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.

GARDEN NEWS AND A MOVE !

GARDEN NEWS AND A MOVE

I discovered this week that my garden is in trouble!  We have planted literally hundreds of Buxus plants and they have not fared as well as they should.  I discovered last week, that they are diseased.  They have been attacked by mites which has resulted in new growth being very weak and deformed.   Anyway,  I jumped into action and phoned here and there and also found good advice on Google.  We had to cut out all of the diseased parts,  cut the whole plant back severely and spray and feed.  The spraying against the mites and die-back is to be done every two weeks and the feeding also every two weeks in between! 

Blissfully unaware of this trouble,  other plants have behaved really well!  There have been lots of late flowers.  The Dahlias have been incredible.  I have only three bulbs planted in one raised bed and I have had more than enough flowers for the house this whole summer.

Munstead Wood

The bees love the Sedum

The roses have given us a pre-autumn flush and I'm hoping for more!  

Astrantia Major

The other news is that we moved out of our terrace in Sydney this week.  After 10 years of having a home in Sydney,  this will be an adjustment. 

  Some of the furniture was taken off our hands by the kids,  some of it went into storage and a little    arrived here in Bowral.  The butcher's rack is displaying the potted box in the courtyard and my Auriculas now have a home on a metal table on the back veranda in front of a large mirror! I have had some kind advice via Instagram on how to manage these beauties and so hope they will flower in Spring! 

The bookcases in my study were installed today.  All of the junk which has been stored there since the move a year ago has now been moved out and is in urgent need of sorting and editing.  I will post of photo in my next post when it looks a little more finished.

The Autumn weather has been wonderful.  Walks are such a pleasure free from the heat.  There has been quite a lot of cricket on at the Bradman Oval and we often walk past and sit and watch a few balls. 

Happy Easter everyone!

A BUSY COUPLE OF WEEKS..

Weekend at the beach, time for a swim, Auriculas, a photo shoot and a birthday!

It's been a really busy couple of weeks over here.  A weekend at the beach with good friends was relaxing and fun.  It's a lovely time of the year to walk on the beach as the Autumn light is so pretty.

    

A potter around Milton, the delightful South Coast beach town,  prawns on skewers, watching cricket and lunch at Bannisters all made for a great weekend.

Zinnias and Marigolds - a fence in Milton

Delicious food - Rick Stein at Bannisters

Magical sunrise on the day we left..

The week got hotter and hotter here in the Highlands and the pool and garden brought relief.  I had a few cooling evening swims..

The garden is in the midst of a late summer/autumn flowering and the Sedum are wonderful.  The Camelia hedge has begun flowering and judging by the buds it will soon be awash with these pretty white flowers.

  

I have always loved the Auricula.  

A tricky plant to grow and it can wither for no rhyme or reason.  A couple of us visited Moidardt nursery in Bowral and excitedly 'chose' a selection.  They were tiny green plants in black plastic pots with impressive names!.. This purchase is based on faith!  I have since re-potted them into some beautiful vintage terracotta pots which a lovely friend kindly gave me for this purpose!  I have two in flower which is definitely too early but I am hopeful I will succeed in growing these beauties. Fingers crossed! 

I say, most humbly,  that I have decided to write a book.  I ask myself, .. 'who would want to read this book?'.. but hopefully,  the photos will satisfy those who enjoy a visual feast!  I am writing about making Australia our home, making the garden at South Acres Farm and of course my obsession with houses, interiors  and gardens.    We had the first photo shoot this past week and my feet are still suffering the hours and hours of standing and walking around.  Gazing through the photographer's camera lens,  arranging and re-arranging things, re-heating food etc.  It has been such an enlightening process and completely absorbing!  I have learnt so much more about light or the lack of it,  and the important quality of having a 'good eye'!   I have had invaluable help from a couple of friends and we so looking forward to the developing project!

The week ended off with my son Alex's birthday lunch in Sydney on Sunday.    A lovely relaxed family day and a chance to catch up with my three adorable grand-daughters!

PANATONE COLOUR OF THE YEAR

2015

Every year,  Pantone declares it's "Colour of the year".  

The company hosts secret meetings, twice a year in a European Capital City where after presentations and debate,  a colour is chosen for the following year.  The results of the meetings are published in "Pantone View" which fashion designers, textile manufacturers, interior designers and the like use to guide their inspirations.

The choice for 2015 is MARSALA  

This will be a delicious colour for winter, paired with greys, browns and warm creams.  But I also imagine it for summer coupled with the palest turquise, creams and whites.

As with all colour,  when one has a colour in mind,  one sees it everywhere.  I suddenly began noticing Marsala here and there in my home.

The lovely Christmas bush 

Close-up of a cushion on a sofa in the living room.

Background of the cloisonne lamp

On one of my needlepoint cushions

The wallpaper in the Study

The floor tiles in the Gallery

In one of our bedrooms

A painting in the living room

I so look forward to seeing Marsala appearing in interiors, fashion and elsewhere...

A very happy New Year everyone... it's certainly underway.  I always love the beginning of a new year!