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!

Prieure d'orsan -  Loire Valley, France

We will be visiting Boussac a little later this year and as always, visiting the garden at Prieure d'orsan.   I looked back at my post on this garden and thought it might be quite a good idea to re-post it as I would love more people to know about this wonderful garden.  So for those who have already read it - apologies and for those who haven't,  hope it inspires you to visit!  Read more about the Garden and the Relais & Chateau accommodation here

There is a very special garden quite close to Boussac.    The Prieure d'orsan has been open to the public since 1993, and is now Relais & Chateaux approved, with eight guest rooms and an excellent restaurant.   This garden has become a sought-after destination for serious gardeners.

When Patrice Taravella, a successful Parisian architect and Sonia Leson, acquired this property near Maisonnais in the Loire Valley, in 1991, it was a ruin.  Several derelict buildings surrounded by barren land.  They saw the architectural possibilities, but "we needed to smell the air first," says Taravella, so they lived there for a year before the idea came to make a garden.  With the help of local gardener Gilles Guillot, the art of gardening from the pre-Renaissance times has been brought back to life.  Plentiful plantings of Hornbeams  have been hedged, fenced and coaxed to form  arbours, arches and buttresses, support structures, pyramids, circles and more.  There are raised flower beds,a  kitchen-garden, orchards, medicinal herb gardens, a rose garden and a secret garden... all so characteristic of monastery gardens.  

The out-buildings house a reception area and a restaurant offering  high-quality produce from the orchard and kitchen-gardens.  There is also an exhibition centre featuring exhibits relating to nature, gardens and landscapes.  The shop in the reception area is adorable - selling lovely items for the garden as well as books, gifts, etc.

We never tire of visiting this garden and have delighted the many guests we have taken here.  Please put this on your to-do lists when next visiting France, as I can assure you that you will not be disappointed.

The photos are my own and to read more about this garden and hotel,  please click here

The Orchard

The Potager

I love the naive heart hugging the window

The Rose Garden

Apple trees trained to grow against the walls.

 

Patrice Taravella was recently commissioned to design a similar garden in South Africa.  This garden can be seen at Babylonstoren.   During a recent visit, we drove to Somerset West, not far from Cape Town to view the garden.  As the climate is completely different from the Loire Valley, some of the structures are similar but the choice of plants is very different.  The garden is still in it's infancy,  and I look forward to seeing it in years to come.