enheartened by how many new gardening books I saw whilst travelling.  Lots of interesting things to read and winter is the best time while planning all those gardening things to happen through spring and summer.

Lovely green french chairs.  And succulents are back with in vogue.  They really do look great used in lots of different settings and are super easy to grow. 

'til next time....happy planning for the garden