Roses

Almost at the top of my list of things to do/have when I'm rich is to always have fresh flowers in the house.  Mum adores fresh flowers and she passed that love on to me, so whenever I can I have flowers in the house.

Being on a budget, this means other than those very lovely days when someone buys me flowers, flowers in the house come from the garden.  It can be hard when the garden is bare in the middle of winter to walk past the fresh flowers in the supermarket, but in a glorious spring like this one, those shopping centre displays have nothing on the bounty I have access to.

My roses have been hinting at the blooms to come for weeks, but now the buds have burst forth and I have so many roses I was able to fill two vases and create this gorgeous display on our dining room table.  The soft scent of rose drifts through the house and they fill my heart with joy every time I see them.

If the day comes when I can afford to buy flowers whenever I feel like it, I think those I've grown myself will still be my favourites.

What is on your "rich list".  A house cleaner and dinner out once a week is also on mine.

Freesias

S brought an unwelcome visitor with him on the long weekend - a nasty head cold.  I fought it as hard as I could but I've succumbed and am spending the day at home on the couch (though still wearing a dress, I'm nothing if not committed to Frocktober).

When S was home sick late last week he slept and played video games.  I am not good at being home sick.  I've already responded to some work email, done a load of washing, given the kitchen a wipe over and watered the pot plants.  I have also stood in our courtyard, mug of tea in hand soaking up a little of the gorgeous spring sunshine and in doing so I noticed that the first of my freesias have started flowering.  Their delicious spicy scent managed to make its way though my blocked nose and they are now sitting on the coffee table bringing me joy.

The rest of the day will be spent getting stuck into Game of Thrones (I'm reading the book after seeing the series) and drinking plenty of fluids all while being watched over by my gorgeous flowers.  It is amazing how such a small thing as two stems of deliciously scented flowers can make me feel so much better.

Blossom

I spent all of autumn taking pictures of trees in their glorious seasonal colours, so it is only right that I show the other end of the spectrum, the beautiful blossom that is covering our city in delicate shades of pink, cream and white.

I do love autumn, the rich red, orange and golds of the city seem imbued with the warmth of the summer past.  The blossoms of spring are different.  They hold a message of hope for the summer to come.  They speak of the coming warmth, the banishment of the long cold winter.  They are full of life and happiness. Every year the first brave blossom arrives while the days are still short, dark and cold but my heart lifts at the sight.  I know that spring will soon be upon us and I revel in their beauty.

After days of glorious sunny weather today is grey and thundery and the blossom is looking a bit bedraggled from the rain but  I know that these examples I saw over the last week or so are only the beginning.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite season?

Floriade

One of the joys of living in Canberra is the seasons.  We get all four in all their glory (well except for last year when summer forgot to arrive).  Hot green days of summer, the golden trees of autumn, icy winter many times complete with snow and the brilliant flowers of spring.

There is no place better to experience the colour and scent of spring than Canberra's annual flower festival, Floriade. Each year has a theme, this year it is style and design but the themes never mean too much to me, I go for the glorious display of over a million flowers in bloom.

Of course like any festival there is the side show.  Stalls selling everything from hamocks to jam, soap to tea and everything in between.  There are performers, rides, bands and entertainment and of course the gnome knoll.  One of these years I might even manage to get to Nightfest, the 5 nights Floriade is lit beautifully and open for an evening of entertainment.

But all of that is just a side show.  Floriade is about the flowers.  True to my girly girl nature I adore flowers, so this is just heaven for me.  Today was a stunning spring day.  Clear blue sky, warm sun, a light breeze.  I wore a dress and a short sleeved cardigan and at times felt a little hot in the sun.  We wandered pausing to admire blooms or stop getting in people's photos.  The park was full of families, tourists and cameras everywhere.  It was absolute heaven.

If you love flowers and have the opportunity, I highly recommend a visit to Canberra at this time of year.  It is just stunning.

Busy times

Sorry about the break between posts but it 'tis the season to be busy, busy, busy!  Work is full on in the lead up to leave (yay!), there is the all important gift purchasing and other shopping needs plus my social life is as full as can be as everyone fits in their Christmas activities.  Sleep has become a precious commodity.

This weekend just gone had end of year parties for two of the dance schools I attend.  They were great fun, loads of dancing, not to mention having the chance to catch up with people who we haven't seen for quite some time.  S and I probably spent more time chatting than dancing, but it was just perfect for this time of year.

The party on Saturday was at 8pm and while it included finger food, some friends of mine and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try the new Dumpling House at the ANU.  We were somewhat overdressed for the occasion, but the food was just delicious.  Given that we were about to go dancing, we limited ourselves to just a few baskets of dumplings, although having seen the extensive menu I'm keen to go back and try more.

We ended up eating the Shanghai fried beef dumplings, the fried pork dumplings, steamed prawn dumplings and steamed vegetarian dumplings.  The boys were a bit taken aback at ordering the vegetarian ones, but I think they ended up being everyone's favourite!  They were generous serves and while I'm sure we could have stuffed ourselves more, we were all happy with that selection and at $11 a person, it was good value too.  Dinner also came with complimentary tea.

We had a great catch up over dinner which was much needed as we haven't had much of a chance to see each other recently - as evidenced by the fact that they bought me a birthday present (my birthday was 2 months ago).  Lauren has a business doing high quality artificial flower wedding bouquets.  Her work is gorgeous and she made me this stunning posy which was just perfect for an antique green and gold vase that has been sitting in the cupboard, just waiting for something to be put in it.  That is right, all the flowers in these photos are artificial.

If you are looking for someone to do your flowers for a wedding, or you are just after a special and permanent flower arrangement for home or the office, check her out at http://www.acapitalaffair.com.au/ her work is beautiful.

Surprises

Not the actual surprise flowers, there wasn't time to take a photo.  These are some from last year

Do you know what is better than getting a suprise - giving a surprise!

My garden is bursting with roses.  They have been teasing me with buds for weeks but the last few days of hot weather (I have a feeling it is going to be a long hot summer) has coaxed them out en mass.  One of the brilliant things about roses is that cutting them actually encourages more flowers, so I love to fill my house and those of my family with them.

My parents were away this weekend and I knew that they would arrive home this afternoon to a hot, shut up house.  So this morning, I got up early enough to pick a large bunch of gorgeous fresh roses, head over to their house and open it up so that it would be cool, fresh and fragrant when they arrived home.

Of course the art of the surprise is keeping it, which should be easy, except that for various reasons I spoke to my parents multiple times throughout the day.  However I did manage to resist spilling the beans which meant they could come home to a lovely suprise.  Well the flowers were a lovely surprise, unfortunately I'd put the airconditioning on too low and managed to freeze them - I guess it is the thought that counts!

Blossom Tree

Last autumn I wrote about the beautiful show that the tree outside my office put on for my enjoyment.  It took a break for a few months, letting the winter sun through its branches to attempt to warm up my, at the time freezing, office.

Well the office aircon is fixed, the weather is warming up, and my tree is back delighting me.  The whole thing is now covered in massive balls of heavy, pink blossoms.  Not content with multiple layers of delicately ruffled petals, this tree produces its flowers in clusters so heavy that the branches are actually weighed down by them.  It looks fantastic.

Many of the other blossom trees are already on the way out, being taken over by bright shiny new leaves, but as long as the wind doesn't blow too hard I think I've got a good few weeks of enjoyment still to go with this magnificent tree.

Sun on the roses

This morning I opened my curtains to a beautiful sight. My backyard is full of roses. They were coated with a thick layer of dew from yesterday's rain which had caught the rays of the rising sun. Each leaf, bud, flower and stem was outlined with a glowing silver edge as the dew and sun combined. No jeweller could ever recreate the brilliance of this morning, even with the most sparkly of diamonds and the sight lifted my heart.

It really was a gorgeous morning. Canberra looks stunning at the moment, with rolling green hills, lush gardens and full lakes. It was beautiful and sunny, with everything glowing green and sparkling clean after the rain. There were a few clouds about, but they only served to create a marbled effect of shadows over the mountains, allowing shafts of sunlight to highlight particularly verdant areas of hillside.

What a glorious way to start the day.

My productive garden - part 2

I've written before about the joy of my productive garden, how it provides me with fresh ingredients for my cooking. But it also provides stunning ornament for my home.

Look at this vase of roses, fresh from my garden. This week I've also been able to give my Mum a big bunch and the bushes are still covered. There is nothing like having garden fresh flowers in the house to give a room a lift and really announce that the warm weather is here.

Surprises

Do you like a surprise? I know many people have a morbid fear of them, they like to live life in a planned orderly manner. I however, love a surprise and they come in all shapes and sizes just like the couple I have had in the last day.

Last night I arrived home to a surprise, a beautifully wrapped present on my doorstep! Attached to it was the most lovely card filled with the wonderful wishes of a very special friend. The devine Ms N, is one of the sweetest people you could ever hope to meet and she had delivered me a gift to give me a little extra lift when she thought I could use it. Honestly, it just made my day.

This morning I went to a breakfast which I regularly attend, however due to a full carpark came in a different entrance. As I walked out into the courtyard I was surprised with a beautiful vista. A normally plain walkway has been transformed by vigorously flowering wisteria. It was so unexpected it quite literally stopped me in my tracks. After yesterday's rain it all just looked so fresh and gorgeous, I couldn't help but take a photo.

I hope something wonderful has surprised you today!

Hidden Gems

My backyard is just about to burst into full bloom. The roses are covered in buds, the bearded irises have sent up their flower spikes, the granny's bonnets are almost there. In a week, it is going to be a floral extravaganza.

My front yard is different. It is more about foliage, texture and to be honest whatever can survive the scorching temperatures that it reaches in Summer. But hidden in it are some gems. Right now, my bluebells (which are really pink, white and blue bells) and mini cyclamen are flowering. They are tucked away, these flowers aren't about a flashy show, they are hidden gems waiting for the observant eye and I love them all the more for it.

My garden gives me such delight with its many moods. And finding little treasurers like this, just make my day.

As promised - a town full of daisies

Today is bright, sunny and gorgeous, a perfect day to admire the daisies!

I know they are weeds, but the fantastic recent rain we have had here has made them pop up all over the place and they are just beautiful. As you drive along there are whole sections of median strip bright yellow with their happy little faces.

On the weekend I went for a walk during which I passed a family with small children. Each child had a daisy chain crown. I spent years making them with my Mum and to this day, if for some reason I've sat down next to some, I feel compelled to make myself a daisy chain accessory.

They are such a gorgeous sign of spring and the warm weather that is on the way.