show pet

During a recent field trip, clusters of long pink flower spikes caught our eye. These giant Emu Trees, also known as Hakea francisiana can grow stems up to 8 feet tall. The vibrant flowers bloom within the blue-green foliage and the long sweeping style of the branches ensures that they are predominately displayed, never failing to attract attention. They take their name, francisiana, from George William Francis a Victorian botanist who established a herbarium and was the first director of the Adelaide Botanical Gardens in Australia. This hakea has been in cultivation for years but is mainly suited to Mediterranean-like climates and it flowers best in an open, very well drained areas. Francisianna is tolerant of moderate frosts and its blooms are very attractive to pollinators. Use it as a feature shrub in the garden or as an accent flower in arrangements.

Flowers bring me joy. How about you? It has been almost a year since I posted and I don't know if there is anyone out there, but I am ready to blog again. I am not sure what it is that makes a person stop blogging, just too busy, burned out, or lacking something to say. I am not sure what made me stop, perhaps a combination of all these things. I do however enjoy blogging, sharing ideas, discussion, reading other people's blogs and making connections. I hope you will have me back? These are some simple flower arrangements I did throughout last year. I am really looking forward to seeing things appear once again in my garden,as there is not too much going on at the moment. I love simple posies arranged in jugs and jars scattered hither and thither, making me stop in my tracks to take in the beauty and scent.

On Saturday we had a really beautiful day. I wasn't working, Paul wasn't working and Lois was off school, so we spent it in the garden, and it was glorious. I felt as if I had been given a gift. I did'nt come in until 11.30, and went to bed tired and happy!  Lots of work got done....weeding, planting, staking, brushing, cleaning, dead-heading and loads of moving. Then there was feeding, watering, re-planting. I even managed to paint some more pots for the shop. There was also some eating, drinking, admiring, sitting, talking, relaxing. A very good day was had by all! The next little gift I receive will be spent fence painting, hopefully I won't have to wait too long. I hope you had a lovely weekend, and managed to have a little time in your garden or in the park, or on the beach, and if not, then it's your turn next! Much love to you all, and thanks for stopping by, Linda x.

Just a quick little post to let you see the phone covers we got from the talented Wendy at  15 Coast Road . Initially I got the camper van for my husband because he loves them, and the red phone box for me. My daughter was not to impressed that she was left out, so I asked Wendz if she could make one with a dog on. No sooner had I asked, she was on the case and whipped up Fred the scottie dog, so everyone is delighted. Thank you Wendz! Check out her wonderful blog, full of wit and wisdom and great charity shop bargains, and her Etsy shop for all her wonderful makes. Also, I thought you might like this idea for plant markers from Martha Stewart Magazine. Wishing you all a wonderful week, with love, Linda x

picture from  Graphics Fairy Vignette is a word that Bloggers seem to like, to describe a little still-life area in a room or on  a table. I rather like the word myself so I looked it up in the dictionary. Mine is quite old so it didn't refer at all to the modern meaning of it, but rather talked about art or decorative illustration on a page, and this bit appealed to me ' to make a vignette of, by softening away the edges'. I thought I would soften away the edges by making a little display under my stairs, on top of a chest of drawers with a 'secret garden' theme. It is really a bit too wet and miserable to go out into the garden at the moment, so I thought a little display would keep me going until I can get out. I have a lovely pop-up book of 'The Secret Garden', illustrated by the Artist and Muralist Graham Rust, the detail in it is superb and it is a joy to look at. The  magnetic calendar at the back was a present from a friend as was the little bird in ...