I ADORE THE MONTH OF MAY.
BECAUSE MY GARDEN IS ON STAGE!
THESE BEAUTIES WERE GIFTED TO ME!
Photos taken on their LAST DAY before their DEMISE!
SO, GRAND AND BEAUTIFUL.
WITH TIME THEY BECAME BETTER and BETTER!
JUST LIKE WE DO!
I thought a little GARDEN THERAPY was in order with us all cooped up this month of MAY.
I had an IDEA!
I have come up with a NEW FEATURE called GARDEN STYLE PEOPLE and I will introduce YOU MY DEAR READERS to WOMEN and MEN who enjoy their GARDENS and perhaps have a few TALES TO TELL!
MEET MY FRIEND ANITA DAY FROM JINDIVICK, VICTORIA in AUSTRALIA
ANITA,
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN ATTRACTED TO THE GARDEN OR WAS IT A PASSION THAT CAME LATER IN LIFE?
My attraction for the garden came early on in life. One of my first memories of garden love came from my mother. To this day, I can still see her clasping a cup of tea and staring out the kitchen window to the garden with a smile on her face………..I knew she was on to something. I was 5 when I had a go at sowing my first seeds. They were Irish Bells. I don’t think I was successful but I can remember going to the plot and checking for signs of sprouting every 5 minutes. Vue is our 4th garden and the largest we’ve every tackled. The property is 36 acres, mostly native forest, with 4 cleared acres surrounding the house. The garden would be ½ acre in size. Starting with a blank canvas, the garden is 8 years old and is just now taking on a mature look in parts. I love lots of plants and lots of flowers. We have a variety of old favourites mixed with rare and unusual plants. As we keep hives, flower selection can often be based on their bee attracting properties.
IF YOU HAD AN INVITATION TO A GARDEN PARTY AND YOU WERE ASKED TO COME DRESSED AS A FLOWER OR A WEED WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BE?!
Got to be a flower and it would be a dahlia………bold in colour and personality, the dahlia has it all except perfume………… but I can forgive this flower for anything. As I’m dressed as a dahlia, I can pop a bit of scent on behind my ears.
DO YOU LEAVE YOUR FLOWERS IN THE GARDEN TO ENJOY OR DO YOU CUT TO BRING THEM INSIDE?
Always do both. As Vue is a Bed and Breakfast, I love to cut fresh flowers for the guest rooms but for the house, I love big vases full of foliage too. At the moment I’m enjoying cutting Manchurian pear foliage. It makes for such a dramatic arrangement with its autumnal colours.
DO ALL THE SEASONS GIVE YOU PLEASURE OR IS THERE ONE SEASON THAT BRINGS YOU EXTRA JOY?
The season of extra joy has to be Autumn. Summer is hard here with temperatures over 40c.on odd days, so I long for the cool to return. Spring is over in a flash and races way too quickly into Summer. Winter is just beautiful as we have views of nearby mountains covered in snow but it rains a lot and stops me from playing outside. Autumn in West Gippsland is truly glorious, especially in the Vue garden where we grow European deciduous trees. Autumn is also peak time for Dahlias……..have a big crush on this flower.
PLEASE SHARE ONE OR TWO OF YOUR FAVORITE GARDENING BOOKS.
Garden People by Ursula Buchan.This book is filled with photos by Valarie Finnis, a plants person and amateur photographer of some years ago. Page after page of stories of plant obsessed people and gardening eccentrics. My favourite photo in the book is of LADY RHONDA BIRLEY. If you google her you’ll get an image and understand why.
THE BOOK
Lady Rhonda Birley.
Colour for the Adventurous Gardener by Christopher Lloyd.The man was a genius the way he put colour combinations of plants together. His home and garden Great Dixter in the UK, is beloved world over.
CONTESSA has provided a LINK HERE!
DO YOU WEAR A GARDENING APRON OR HAT AND GLOVES WHEN YOU GO INTO THE GARDEN TO WORK?IS THERE A BRAND YOU PREFER OR IS YOUR “UNIFORM” PRETTY SHABBY?
I wear everything Elizabeth. My garden clothes are very shabby , but I do wear two items that I treasure. My hat, made by milliners Axel Mano in Sydney and my gardening tunic tops by CARRIER COMPANY from Norfolk UK. The hat has the biggest brim to protect my fair skin. I fell instantly in love with this hat when I first saw Mickey Robertson from Glenmore Garden wear it in a photo on Instagram. I’ve never bought anything as expensive as this hat in my life………but it has been so worth it. The tunic tops have large deep pockets for my glasses, phone and gardening bibs and bobs. I first found out about Carrier Company at Chelsea flower show some years ago. Designer and maker Tina Guillory sold me my first Norfolk Slop. She is one stylish lass……..love her look…..go google her too.
Tina Guillory
IF YOU COULD INVITE ANYONE TO COME SIP A LEMONADE OR A CUP OF TEA IN YOUR GARDEN WHO IS NO LONGER WITH US,WHO WOULD IT BE?
CARE TO SHARE WHY?
Can we drink wine together too?
(“YES, ANITA VINO WOULD BE DELIGHTFUL!”)
Firstly, it would have to be my hero Christopher Lloyd.
I would ask him to tell me where I’m going wrong.
Secondly DAME MIRIAM ROTHCHILD. She was a naturalist and scientist. An early champion for planting wildflowers, she knew of their benefits for attracting bees, insects and butterflies to the garden. She heavily influenced Prince Charles to garden in a more naturalistic way at Highgrove.
CAN YOU LEAVE US WITH A GARDEN QUOTE THAT SUMS UP WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON?
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow”.
As we move closer to Winter, and the garden goes into dormancy, in my heart I know Spring will come again and madness which is my garden will return.
CAN WE FIND YOU ON THE INTERNET?
IF SO WHERE?
I do have a web page if people would like to find out more about our bed and breakfast accommodation and upcoming beekeeping workshops www.vueatjindivick.com .
I’m active on Instagram Vue_at_jindivick Eco B and B
and also on
Facebook at Vue at Jindivick eco bed and breakfast
I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED ANITA AND WILL SPEND SOME TIME CRUISING HER FAVORITES AND HER WEBSITE!I CANNOT RECALL IF ANITA FOUND ME OR I FOUND HER ON INSTAGRAM YEARS AGO BUT WE FINALLY MET UP IN ENGLAND ON MY LAST TRIP WHICH WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO!SHE IS EVEN MORE DELIGHTFUL IN PERSON IF THAT IS POSSIBLE!
I WENT TO THE CHELSEA GARDEN SHOW AND PURCHASED A COUPLE OF THE GARDEN “SLOP’s”.THEY ARE VERY ROOMY AND WASH BEAUTIFULLY. MY AMERICAN READERS REMEMBER IF ORDERING THE HATS OR THE GARDEN WEAR ITS IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS AND BRITISH POUNDS!YOU CAN ALWAYS GOOGLE THE EXCHANGE RATE!
I HOPE TO VISIT ANITA AND PAUL ONE DAY WITH THE ITALIAN IN TOW AS I THINK HE WOULD ENJOY THAT TRIP.I HAVE A FEW PEOPLE TO VISIT DOWN UNDER!Even with THE COVID-19 THE ITALIAN is working so its going to take an ACT OF GRACE to get him to STOP and escort me to that BELOVED COUNTRY!
I PLAN TO SHARE MY OWN GARDEN WITH YOU NEXT MONDAY, MAY 11.
I WILL LINK TO ANOTHER DEAR FRIEND SO YOU WILL HAVE TWO GARDENS TO CRUISE!
XXX
PS. ANITA, I ADORE IRISH BELLS!
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