Four

Four quite random, nature-inspired things:

1. I found a small, injured rainbow lorikeet hiding under a bush in the garden. Its foot was mangled, and it was being chased by bearded dragons (and maybe our chickens). I tried to catch it to take it inside, but good gracious! They’re so feisty! And by the time I went inside to find an old cloth nappy to wrap it up in (and to stop it from biting me as I caught it), the little bird had crawled off into the bush. I’ve worried about it all week.
2. Our gorgeous fresh-laid eggs are being stolen by crows. They sit like vultures, high in the trees above the coop, and wait for our little hens to leave their new egg unattended; then swoop in, (and believe it or not) to pick the eggs up and fly over the fence to relative safety. I’ve watched them peck a hole in the top of the egg to suck all the egg-y goodness from within; and once they’re done, the dragons amble in to take care of the shell. This week has seen me hover every time one of our hens is laying, which sometimes puts them off. I’ve also been practicing my scare!-protect!-save! mode, by running outside, arms a-flailing, shouting at the rush of black wings as they laugh into the sky.
3. I’m feeling the need for a large dose of motivation to inspire me back into the garden. I had the grandest plan to don large straw hats and gardening gloves, and spend late afternoons pottering and planting and pulling and preparing. The plan also included the creation of the most amazing kitchen garden – a natural delight that nourished us and made us feel all at one with the earth. So far, I’ve made a whole heap of origami seed pots, planted tiny lettuce, tomato and cucumber seeds, watered a few times, and then promptly abandoned about our fledgling crop. And now, as the days fly by, I watch as the weeds strangle the established plants that are digging their heels in and refusing to die. So, in a show of defiance to my sad case of laziness, I bought new gloves. And with pen in hand this afternoon, I’m sketching out a new plan for our kitchen garden and starting again.
4. We have the strangest, most prehistoric plant in our garden (I have no idea what it is), that has been growing the tallest ‘shoot’ (for want of a better word) from its centre. Judah has taken to calling the plant his ‘beanstalk’ because when you stand beneath it, the shoot appears to reach all the way to the clouds – it really is quite remarkable. This week, it began to bloom: delicate, orchid-like flowers in pale lemon yellow; and as they seem to flower only for a day before dropping, our pathway is just filled with them. It’s such a stark contrast to the severity of the plant – the sharp lines and striking leaves - and it has seen me stop a few times this week to gaze up and admire its natural contrast.

Do you have four things to share too?

Nat

Our Chickens: Feeling the community love

Our girls abscond on a daily basis.

They take a run-up, flap their clipped wings at a furious speed, and sail over the fence to the creek; they sneak through a gap in the retaining wall to our neighbour’s lush garden (with plenty of gorgeous green grass),  squeeze through loose palings and onto the road (where they’ve been found sitting, contentedly, in the warm sun), and have been found perch all-in-a-row on low branches in random trees.

With all the rain about lately, I’ve seen them huddled together in Ella’s doghouse (thankfully, without Ella in it), and standing, soaking, in the middle of the garden, staring wistfully at the sky. And it goes without saying - they take every opportunity to steal into the house, whenever the kids unwittingly leave the back door open, which results in a comical commotion of chasing and almost-catching and clucking and giggling.

There’s a layer, an almost layer, and two youngun’s who constantly jostle for a better hierarchal position in the coop, still growing their combs.

And, if you couldn’t already tell, I’m totally and absolutely in love with them.

 

The Coop, set in the back corner of our garden…

To love a chicken (or four chickens) is a strange thing, because before they arrived on Christmas eve, I was scared of them - and their flappy wings, sharp beaks and scratchy feet. I was absolutely convinced that they’d chase me, peck at me, and was horrified at the thought of having to actually pick them up to put them away at night. But they wormed their way into our family, with all their warbling and grazing and waddling. And in a surprisingly short time, I was in love – just like that.

What I didn’t expect though, was how accepted they’d be with neighbours and friends. Our next door neighbour talks to them when they manage to escape into her garden – I often hear her cooing to them as they strut and scratch in her lovely lush grass; another neighbour saves all her fruit and vegetable scraps, bringing them over in big plastic bags, or randomly throwing bits and pieces over the fence and into the run. Other neighbours have offered advice about compost and using chicken manure in our garden; friends have taken them onto their laps for a pat.

I admit it: I love this. Who would have known that they’d become such wonderful community pets?

Do you have chickens too?

Nat

Ps. No names yet; goodness, it’s hard finding chicken-appropriate names that everyone is happy with!

 

Bloomin' Gorgeous!

I’m about to head out to do some weeding, but thought I’d quickly show you what’s been going on in the garden over the last few weeks. I wish you could see it in its budding glory – all the beds are full up with flowers and vegetables and bees and worms, and the recent rain seems to have a booster built into every drop – things are growing at the most magnificent pace!

How is your spring garden looking? Have you planted vegetables too?

Nat

Grateful #22: What are you thankful for this week?

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.

But in amongst some out-of-this-world temper tantrums (toddlers – sheesh!), was the loveliest, food and wine filled holiday spent in the company of the most wonderful people. It’s given me so much to be grateful for this week, including….

The comfort and contentment of home. We had the most delicious time away, and absolutely loved exploring and spending time with our beautiful family in Adelaide. But how nice is it to come home to familiar spaces, well loved things (and to a beloved husband who was lonely without two rambunctious children)?

We arrived home late, on a warm, clear night, and as soon as the bags were inside, I crawled into our bed with the smile of a happy traveller. In the morning, I couldn’t help but marvel at the growth in the garden (our tomatoes and snow peas are in bloom!), and even allowed Ella, our stinky mastiff, to lie smiling on my feet.

I baked, drunk tea, and pottered; did loads of laundry and watched a snake wind its way around a tree in the garden. I took up my needle and began to sew.

I like travelling, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a homebody at heart; and it made me even more grateful for our patch of the world, and all the love and life it contains.

Lyra. The littlest and loveliest of our family turned two a couple of days ago – Lyra (or Lou) spent the day in a sea of colourful balloons and pink wrapping paper, talked loudly, giggled and squealed, ate dreamy vanilla cakes with chocolate butterflies perched on top, drew all over her legs and face with new felt-tip pens, and was loved up by lots of people who think she’s just the bees knees (Judah, on the other hand was so distraught that it wasn’t his birthday that he spent most of the day crying, and/or stamping his feet with the injustice of it all; which is actually pretty funny).

But our sweet Lyra-Lou – goodness, I love her. She wakes with a smile on her face every morning, charms the socks off anyone who meets her, and is just the loveliest, most delightful little person. I spend all day thinking about how very, very fortunate we are to have this precious girl as our own, and how much light and love she’s given us in the two short, blink-of-an-eye years that she’s been here. And that she’s my child: my heart almost bursts with gratitude.

How about you? What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your grateful post back to Maxabella Loves, or write your grateful list in the comments section below x

All a-hummm and a-bloom...

I thought I was imagining it, when I opened up the house this morning – a hum so loud, that it sounded like some kind of machine running on idle.

But as I stepped out into the garden, I realised what it was – bees!

Standing underneath or tall trees all abloom with delicate white and pink flowers, the hum of our working bees is an amazing thing. I tried to take photos of them busily searching, but there were far too many whizzing around near my face and outstretched-camera-clad-hand, and I was too nervous – sorry!

But, best of all! I found them all over our carefully planted and tended plots, where small flowers are unfurling, turning their heads towards the light…

 

I’m hoping that the visiting bees may just mean a big, beautiful harvest of lots of spring and summer fruit and vegetables this year – they really are the most miraculous little creatures, don’t you think?

Do you have a garden in bloom at the moment? Or plans for a spring garden?

Nat

A spring in my step...

No more bitingly cold air when I’m pulled out of bed at stupid-o’clock in the morning; no more warming hands on steaming mugs of coffee, or that horrid pins and needles feeling when I step into a hot shower. No more midnight blanket clad checkups on the kids, to make sure they’re still cosy and tucked up in their beds. And no more comfort food (alright then: less comfort food than I’m currently eating).

Spring is really here - and aside from being my all time favourite season, it seems as though it’s everyone else’s as well. In the 24 hours since spring officially launched (for want of a better word) in Australia, social media hubs have gone berserk – have you noticed? There seems to be a collective sigh of relief that the greyness of winter is finally over, and an optimistic lilt in the status updates of hundreds and hundreds, as they all dream of the loveliness of the warmer months ahead of us.

I so love the start of spring for this reason; the promise of balmy afternoons, late night swims in the pool and the gardens alive with sounds and scents and beautiful, tender new things that have lay dormant for months. I’m grateful for the longer days, the mozzie-slapping barbeques, the lightness of meals, surreal blue afternoon skies, and the fact that Ella (our sad-faced Mastiff) will soon stop her painful arthritic limp, and run again like a pup.

There are always plans made in early spring, and energy found or renewed. All those projects that seemed too hard to tackle during the winter months are revisited with enthusiasm, and added onto a blossoming list. Our renovations screeched to a halt once it started to get cooler, but I’m quietly gathering steam to begin again. It all seems much easier, now that spring is here.

What do you love about the change of season?

Nat

Image from here.

Point and Shoot: Our Weekend that Was

We’re joining in with lovely Lou’s meme tonight – Point and Shoot. It’s been a while since I’ve taken photos with a P&S purpose, but we’ve just had the loveliest, loveliest weekend – wanna see?

It all started with a lemon tart - my first lemon tart making experience - and it just happened to be so, so good that I made it twice in two days. The first was shared with dear friends after a seafood feast; the second was horded and eaten sparingly, in a savouring-the-refreshing-sweetness-of-it-all kind of way…

The kids were handed oversized gardening gloves on our sunny Sunday morning, and put to work tidying up the sorely neglected vegetable garden. And underneath all those prickly cobblers pegs and spiky, suffocating weeds, were these vibrant beauties…

We turned the soil, all rich and loamy after a few days of rain; we hunted through the strawberry leaves to see if any new berries were forming, rubbed fresh picked lavender between our hands to release its heady scent, and worked up a sweat in the gorgeously warm spring-time sunshine.

There was a long, lazy afternoon of sewing – piecing, pinning and pulling together the six cheerful citrus blocks from my beginners sampler quilt (I didn’t think it was possible, but it seems to be even brighter now that it’s edged with the chocolate brown sashings!)...

…and a big, hearty tart filled with slow roasted winter vegetables and melt-in-the-mouth Danish feta for Sunday dinner (I meant to take a photo of this too, but it was cut up and tucked into too quickly).

Some weekends are just meant for family and pottering, aren’t they? 

Nat

Ps. Got some wonderful photos from your weekend that was too? Join in! Visit Sunny + Scout here to link up with Lou’s P&S post. And check out her beautiful, candid photography while you’re there – it’s heartwarming, honest and utterly delightful x

Grateful #20 – What are you thankful for today?

It’s a grey day in Brisbane this morning, and the rain is soaking in and softening our soil again – just in time for a new spurt of vegetable planting that I was hoping to do sometime next week. Our poor veg garden has been a wee bit neglected of late – the weeds are in competition (and seem to be winning), and Ella, our sad-faced mastiff, has taken to burying her bones in the root vegetable patch (and heavens, do they stink!).

But the weather is warming, and I’m starting to think of summer salads, leafy greens, trellis-covered snow peas, and a carpet of cheerful bee attracting flowers. And maybe even some citrus and a small apple tree.

So with gardens on my mind, this week I’m grateful for:

The promise of Spring. Even though I loved winter this year, and revelled in the feasting, sharing, and comforting goodness of it all, I’ve been feeling a bit grey, and unconsciously looking out for signs of a warmer change.

Our house backs onto a steep incline, a bubbling, story-book type creek, and the local golf course, and in the first blush of spring, the trees in this wild ravine become covered in a strange kind of pure white, mock orange flower. The scent is amazing – especially first thing in the morning; and this week, I noticed that the tall gums and smaller shrubs in our pretty bit of wilderness are absolutely covered in it.

A small dance of joy for the beginning of spring in our pocket of the world.

A morning play. The last few mornings, I’ve let the kids play outside in their pyjamas, a little after 7am. With a million things to do first thing in the morning, and two very active toddlers wanting something fun to do RIGHT NOW, this seemed like the most sensible solution. Yes, pyjamas got covered in dirt (and mud after one rainy night), the dog’s dry biscuits got eaten by Lou (ick!), and socks got buried in random holes, but they were content in exploring their early morning backyard, which was cool and fresh and alive with the sound of birds (And inside, I was more than grateful for the space to tick a few tasks off my daily to-do list!).

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Linking up with the wonderful Maxabella– and you can too! Post your Grateful list here, or write it in the comments section below. Have a wonderful weekend!

Grateful #17 – What are you thankful for today?

It’s a rainy, cool morning here in Brisbane. Warm corners of the house are inviting us to read stories and watch cartoons, last night's fire is still crackling in the grate, and small feet are running about in woollen socks with blankets rescued from the ends of beds. I’m doing some last minute sewing, but dreaming of knitting with soft mohair wool, even though I’ve never knit a stitch (is that the right phrase?) in my life. Perhaps this winter is the time to start?

I’m feeling light in my heart this week; and in amongst the bustle of our house, I’ve stopped this morning to be grateful for:

Birthdays. How lovely is the whole concept of having a birthday? A day that’s entirely yours - where lots of lovely people remember and celebrate the fact that you’re here (and they’re so glad that you are). A day that sees you being loved, and treasured, and maybe even pampered and spoilt; a day in which you’re fed delicious, decadent things, given thoughtful presents, and where you’re able to spend hours in the company of people you love. Birthdays mean doing things your way; perhaps even relaxing or abandoning the daily rules. For grown ups, it could mean a lie-in, a coffee in bed, or a kid-made breakfast with random flowers from the garden. For children, it’s a heaven-on-earth scenario, where all the big people in your world lavishing lots of attention and love. And cake (Chocolate too is allowed, and special treats encouraged. And everyone is made to be nice as pie all day). Birthdays mean a whole year wiser, lots of lessons learnt - maybe the hard way - and a whole brand-new-shiny year just brimming with opportunity.

It’s not my birthday, just in case you’re wondering; but I’m grateful for the opportunity and reminder to celebrate the lives of the people we love so dearly.

Bees, butterflies and birds. I know - strange thing to be grateful for, right? But I’ve started to slowly plant out the vege garden with bee and bird attracting plants to help with pollination over spring and summer, after an unproductive season last year. I’m learning so much about the garden as I go along; how nature is very clever at helping things work together in harmony, how one thing often relies on something else to help it grow, and the creative role that bees and birds play in a sustainable garden.

Over autumn, I hand pollinated all of our pumpkins to help them grow, after realising that absolutely no bees came to our patch. In the new-morning light, I’d be out in the garden watching the bright yellow buds unfurl from their sleep, paintbrush at the ready, lifting leaves and stalks to find the male and female flowers. But all the while, thinking in my head how ridiculous it was, and how I really had to do something about helping nature help itself.  So, with a bit of prep, I’m hoping for a wildlife influx over the warmer months, and a garden brimming with sweet smelling flowers and happily (or naturally) pollinated vegetables.

As a side note, so proud of my winter vege bed, just blooming with beetroot, carrots, onions, rosemary and leek….

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Linking up with the delightful Maxabella Loves – and you can too! Add your grateful post to her linky list here, or write your gratefuls in the comments section below x

Grateful #15 - What are you thankful for today?

I’m really loving winter this year; all those crisp, clear-sky mornings, icy fingers and toes thawing out in hot baths, endless cups of tea, and a (flimsy) excuse to bake deliciously hearty dinners and belly-warming desserts.

I think winter is a time of reflection for me as well; is it for you too? I’ve been thinking all week about how fortunate we are, how we’re surrounded in love and care, have the most wonderful family and friends, and have a world of opportunity at our feet. I just love that path that we’re on at the moment.

And in particular, this week I’m very grateful for:

Home-grown loveliness. This week, we were all about pumpkin and herbs. Having pulled an enormous pumpkin from the garden a couple of weeks ago, it was time to use it – so I happily set to baking and making! First up, two batches of awesome pumpkin, parmesan, chive and bacon muffins (so good with garlic and chive cream cheese), which was lovely for snacks and rush-out-the-door breakfasts. Then a massive pumpkin and spinach lasagne, with layers of potato, ricotta and steamed chicken thrown in for good measure. I was so proud of our pumpkin effort, and that this one nurtured vegetable had fed our family all week. It gave me a renewed energy towards our sustainable garden, and how wonderful it’ll be in summer when things are really bursting and blooming with goodness.

Sisters. I’m always, always grateful for my lovely sister; but sometimes I see her in a whole new way and I can’t help but be amazed at her all over again. This week, I admire her for her patience, as she quietly and steadily works towards her dreams and goals. And I can’t wait for all of those wonderful long-cherished wishes to begin unfolding in her life.

‘What’s that?’ I spent a few moments every day this week sitting still, while my Lou pointed at various things and asked Whas that? - waiting only a second for me to respond before finding something else to ask about. All those new words! I’ve noticed that the 'whas that' game seems to have unlocked her understanding of language, and has allowed her to speak in more complete sentences – which is so wonderful! Admittedly, some of her sentences are parts of random words sandwiched together, but it’s still lovely to listen to. I’m also aware that it won’t be long before she’s speaking beautifully, so I’m enjoying her sweet baby language while it lasts.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Join in! We’re linking up with the delightful Maxabella Loves – you can add your link to her Grateful post, or write your grateful list in the comments section below.

Mosey-in’ ‘round the garden plot

It seems as though everyone is garden mad at the moment – have you noticed that? There’s such an emphasis on ‘growing your own’ with the people I know; a lot of my friends are experimenting with herbs and basic veg, and I love how we can talk about what is working and what isn’t within our own suburban plots.

We (ok, maybe I) had grand plans to reduce our own vegetable and fruit buying by growing enough of our own; but goodness, there’s such a lot of work to be done, and even more planning, in order to sustain the needs of a hungry family of four. But I really do love the stage that our garden is in at the moment; the crops that we have planted are flourishing.

We manage a good size bowl of tiny tom tomatoes almost weekly...

...are awaiting patiently for the right time to cut our two lovely pumpkins from their vine...

...and are constantly picking off handfuls of herbs for cooking, or to give away.

Next to go in are carrots, potatoes, beans, broccoli, more strawberries and an apple tree. I’m keen for a passionfruit vine, even if they do get out of control fairly quickly. I love the idea of lemons and limes, and towards the end of winter, will be planting loads of Asian greens and salad leaves in time for late spring eating.

Are you growing veges for the first time?

Or do you have an established sustainable garden?

Nat

Point and Shoot: Our blooming kitchen garden

Our kitchen garden is all in bloom at the moment – I’m excited to be finding new growth daily, and so glad that all our hard work is starting to show signs of a harvest…

Our wild cherry tomato bush is budding with new fruits and sweet yellow flowers…

The strawberries are beginning to flower and ripen…

...and the gourmet beefsteak tomatoes are starting to get a rosy blush to their skin!

All our herbs are flourishing, and I’ve been using/experimenting with them in my cooking…

...and our fruiting trees are laden with goodness (thanks to a previous owner who had a taste for the exotic). But the best thing about our garden today? After nearly 20 metres of pesky vines, dozens of sunny flowers, and by allowing a total freedom in direction, I found two baby pumpkins this morning - one hiding under leaves near the fence, and another 10 metres away, hanging from an out-of-control bougainvillea (I may have squealed with delight)!

 

What did you do this weekend?

Nat

Ps. Want to play Point and Shoot too? Find out more here.

A second 'home' among the gum trees...

I have this wonderful fantasy that I’d just love to indulge in – a purpose built studio. Just one small room, with wide doors looking out onto the garden, tucked into the back corner of the yard near the fence. And I’ve been obsessing about it for years.

Currently, my ‘studio’ is in the dining room on our big, wooden table. It’s noisy, hot, and at the centre of the house; it’s also perfect for my two small fidgety children, who like to pull off and run away with anything I happen to be working on. Not ideal, to say the least; but I’ve managed so far, and will probably manage for a good while longer.

To keep me going, I dream studios. I imagine being in a space all my own, with all my creative bits and pieces housed neatly around me - a place where I always know where things are, and where beloved items never mysteriously disappear into the void. I dream of filling orders, playing with ideas, and drinking tea, of planning out the week, working late into the night, and listening to the sounds of the garden.

If I was allowed to dream up a space that was all my very own, this is probably what it’d look like:

Image from readymade

And on the inside? Shelves brimming with the sweetest stacked vintage prints, neatly folded, just waiting to be used; a big wooden table to work on, a comfortable old-fashioned fabric covered chair, a beloved sewing machine. Shelves with new beautiful stock ready, waiting to be sold; draws with all the patterned papers and cardstock we could ever need; a blackboard for notes and reminders, an ipod dock and all my favourite songs, and the afternoon to work away uninterrupted...

Nat