Friday 10 April 2015


Picture hanging, Easter and the garden.



As the family were arriving on Saturday for Easter,  I decided to invite new and old neighbours for a simple supper on Good Friday.  It was a wintry evening but lots of fun and I served homemade chicken pie, peas and a green salad.



Having moved out of our Sydney home,  we had a few more paintings to hang so I laid them all out on the living room floor and David came round with his son and did an expert job of getting them up on the  wall.  



While cooking the pie,  I also prepared "skeddie bodinaise" which we had on Saturday when Sarah, Kirk and the little girls arrived.  


It wouldn't be Easter without Hot Cross Buns!

                                    

Kitty enjoyed painting some porcelain eggs for the Easter Bunny!



I spent some time in the Potting Shed on Saturday potting up my trug with Daffodils and violas for the Easter table.  I love setting the table for special occasions and especially love using fresh flowers/plants or bulbs.  






The Easter table.

Easter was lots of fun and despite the rain for most of the weekend,  the little girls had fun and there was lots of lolling about, reading and of course eating!

A fun weekend always means lots of ironing!

We gave the potted box lots of attention on Tuesday by re-potting with fresh potting mix  and giving them all a good feed.  



 The April garden is astonishing!  The roses are almost better than they were mid-summer.  Not entirely sure why?  Because we have poor soil,  we have been spreading fertiliser more than usual and this could account for the lovely blooms.


 




Roses and Dahlias

I bought some of Gilly Stephenson's old fashioned furniture polish and gave our old kitchen table a good polish.  I love the fragrance of newly polished furniture and there is the benefit of a little upper body exercise to consider!

The most beautiful moss has been growing between the brick paving all over the garden.  I love moss and couldn't be happier!


I think I've eaten the last mango of the season!  It was delicious and there's always the end of the year to look forward to.  I am sure there is no more delicious mango than those grown in Queensland here in Australia! 


Last but not least.  A little while ago,  I received an enormous compliment about my Blog.  Howard Slatkin, the renowned and respected designer who lives in New York and who wrote "Fifth Avenue Style" the most fabulous book about his incredible apartment,    posted lovely comments on Instagram about my blog.  

 
I was so touched and honoured and still am!.  Thank you again Howard.


19 comments:

  1. the comments from Howard are very well deserved Jenny! Just loved each and every photo in this post - you can tell how much care goes into every detail at your home I think I've said before that you remind me of my Aunt who takes such care with everything decor and entertaining related. I can't wait for your book either! (and nor can Faux Fuchsia - we'll be there with bells on! Or sequins…). Hope you had a very happy Easter with your lovely family xx

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    1. Thank you for the lovely comment Heidi...I've decided that it can't be rushed and I am going to do this properly! I am loving the planning process though!! xx

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  2. you have created the most cosy and beautiful gardens- this is such a talent. I love your easter photos. Congrats re Howard! best wishes x

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    1. Thank you FF ... I am longing for the Camelia hedge to grow taller and to close in more ... The pleached Manchurian pears are also helping create a more closed-in cosy feel. The garden gives me so much pleasure and heartache - you would know about this ... xx

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  3. Thank you Jenny for the gracious and generous mention. Such an honor to be mentioned in your blog which is always a favorite destination----full of charm and magic and such beautiful images.

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  4. Well this has only confirmed Harry's good taste! ;)

    You have the knack for comfort and sanctuary which runs deeper than just decor aesthetics xx

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    1. What a lovely thing to say .. thank you so much Naomi..xx

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  5. Look as though you had a lovely Easter with family Jenny.

    Great post, I especially love the picture of your paintings waiting to be hung..that room looks very handsome from what I can glimpse of it!

    Nicolas x

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    1. Thanks Nicolas.. I will post a photo of the room when all the artwork hanging is complete!. Hope your house Caribean planning is going well xx

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  6. Looks lovely Jenny. When can we come? :-)

    Love from Boussac.

    Robx

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    1. Thanks Rob so much for leaving a comment!... Can't wait to see you all soon! Xx

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  7. Jenny lovely post as always and I agree with Heidi, the comments from Howard are well deserved- you too are my go to destination on IG. You make everything look elegant and beautiful, something to strive for.
    So lovely to see your Easter photos- I had all my family up at the farm-nine in total and five dogs!!!- and even though i have only one grandson, the rest of us were like little kids following Zach around hunting for eggs. Seems a much more relaxed time of year.
    Always look forward to your garden photos and how well it is doing- rain and fertilisers are surely a winning conbination!
    Look forward to seeing your painting up- I love paintings in old gold frames of all sizes- running out of wall space here. You certainly have a knack of making a room comfortable and elegant.
    Marilyn xx

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    1. Thank you Marilyn - so kind of you. Easter is such a wonderful celebration .. I love it I think because it's always in Autumn here - my favourite time of the year. The five dogs must have had fun!!... When we get together as a family over Christmas, there are usually a heap of them as well and they seem to cause more chaos than anyone else!! Happy Sunday xx

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  8. That Sussex trug looks charming! I have a collection of them in graduated sizes. Cheers

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    1. Thanks Loi - I've been loving your Blog - we seem to love many of the same things! Congrats on your up-coming feature in Martha Stewart Living! Very exciting... Happy Sunday to you xx

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  9. I always found our roses were most beautiful in Autumn when we lived in Ararat (near the Grampian Mountains in Victoria). I think it is because they don't have the extreme heat of summer blasting all the blooms to smithereens. And of course all the sheep poo we used to get from the farmers. I'm finding it much more difficult to grow roses in Toowoomba in Queensland even though our climate is not tropical like the rest of Qld - it's much more humid than the dry summers of Vic. After seeing your beautiful Ashram I have ordered several from the new Treloar's catalogue - can't wait to see them bloom.

    Howard knows what he's talking about!

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    1. Thrilled you've got Ashram coming - they are wonderful! When we had our farm South Acres near Robertson, we struggled with the roses there in the damp climate... lots of misty drizzle .. Lucky you having that sheep pooh!! Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  10. Hi Jenny I've loved following the photo's of your Easter on instagram. The table setting were beautiful. The concentration on your grand daughters face as she painted her decoration was adorable. The paintings you are hanging in your lounge are stunning and the frames are beautiful. But what I really love in this photo is the textures and colour combination of the seagrass, lounge and the gorgeous rug. I've looked at this post many times before commenting just trying to take in the details. Howard's comments are well deserved as your blog is stylish and beautiful. You 've inspired me to get into my garden which I love and make a few changes. The gardens been a little neglect in the last few years ( work pressures and my husband was ill he's on the mend now but a scary energy sucking time).

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