My garden has always been an experiment to see if, despite the rural location and tricky climate, creating an inviting, lush and colourful outdoor space was possible. I've tried things out with no certainty that the plants would grow and there have been many setbacks and disappointments. As time went by I've become more informed … Continue reading “Life is trying things to see if they work.”
Around the garden, hundreds of buds appear on the lush, dense foliage of the roses. Each day more blooms pop out, too, after the recent rains and cool weather slowed the process. But now the weather is warmer, and the first Spring flush is almost here. In some ways, it feels like waiting for an … Continue reading Flowers are the music of the earth
I've always admired the soft yellow flowers of a climbing plant that I see covering archways, fences and pergolas as I drive into our local rural town. They are always a welcome sight at the end of winter. The words in the quote of Vincent Van Gogh above could easily have described this charming climber's … Continue reading “How lovely yellow is! It stands for the sun.”
The expression ' a watched pot is slow to boil' has been around since Benjamin Franklin first wrote the text in 1785. It has come to mind lately as anticipation of Springs first flush grows ever so slowly each day. A few buds are appearing, and the arrival of the first blooms, but because of … Continue reading “To everything there is a season”
Je vois la vie en rose means: I see life in pink; I am looking at the world through rose coloured glasses. Why not live with an ability to see beauty in everyday life and have a positive and optimistic outlook - a rosy way to see the world? One of the first roses to … Continue reading “Je vois la vie en rose”
Paul Bocuse Spring is unfolding at a leisurely pace, and almost all the roses are covered with new glossy foliage that looks healthy and fresh. Because I'm at home in lockdown, I'm more aware of the steady renewal of the new season. Apart from the gorgeous lavender spires everywhere Spring appears slow due to the … Continue reading “Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished”
The energy of preparing for Spring has been going on all winter despite the rain. The garden has undergone a renovation of sorts that has been almost like starting a garden from scratch. Always first to come out in Spring- Snowdrops Suddenly, the weather this week has changed from winter to summer overnight. The winter … Continue reading “Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.”
Spring is on the way and the tell tale signs add vibrancy to the air but unfortunately, this week I've had to do a bit of a cull in the garden. It is necessary and has freed up space and allowed the best of the roses to have a bit more air and circulation around … Continue reading “I love being in my garden. I don’t plant a lot of exotic flora, but I do spend a lot of time outside doing manual labour. ”
Yes, it's true peace and relaxation are often won by a bit of hard toil most of the time, and I wouldn't want it any other way. There is nothing like relaxing at the end of the day, knowing you have made headway shaping the garden. Recently I've found more surprise roses hidden under some … Continue reading Serenity has to be three-quarters hard work to be worth having.
Contrary to my initial desire to grow roses amongst perennials in a heavily planted garden, I have decided to thin out one particular garden bed this season to be predominately only roses. The idea is a major change in my perspective and requires an enormous amount of work that I am halfway through. I was … Continue reading You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose.
The anticipation of Spring is in the air. Back to basics is the motto of the new season, and as it should be, the roses are at the heart of the garden. Taking one day at a time, I’m preparing whenever I can, and I’m noticing a change in my method this year. The initial … Continue reading “The more I garden the less I know, but the more pleasure I get from it.”
Today brings a sense of déjà vu, I'm inside again due to more rain. We've only had a few days of fine weather that lasted long enough to be out gardening recently. Surprisingly, at the end of the day last time I was out in the garden, despite the aches and pains after heavy work, … Continue reading “One who plants a garden plants happiness.”
The sun is out like a welcome visitor after heavy fog, cloudy days and rain. Reminiscent of living by the coast, the recurring rain and storms have been a part of almost every day that stands as a stark contrast to, not that long ago, when it never seemed to rain at all. Rain always … Continue reading ”The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.”
Kordes Summer Sun Rose The romance of the rose and its alluring fragrance is momentarily forgotten when a prickle imbeds your leg or fingers as you work in the garden. I say prickle, not thorn, because, despite the popularity of poetic quotes on the rose thorn, they are called prickles. The rose above is Summer … Continue reading ”She who loves roses must be patient and not cry out when she is pierced by thorns”
Why does the vegetable garden need to be a separate garden rather than part of the total garden landscape? With this at the forefront of my mind I'm planning a new garden in the style of a French kitchen garden known as Potager or Jardin de Curé. An old French-inspired graceful garden of herbs, flowers, … Continue reading “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Fortunately some of us enjoy solitary pursuits because we sure have spent some time lately secluded. Here we are again at the end of another fourteen-day self-isolation, and more lockdowns for greater Sydney. Farm life is the same anyway; life is isolated with only the necessary grocery trips into town and rare social get-togethers. Otherwise, … Continue reading “I like solitary pursuits, such as reading or pottering about in the garden. ”
Gardening brings a sense of balance to life's ups and downs, and a garden to work in is a beautiful way to enjoy being outside in the elements, intimately connecting us to the seasons and the daily weather conditions; the wind, soil, sun, rainfall, frost and heat. It is a simple way to naturally relieve … Continue reading “Anyone who has time for drama is not gardening enough.”
Season end and the last of the roses are still blooming because here in the southern hemisphere, June heralds Winter. The onset of early morning frosts, cool nights and even some welcome rain brings a blessed break from weeds, heat, dust and mosquitoes. My garden is in limbo at present, which I guess is okay … Continue reading “If you think one day you will get it all done, and then you can relax, you are bound to be disappointed.”
Flowers are the universal sign of happiness, love, forgiveness and condolence, and a natural way to brighten our decor and mood. They are an integral part of our lives and adored the world over; the perfect table centrepiece, lavish display in a foyer; the wedding bouquet; the remembrance wreath, or admired in beautiful gardens, estates, … Continue reading “A flower is not a flower alone; A thousand thoughts invest it”
2020 The Peace Rose has soft yellow flowers that fade to blush-pink at the tips. The blooms are large and double and have a light fragrance. The Peace rose repeat flowers and is disease resistant and very easy to grow being hardy, vigorous and a brilliant performer. There is peace in the garden. Peace and … Continue reading “The Peace Rose is the most famous and popular Rose of all time”
I adore flowers in the home, particularly roses cut fresh from the garden, but I don't find the act described as 'flower arranging' at all inspiring. History tells us of tight protocols around arranging flowers and set rules that applied to the craft through the decades. The phrase 'Flower arranging' is reminiscent of dusty church … Continue reading “I am the lover’s gift; I am the wedding wreath..
Autumn is here in all its entirety. A sudden change in light, skies clear and the chill of first frosts. Glorious with no rush or panic, unlike Spring, that holds that feverish sense of haste. Autumn is a quiet time, a chance to make grand plans and dream of all the things that the slow … Continue reading “Autumn paints in colours that summer has never seen”.
Potted geraniums ( accurately known as Pelargoniums ) in Australia do not have the same panache in the garden world as the glorious displays of geranium window boxes everywhere across Spain and Italy. Here we love them anyway for their humble, almost comedic style and robust nature in our hot, dry climate. The no-fuss plant … Continue reading Bountiful blooms even without a green thumb!
Silence in the air this morning, not a breath of wind outside as first light peeks over the horizon, the hills in a smokey blue haze. Inside is quiet, too, with the random scramble of mice in the walls and the predictable sounds of scurrying across the floor in distant rooms. We are in the … Continue reading Keep calm and garden on…
Summer's end, but I'm not ready for the chill of winter yet. Nonetheless, I'm eagerly waiting for slightly cooler days so I can be in the garden for longer than a few hours. Although it has turned cool in the morning and evening in my region, the days are continuing to be fairly hot. Summer … Continue reading “Summer’s lease hath all too short a date”
My favourite garden project is my 'Tea Garden', a small area, started in 2018, that is viewed from the kitchen window and surrounds a large arch seat. There is a plum tree outside the fence that, together with the arch, provide a perfect place for a quiet reverie and a cuppa, especially in Spring. When … Continue reading The Tea Garden
Considering the state of the ground my garden started in, I decided to be less hard on myself and claim that my garden is a success so far. If you have not read my previous stories about the garden, in short, it is heavy dry clay soil, where one area was old lawn and the … Continue reading There are no right ways to make a garden -only alternatives.
The garden is blooming in abundance once more, and I'm delighted. We have had a glorious summer apart from the disastrous early start that saw many roses lose their leaves. The mild season has been especially welcome because we have spent so much time at home this year and able to take care of plants … Continue reading “Roses do not bloom hurriedly; for beauty, like any masterpiece, takes time to blossom.”
Happiness reigns because it is raining at last in the garden and the topic on everyone's lips in the country this week will be "How much rain did you get?" Unseasonal rain sounds like music. There's no angst about it because crops are harvested, so it's all about filling water tanks and dams or watering … Continue reading “If it’s hot, it’s hot. If it’s dry, it’s dry. If it’s raining, it’s good.”
Often visitors ask me what my favourite rose is, and I usually can't decide, but in recent weeks and on reflection, I think it is Lady of Shalott. I have written about this rose several times and have at present two in the garden, although in pots. Even though I had shared any information I knew on … Continue reading “One Rose is Enough for the Dawn.”
“In all the recipes for happiness I have ever seen, ‘something to look forward to’ has been given as an important ingredient. Something to look forward to! How rich the gardener, any gardener, is in this particular integrant! For always he [or she] looks forward to something, if it is only the appearance of the … Continue reading “When the flower blooms, the bees come uninvited. ”
Hamilton Island My love of travel and exploring the world is quite a contradiction to that of growing a rose garden. So how can I bring them together in my life and enjoy both to the fullest? As you know, I love my rose garden and want to see all the roses in full bloom … Continue reading “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller”.
Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.Pablo Neruda Spring, the gorgeous season of the year, has arrived in the garden. The garden suddenly a happy place full of activity and new beginnings. The lavender buzzing with thousands of bees, blossoms like fairy dust here one day and blown away on … Continue reading Then Spring Came
Modern Roses are roses bred after 1867 because it was in 1867 that French Breeder 'Guillot' introduced 'La France', the first Hybrid Tea rose. Since then, breeders have introduced a broader colour palette to include many new bright colours and two-tone roses. Modern roses are available in a diversity of shapes, heights and growing habits. “A … Continue reading Modern Roses
Today is about the perfume and scent of roses.... It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves. Robert Louis Stevenson Did you know that rose perfume is at its most intense very early in the morning and the scent will gradually become less … Continue reading The Perfumed Garden
What colour is in a picture, enthusiasm is in lifeVincent Van Gogh Yes, I am addicted to roses, I admit it. My mother too, loved her garden in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, which was perfect for roses and she indulged as well. As a family we enjoyed her passion for roses and … Continue reading Colour my World
Art is a harmony parallel with nature. Paul Cezanne The beautiful rose, Paul Cezanne- JACdeli, is part of the Delbard Painters Collection. Bred in France in 1992 and named to honour Paul Cézanne, one of the French Post Impressionists painters who lived and died in Aix-en-Provence France. We live in a rainbow of chaos. Paul … Continue reading La Rosa Paul Cezanne
Miracles do happen as Mirabel Osler once said in the quote above and my garden is testament to this. When I first glimpsed the destruction from the ravage of January this year, I thought I'd never have a bloom on a rose again. I described in my last post " There is no gardening without humility". … Continue reading “At the heart of gardening there is a belief in the miraculous.”
I love inspiring quotes. At times I'll come across a quote that rings so true to me, and is exactly the sentiment I had thought of but not quite been able to express. The quote above by garden author C Z Guest says it all, and in a similar vein to columnist and landscape designer … Continue reading “I’ve always felt that having a garden is like having a good and loyal friend. ”
The Summer glow that radiates from The Lady Of Shalott Rose is one reason it is one of my favorite roses. The colours are rich, in shades of deep apricot, red and salmon pink with a faint touch of yellow underneath that gleams in the sun all season. The flower is romantic and shaped like … Continue reading Who killed the Lady of Shalott?
The title quote by Mirabel Osler rings true to me as I knew nothing at all about roses when I began. Now three seasons on and three hundred roses later, give or take a few, I am none the wiser. There are so many unanswered questions that race through my mind every day of what … Continue reading When I first began with roses, moving into that vast territory of scent, form and colour. I knew nothing.
To design gardens that look and feel appealing and are a joy to visit think like an artist and use the basic design elements such as colour, line, texture, form and scale.By using the basic design elements and their combinations will provide the tools to create balance, unity, harmony, transition, repetition, accent and proportion for … Continue reading The Joy of a Well Designed Garden
It's pretty tough in the garden sometimes even though Spring's colour and fragrance have replaced the cold and frosty days of winter. We have experienced extreme weather this Spring with long days of high winds, heat and dust storms that have created havoc. Many plants are struggling from wind damage and the ground, despite my … Continue reading “Life is itself a school, and nature always a fresh study.”
"The greatest piece of gardening in the world is a little staircase in the Generalife," Russell Page The gardens of the Generalife, Spain in Arabic are 'Jinnah al-Arif' which means 'Gardens of the Architect'. The gardens are situated on a high area above the Alhambra's main Palaces in Granada, Spain. The gardens and the Alhambra … Continue reading Gardens Of the Architect
In almost every garden, the land is made better and so is the gardener.Robert Rodale When I reflect on the past few years of growing a rose garden, I often wonder, after a day of being scratched by rose thorns, bitten by mosquitoes and exhausted by the heat, why it is I love it so much? … Continue reading “To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow”
I love the quote above from Alice Walker, the American writer and author of 'The Colour Purple'. It resonates with me and encapsulates so much in just a few words. Although I never set out in search of my mothers garden, her gardens were magnificent and memorable. When you grow up playing in a beautiful … Continue reading “In search of my mother’s garden, I found my own.”
First rose bloom of the season. Spring is here that wonderful time of the year when gardens come into their own and the colours entice us to spend more time outdoors. The signs of new growth in the garden is enchanting. Plants look like perfect, healthy specimens before the heat of summer ravages them. I … Continue reading Spring, Roses and Dust
“What I need most of all are flowers, always, always.”Claude Monet, 1840-1926 Impressionist painter and life-long gardener The great Impressionists painters emerged in 1870's France. Known for rejecting the strict rules of fine art and looking at the world through their art in new ways. Instead of realistic portraits in a studio, these painters thought … Continue reading Delbard Painters Collection
Princess Monaco What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet. An added bonus of loving roses is learning the history, names and parentage of roses. Rose names have wonderful stories of life-long achievements in the dedication to rose breeding and the work done in perfecting new … Continue reading The Name of a Rose
Singapore is a destination well worth a visit just to see The Gardens By The Bay. The gardens showcase plants and flowers from across the world. Singaporeans are proud of their gardens which are a fantastic drawcard for tourism but also for education and aim to be a model for sustainable development and conservation. Their … Continue reading Gardens by the Bay
