19 Oct 2014

more spring


I know we have just had a Garden Share Collective post, but I really couldn't help sharing my beautiful garden with you again. Because it really is at its peak right now, bursting with colour and textures and ruffles and perfumes. Every window in the house frames a joyous view; every time I drive home and up the driveway, the cares of the day, of the world, melt away.


It seems that only a few weeks ago, I would look out my large front windows (below) and wonder what was wrong with my garden. So dormant, so stunted, so silent. Nothing but twiggy bare things, stubby little shrubs almost belligerent in their refusal to grow.


Then, as I said in the Garden Share post, things began happening, and right now, every day brings a new glory. Over the weekend I found fat bearded iris buds, swollen with promise; a day or two later they are beginning to unfurl their mauvey-blue prettiness. I like clumps of colour together, so I have a red/orange area, a pink corner, a white one, green one, and blue/purple one. I like to explore the different tones and textures within the one colour; plus it makes purchasing decisions easier: 'I need something to fill that corner in the white garden!'.

Which brings us to purchasing. I have been going slightly mad lately, and it wasn't helped when the one of the major hardware chains held its annual 'carpark sale' of everything for the garden. Dad and I deduced later that things weren't necessarily cheaper, but it was a good marketing ploy, and boy it worked for me.

In the past couple of weekends, I have bought and planted french blue cinerarias (smack-bang in the middle of the above picture), punnets of soft-blue ageratum, royal purple petunias (both absent from my garden for a few years now), some autumnal mimulus, hot pink and tropical orange 'million bells' for two new hanging baskets, and a white native hibiscus (one of the few natives in my garden; I also have a very reliable purple one).


I bought four zucchini plants, which are already doing well beneath my heavenly curtain of yellow banksia rose. As a rule (yes, a rule) I do not like yellow flowers (besides daffies) because yellow is the colour of common weeds (piddle-the-beds!), but there is no mistaking this fluffy climbing rose for a weed. Magnificent, and very good at blocking views of neighbours' yards.


I also finally got some strawberry plants for my beautiful retro pots that mum had given me months ago. Four different varieties of strawberries in the top; when mum and dad came up recently, mum bought along along some little pretties from her garden and filled the other pockets. There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about the design of these pots that I have always loved, and I am very pleased to now have two of them.


And here is what you have all been waiting for. Okay, well, it's definitely what I have been waiting for. Tomatoes are IN! Ten plants, nine varieties, all grown from seed by dad. Dad demonstrated how they were to be planted, then while he conveniently nicked off to (another) hardware sale, mum and I got to it. Well done us; it wasn't that difficult actually. The hard part is to come - as I was checking them last night (still all upright and healthy), I realised I have to start remembering what to do with laterals. That's very stressful.


Finally, finally, I give you my renovated outdoor area. Over the winter months, I had the flakey, rotty, wonky wooden frame and brittle, discoloured, just-plain-ugly laserlite roofing of my outdoor area completely pulled down - and rebuilt in lovely new-new-new materials (not by me, or by dad; by professionals). I treated myself to new-new-new outdoor furniture (not hand-me-down or wonky tip-shop finds) and have been busily 'decorating' the space, re-arranging the furniture layout many times, moving pots and these very stylish cone-shaped hanging baskets around (here? or here?). Mum and I made new slip covers for the grey cushions from an old but lushly tropical-print doona cover. I love sitting here with a cup of tea and a magazine, looking out over my garden and watching the blackbirds scruff for worms for babies somewhere, and listening to them warble. I think too they are enjoying this time of year, and my colourful, bursting garden.


22 comments:

  1. Your garden is lovely e! So neat and colourful, it is obviously well loved and looked after! Happy spring to you x

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    1. thank you jane! it makes me so happy to be in it. happy spring to you too.

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  2. It's so lovely seeing a garden in spring and all of your exciting planting, as everything here is decaying and yellowing. There's something wonderful about putting tomatoes in isn't there. And I really love those strawberry pots too. Your outdoor seating area is absolutely blissful, I'd love to sit there and look out at your garden too, it's wonderful, you've made a really beautiful job of it. I'm wishing you a fantastic growing season. CJ xx

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    1. oh thank you CJ, what a lovely wish! i was thinking of you and other UK, US readers entering the northern hemisphere's cold months. i thought this colour may cheer you along a little, just as yours did for me in the depths of our winter!

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  3. What a vast array of flowers all looking magnificent, what a colourful garden you have. Yes I love Spring as quite a few marked down plants I bought ages ago are now starting to spring to life and surprising me with a variety of flowers.

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    1. hello live cheaper and welcome to dig in!
      it's a great time of the year, especially seeing rescued plants like yours come back to life! what a good job you must have done.

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  4. You had me at the title, e. Oh, glorious Spring.. although it is getting away from me a little. Weeding all the dandelions out of the lawn is getting to be a bit of an imperative..
    Your garden is beautiful, as is your new outdoor reading nook. So luxurious! I put up our hammock recently, but haven't had a look in. Whenever I look outside, I spy someone else's legs dangling over the side, as certain daughters lie out there reading a book. I shall have to get up earlier of a weekend morning to get my turn. Although that seems to negate the purpose of it:)

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    1. a hammock! how tropical holiday! great to hear it's well used, if not be you. i hope launie's spring is as vibrant as ours down here. i actually have few weeds this year (touch wood), and .. i actually enjoy weeding!

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  5. As CJ said, it's lovely to see your spring garden - we'll be relying on you for flowers and sunshine over the next few months!

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    1. i feel like i am repaying you for all your springtime english country garden glories! so it will be my pleasure GD.

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  6. Those retro pots are cute! Your outdoor area looks fabulous, it would feel like a holiday to sit there and relax.

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    1. you're right leaf, it does feel like a holiday! especially when i swap the cup of tea for a G&T :-)

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  7. What a riot of colour. So cheery.
    Well done with your tomato planting.

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    1. Thank you Bek, i'm very excited about the tomatoes being in. And 'riot' is perfect, and it so makes up for the months of winter gloom!

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  8. I am finally moving to Hobart ON TUESDAY!!! Your garden is such an inspiration for me, my garden needs a lot of work but I am so looking forward to getting into it and will be checking back in with you for great ideas.
    Thanks, Fiona

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  9. i remember you, fiona! how exciting! and how wonderful to have a garden that needs a lot of work - it's a great journey you'll be on! good luck with your arrival and do let us know how you get on. ps have a jumper ready - tuesday's forecast is back to winter and a miserbale 13 degrees. that, as you will learn, is tassie weather for you :-)

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  10. Your garden looks resplendent Elizabeth! So beautiful and would put an smile on your face. I'm not much of a gardener but have experienced that satisfaction gardening gives you when you see your plants respond to your TLC. Love your outdoor setting.

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    1. thank you catherine. my garden is such a soothign escape for me at the moment: work is really crazy, and even just a few snatched minutes after work brings calm and peace!

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  11. Beautiful! Spring is such a lovely time of year.

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    1. it's been a lovely spring here! thank you kyrstie.

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  12. Your flowers are divine. It must be so rewarding to walk amongst them and appreciate their fragrance as well as beauty. Well done with the new tomato bed, at least your father helped build the bed, before 'nicking' off. Thank goodness for mothers. I will enjoy seeing your tomatoes grow :D

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  13. thank you merryn; yes i love being in my garden now, every opportunity i can, i'm out there.
    and yes, this garden is definitely a team effort! (and i i just realised i spelt 'nicking' wrong, shall go and correct.)

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