Art for Heart's Sake

Woke to a Tsunami Warning Nationwide

Hi everyone, well I woke this morning to a tsunami warning nationwide after a horrendous earthquake in Chile.  We found out because my lovely hubby was about to go out fishing with a friend and he phoned to say they wouldn't be going because of the warning. 

It is amazing how something on the other side of the world can affect us on this side of the world.  We are listening to the radio constantly and at the moment some coastal areas are experiencing surges and each time I hear something more I literally get goosebumps. 

I am also constantly amazed by the reports that some people are oblivious of the warnings and are fishing etc or the others who are going to the beach on purpose with surfboards! Good grief. 

We had planned to go to the beach this pm for a picnic evening meal with neighbours but we won't be now as they have said we have to stay away from all beaches for the next 9-12 hours.

Even though I know we are safe on the slight hill where we live, the estuary is only about 5 minutes drive away so it does make me uneasy.  More later....  Smiles

Our Gorgeous Cat Sabah & Some Flowers

It's Saturday morning and I'm taking a break from the heat of the day to say hi.  Here is a photo of our gorgeous cat, Sabah.  He is a Singapore street cat we rescued from the SPCA in Singapore when we lived there in 2002.  He is a very special wee lad and has a big personality.  A few years ago we realised he had inflammatory bowel disease so he is on a special diet even though he's only 7!  Here he is.. he's part abysinnian, part tabby and part burmese!

I've also been taking some photos of my 'Double Click' cosmos flowers.  Aren't they gorgeous!  This is the first time I've grown them and I just think they are divine!  Here they are, enjoy!  Smiles

 
 

Doing Battle Bird versus Grape!!

Hi everyone, it's 9.55am and I am taking a break from doing battle bird versus grape!  We are completely spray free on our property and we have the most wonderful ecosystem here that is increasing year on year.  Hence our bird population is fabulous.  We have several 'pet' thrushes and right now one of two lovely grapevines that are growing around our verandah is starting to ripen nicely!  Well you know what that means.. birdie caviar!  Interestingly enough I've realised it isn't the thrushes that are plundering them, it is the blackbirds. 

This morning I am armed with microclima frost cloth (the type that breathes and lets in sun and moisture), a ball of twine and scissors.  I am cutting the cloth into sections and am tying it around the gorgeous bunches of grapes.  This grape variety (whose name escapes me right now) is an heirloom variety and it has the most divine 'true grape' flavour with just the right amount of tartness.  I adore it.  I am protecting the best bunches and leaving some uncovered so that hopefully the birds will take the easy road and steal the uncovered ones.  I dn't like using bird-netting over the entire vine as it is so easy for birds to become ensnared in it and there is nothing more sad for me than to find a dead bird in amongst it.  I'd rather lose my grapes!! well sort of.... giggle..

We also have a seedless green grape that hasn't started ripening yet so I think I'm giong to have to protect these ones early, particularly as my husband doesn't really like the other variety (more for me and my lovely mother - I send them to her in the post!!). 

Yesterday I tuned in to the House of Three live webshow hosted by gorgeous Heidi Swapp.  It was just wonderful.  It was a free class and the birthday book keepsake she made is so lovely.  During the show they were giving away House of 3 gift vouchers and yippeeeeee I won one!  I couldn't believe it.  House of 3 is basically digital scrapbooking and is just divine.  I will post the link under Inspiration later today.  In the meantime here is the link to Heidi's free class... well worth watching!

House of 3 Free Class 

Big smiles, Philippa

A Big Thank You!

A big thank you to everyone who has posted a comment here in the past few days!  You are all wonderful and I really appreciate you taking the time to do it.  It's lovely to know someone is reading it.  Big smiles Philippa

 

The Garden and Surrounds

As promised, here are some details about the garden and surrounds.  We live on a 5 acre rural section (just over 2 hectares (I think!)).  We have a 3 acre paddock backed by a fairly large macrocarpa hedge, behind which lies my main perennial and woodland gardens and our house.  The house sits on a knoll and the land slopes down to our reasonably sized irrigation pond which is home to numerous native, pekin and khaki campbell ducks.  Over the past five years I have created a woodland garden where all my favourite woodland treasures are planted and a rather large perennial border that is sort of oval in shape.  This garden is also home to a magnificent 'brown turkey' fig tree (yum!), a newly planted greengage, blackboy peach, dwarf peach and a self-sown nectarine.  I also have a mulberry tree planted next to a smallish glasshouse in this area too (am thinking the mulberry is going to get VERY huge, but ah well!).  As you will see from my heirloom perennial catalogue, I am extremely passionate about hardy cranesbill geraniums.  They are such pretty creatures and they are so varied in colour, foliage, texture too.  I adore flowers of all types and still believe there is a place for the relaxed cottage gardening style.

Many people think perennials are really hard work.  I can assure you this really is not the case.  I plant all of my plants fairly close together and by doing this I really only have to do a major clean up and mulch at the beginning of Spring and around late Summer.  Late autumn I do cut back the summer flowering perennials when they start to look ratty but this doesn't take terribly long.  The best thing about perennial borders is there is so much to look at that one really doesn't notice the weeds.  Yes they are there, but the flowers and foliage disguise them.  (giggle, although I did have a 7ft weed growing in my border this summer at one stage!!!). 

The main trick is to plant the sort of plants that will do well in your soil/climatic conditions and you can't help but succeed!  Here are a couple of photos to inspire you:

In our paddock I am establishing a 14 bed kitchen garden and we are also planting a lot of trees, but that's for another day. 

It's a Wonderful Life!

Today there are a few clouds in the sky, much to my extreme relief!!  I am so not a Summer girl - I adore Spring and Autumn and to a large extent Winter but Summer is always a struggle for me.  I think this is mainly because I find I simply cannot garden as much as I need to each day and this turns me into a very frustrated woman!  Take yesterday afternoon for example, it was a beautiful day - clear blue sky and sunshine, hot with a slight breeze.  Could I get motivated to do ANYTHING? No, not even in my gorgeous studio.  Ack!

At the moment I am potting up herb seedlings for a local shop I supply.  Since last Spring I have been growing french sorrel, italian parsley, dill, coriander, sweet basil, heirloom tomato plants (12 diff varieties), thyme, sweet marjoram and a few others from seed and I absolutely LOVE it.  I have forgotten how much I enjoy the whole process, from sowing the seeds to pricking the little baby plants out into bigger pots.  Very satisfying! 

At the moment there is so much to do in the garden.  I've already done a major cut back of my early summer flowering perennials and they are now putting on good growth and more flowers, thanks to a good dose of sheep manure pellets and gorgeous! fish compost (non-smelly) from our local landscape company.  There are still lots of areas that need weeding and cutting back and I'm hoping to get to those as soon as I can (oh for some cooler weather!!!).  A wee bit of rain is predicted for us from tonight so keep your fingers crossed as we so need it!

Until tomorrow...  I'll give you some more details about the size of our property and the types of plants, trees, vegies etc I grow.  Smiles Philippa 

Happy Tuesday and My Gardening Radio Show

Hi everyone, I hope you're all having a wonderful day or night wherever you are.  It's Tuesday morning here and we are going grocery shopping soon.  I would much rather stay in my garden and tend to all my treasures.  The weather has been hot and sunny for the past few days and in the last three-four weeks we've only had around 20mm of rain, that's 2cm or around 3/4 of an inch.  Not enough to keep my plants hydrated, poor things.  I seem to spend most of my time trying to remember what I have and haven't watered at the moment!

Every fortnight I have a gardening radio show on our local radio station Fresh FM.  The show lasts fifteen minutes and I mainly talk about what is happening in my garden and give general gardening advice.  I used to be the garden writer for the local newspaper too and love sharing my passion/knowledge about gardening.  My show is called Green Thumbs & Dirty Fingers and is sponsored by a local Community Organic Garden.  If you would like to listen to my shows, go to this link and look under 'downloads', select a programme (top of screen) - Green Thumbs & Dirty Fingers, click on it then click 'view' and a list of my shows will come up.  Here's the link: (let me know if the link doesn't work!)

Green Thumbs & Dirty Fingers

Smiles Philippa

Heirloom Perennial Nursery Catalogue

HI, TO VIEW MY PERENNIAL PLANT LIST, JUST CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

www.artforheart.typepad.com/perennial_nursery/

My nursery is open Monday and Thursday 10am-4pm and other days by appointment (email me to make a time at [email protected]).  I can send my plants anywhere throughout New Zealand.  Prices are included in my catalogue.  Please email me at [email protected] for more information.

 

Today's Thought

DO ONE THING EVERY DAY THAT SCARES YOU - Eleanor Roosevelt

I'm off to 'Zumba' exercise class - gulp!  Smiles

 

More Creations for Sale Uploaded

Hi, I've just uploaded some more of my one-off creations for sale.  My mirror tiles are hard to photograph so please don't hesitate to contact me to get more information about them.  I get the glass cut to size locally and it is top quality mirror tile.  Each tile can be either hung on a wall or glued with special mirror tile adhesive directly to a wall.  They look stunning and the 15x15cm size would be perfect as a series in a bathroom. 

Latterly I have really been enjoying making decorative magnets and I will be making more in the very near future.  These magnets can be made to your specific requirements (words etc) and make the perfect elegant gift.

I hope you enjoy looking at them.  Smiles Philippa