before / now

This is how cactus plants grow in just over a year of living in a kitchen and getting watered occasionally. How they flourish when you're not looking.

spring fever

Some photos of spring flowers - fluffy pink stock and jasmine. I think jasmine is quite a strange plant. It can be so invasive and has tough leaves and stalks that are almost impossible to break but the flowers are so delicate and pale and beautiful.

I made the cactus pot in response to missing out on one of Stella Baggott's little face planters from her etsy shop sale last week. I couldn't decide which pot I liked best and they all sold out as I dithered.

Enjoy your week.

and repeat

 

Another good weekend away in Northland again but this time in a hired campervan.

- red-billed gull
- from the lookout at Matauri Bay
- agapanthus, Te Ngaere 
- ice plant succulent growing on the dunes at Te Ngaere

Reading A slow passion: snails, my garden and me by Ruth Brooks

softest grey

I'm knitting a baby cardigan in seed stitch in the palest of greys using a lovely soft cashmere/merino/silk yarn. I'm working hard to get it finished but, really, I wouldn't mind if it went on forever.

Reading The lighthouse by Alison Moore

beginnings

 

The little branches and the tiny seeds I collected from them are from my sister-in-law's garden. She has a wonderful garden that I admire very much. Most of her plants were started as cuttings or from seed so when I commented on a particularly vibrant blue flower - like the true pioneer woman she is - she handed me stems of seed pods. The plant is Aristea aka blue brilliant. I'm not a confident gardener but my gardening book from 1984 tells me its "easily grown" so I'm going to give it a go. I'll keep you posted.

The little succulent is panda plant (kalanchoe tomentosa). It's usually a pale grey colour with rows of rusty brown dots along the edges of the leaf tips. I've been nursing these cuttings along indoors so maybe the lack of light has paradoxically turned them green. Is that possible?

I hope everything is rosy in your garden.

days of summer

 

That is Mr Mingus in the garden showing you his little golden wings.

The beach is just a ten minute slow walk from our house. We swam there on Saturday evening. It was lovely. I wish this summer could last forever.

Reading How Proust can change your life by Alain De Botton and Kinfolk magazine + Eating sweetcorn from the garden + Listening to Sarah Blasko + Online for Journal de jours

already a holiday

These photos were taken while staying 'up North' for a few days - the first of many holidays to come, I hope. The weather was wonderful and we swam in the ocean which I love to do.

Reading A moveable feast by Ernest Hemingway + Watching Girls, season 2

instead

 

This week I visited Gibbs Farm, went to yoga class, enjoyed having house guests, cooked fish pie and sold a bed. But I have no sewing or knitting to share with you, I'm sorry. Maybe next week I'll have something finished.
Enjoy your week.

carnivorous

A couple of photos taken at the Auckland Carnivorous Plant Society spring show. It's always worth a visit. There are usually plenty of really bizarre plants, enthusiastic growers and plants for sale. Next show is in March.

Also I changed my blog header. I did it using PicMonkey and this easy-to-follow tutorial. If you look under 'blogging tips' on Sew many ways you'll find lots of help - should you too need it for your blog.

cacti

Some photos from the Auckland cactus and succulent show held over the weekend. It was well worth going to. Lots of amazing and unusual plants.

Also you might like the amazing and inspiring artwork of textile designer, Lourdes Sanchez - my latest 'discovery' thanks to Uppercase.

Have a great week.

Reading Spitalfields life by the Gentle Author + Watching (even though I think I might be over it) Downton Abbey, season 3 + Working out how to use my new camera

pink

 

Photos taken on a morning walk around my neighbourhood.

Have a lovely week.

China and orchids

I collected an assortment of china today that I won in an on-line auction. It included this adorable children's cup and saucer. It's Beswick and has images of characters from an English children's book series that I'm not familiar with.

On the cup are two bears, Teddy and Cuddly, standing arm-in-arm in a garden of red flowers. Katie Country Mouse is on the saucer, surrounded by forget-me-nots.

But the cutest are two tiny characters: a guinea pig on the back of the cup and a chipmunk on the saucer.

This is Gulliver Guinea-Pig setting off to travel the world in a blue hat with a yellow feather.

And my favourite - Charlie Chipmunk dancing in the daisies and looking like a little fat Buddha.

Its so cute. I'll keep it to bring out when small guests come to tea.

This is an orchid given to my husband for his birthday last year. It's had a hard outdoor life. I am hopeless with house plants. To our surprise its flowered. I've brought it inside so that we can enjoy its loveliness.