The pavers are now all in place. Some shrubs & roses  have been planted setting the bones for the new garden. It's worth checking out how your plants are actually doing now. Winter is a excellent time to move plants that are not happy where they are. It's time to sort out the garden, time to dream about what flowers are to come. Think about your garden vision and make it a reality.
I cannot believe how such a large space of ground has suddenly shrunk! Already I'm looking at it wondering where I am going to put the new seedlings in Spring.  The garden will soon be full and then there will be no weeds. It's the best advantage of cramming!  The Tulips are all popping through at last,  Freesias are budding up and Snapdragons are coming into flower. Excellent! There is always a blank period during Winter months when nothing is happening in growth. I am forever scrutinising the plants for signs of life.  Bring on the Spring! I'm looking forward to sitting on the little seat and being surrounded by flowers. :). Of course,  customers can do the same too and breathe in a little tranquility.

Path is nearly finished.  The body is feeling a tad weary at this stage. I have sprayed, laid weed mat, placed pavers and have gotten very excited along the way. Just need to sweep the magical Paverlock product into the remaining cracks and "Bob's your Uncle"! Hey presto we have a path.....next job is to work the soil ready for planting. I can't wait to be surrounded by  flowers in the early Summer  while walking down the garden path. It will be somewhere for people to come to and enjoy the simplicity of a garden.  

A  quote from my Helen Exley Giftbook -
"All gardens have the potential to be sensuous, poetic places, feeding the soul as well as letting us spread beyond the house....There is something happening there that goes beyond horticulture just as a superb load of bread or bottle of wine goes beyond nutrition. In a world of terror and anxiety this is art in a million backyards. There is a real sense that in making your garden 'better' according to your own taste, then you are doing more that outdoor decorating. I absolutely believe that you are making the world a better place for everyone else as well".
Monty Don, 1955. From 'My Roots'.

The weather is atrocious right now. My project has come to a sudden halt with all the rain we are having, making it a mud patch fit for a hippo! But....I have made progress.  I've been frantically digging over Queens Birthday weekend before it got too wet. While I dug,  I dreamt of what I am going to plant when it is finally ready.  Unfortunately it is already full!  It would be rather good for the weather to break then I can get back out there and start on the other half.  Some very kind friends picked up pavers for me in Auckland over Queens Birthday weekend. Another Trade Me find. (How did we once cope without Trade Me? I  absolutely love it!).  I will eventually pave throughout the garden making it easily accessible for picking and viewing. Not much to look at right now but in my minds eye.....

 I have finally succumbed to making what little lawn I have into more garden. It's taken a while for my brain to get past the notion that lawn is needed to 'frame' a garden. Repeated cursing of 'if only I had more room!' will finally end (well that is the plan).  The garden pattern has been laid out for a week with hose and bamboo sticks. Needing to visualise the path going through before the final spray. It will need to be functional as well as attractive to view. In my mind,  it is already filled with more shrubs and flowers. This will have to be enough though,  as there is nowhere else to go! 
The last pic of my pocket lawn. Feeling excited about what is to come next...

The waiting game is officially now on. How impatient I am waiting for the small plants to grow! 
I am not alone in this I'm sure. It's always a hive of industry over the Autumn,  clearing out the summer plants to make more room. Dreaming about your Spring garden....
 Suddenly -  the garden is nearly empty.We start to watch for signs of growth. Dare I say obsessively! Freesias are always the first to pop through, just as well as I love to use them in posies.
No sign of the tulips  yet though. They always seem to take their own sweet time.  The Ranunculus have just shown their first leaves, exciting. Another favourite for their intense clear colours. The  Snapdragons are starting to move.  I have planted many different varieties from seed this year.
 It will be interesting to see how many unique colours come through. With names like 'Brazilian Carnival' the mind can only but boggle!
Not sure what is up with the Mandarin tree fruiting in one line up its trunk. It's mate on the opposite side is  fruiting profusely in all directions. Mandarins make excellent pot plants in small gardens by the way. The added bonus is the colour when there is not much out there. Roll on Spring.  Mean while patiently waiting...

Yay, its bulb planting time!! Thanks to Dad and his carpentry skills, I have some lovely wooden boxes to plant lots of different tulips in this year. Last year I simply didn't have enough tulips to pick. 
Mmm it's all a bit tricky when room is limited. Solution -  go above ground and make more space!
For such a simple thing like a bulb, it always amazes me how they can give us a stunning colourful flower from virtually nothing! 
I've been feeding the garden lately in preparation for Spring with horse manure from my sister, blood & bone & lime. I'm sure the Zinnias  & Asters this year have sucked all the nutrients out with their size.
So now is the time to go and get your bulbs. Ranunculus, Hyacinths, Anemones, Iris there is so much choice out there. If your garden isn't ready, just pop them into pots. Too easy! 
You will be pleased with yourself for planting bulbs now I promise. When they are flowering  on a cold rainy day in early Spring it will be an instant 'pick-me-up'.

Autumn has well and truly come now. It really is my favourite time of the year. The leaves are falling everywhere letting us know that winter is just around the corner!  I love Autumn with all the colours about, the beautiful days and slightly cooler keeps me smiling. :) The rain this weekend is also wonderful....it will be so good for the  newly planted Sweet Peas.  It's quite a creative time in the garden with all the visualising and planning involved for Spring. It's all very exciting...as some flowers are ending more are planted in their space. A never-ending cycle of life.
The Sunflowers have now come to an end unfortunately. In their space I have planted Snapdragons - Brazilian Carnival, Snowflake and Madame Butterfly.  That should be enough variety I hope! 
The Roses are still going strong.  With a bit of a prune last month they are away again. The 
Roses in the pics are Kronenburg (my favourite on left) and the English apricot Rose is Abraham Darby, a climber, my Mum's favourite. The fragrance is divine! I think you really have to grow your own Roses to get the intense scents. It certainly makes looking at the Roses woody frames all winter SO worth it when they flower in early Summer.  Enjoy them while they are still with us!

March is flying by with the flow of weddings happening this month. March is a perfect month for weddings with the weather slipping into Autumn now,  making for more settled cooler days.
Brides are opting for a variety of colours for their bridesmaids from blues - black - purple - pastel pinks,  really anything goes. There are  NO set rules for weddings these days. Main criteria is that whatever flowers and venue are used should represent the Bride and Groom uniquely.  
Maybe its a special piece of jewellery that can be pinned onto ribbon binding? Or perhaps having the ceremony at the special place that the proposal took place? Liz Brinsdon, Marriage Celebrant is the person to call. Check 'wedding' page for her details. 
I will be putting up wedding pics soon as they come to hand of the recent weddings I've done.
All are very different.  I love the variety happening out there! Below are the corsages from last weeks wedding.  More pics to come...

30/01/15

Well the first month of the year as flown past. No suprise there! Sometimes I think someone is fast-forwarding the time. Such a cliche 'time flies' but it's true! I've been busy in the garden -weeding,  watering & trimming plants to encourage the second flowering. Especially the roses, they are worth waiting for! I have mulched the roses with lawn clippings to retain the moisture as much as possible. Lawn clippings are great for conditioning and bulking up your soil. The gypsophila is also flowering madly at the moment. This flower was extremely trendy in the 1980's for weddings. As many of you can probably recall. Now gyp is  used a bit more conservatively. I particularly like the stems grouped together for dramatic effect. It would make a terrific wedding bouquet on its own I think!