Winter Blooms

 

 

Poppies & Jonquils

Lavender & Disco

Enhanced photos

Lavender: Photo taken at Peppers Cottage, Burra, on a cold foggy morning, as the sun was just touching on the highest of the Lavender stems.

Enhancement: This photo only needed a small amount of adjustment to reach it's potential; I slightly tipped the colour scale towards more blue and magenta, and I added a bit of enhancement to the highlights and saturation.

The result: Gorgeous, soft purple and aqua hues - Looking almost as though it has been painted; Maybe even a bit 'Monet'? It's definitely my new favourite.

DiscoBall:Photo taken at my partners Fathers retro themed 50th. The disco ball hung above a traditional, 'black & white' (faux), tiled dance floor, as lasers danced and mirrored around the party.

Enhancement: The original photo was a little dull for my liking, so I threw the colour scale completely out of balance in favour of magenta and blue, which in contrast, highlighted the lime green lasers. I also gave a major boost to the highlights and colour saturation, and upped the contrast.

The result: A bright, metallic, glittering ball, that still looks as though it's spinning, beaming a rainbow of colours.

Afterthought: I'm really kind of loving the name 'Lavender & Disco'!

Could be a good name for a label...

Poppies

I got my first Poppy bloom yesterday!!!

This was grown from a store bought seedling (Discount plant section at Bunnings actually) - My seed grown Poppies have long way to go yet before they bloom.

Pretty Little Things

 

 

 

Some recent photos for your viewing pleasure :)

Photo's starting left to right, top to bottom:

1. Hardenbergia - A native climber/ground cover, which looks a little similar to Wisteria
2. A couple of paintings I've been working on recently.
3. My satchel on the ground, surrounded by fallen yellow leaves - Taken at Handorf. Leather satchel by Elk.
4. Lavender - Taken at Peppers cottage, Burra.
5. Vase of hot pink Roses - Cut from our standard rose bushes.
6. 'Vintage style' yellow Rose - Taken at Peppers cottage, Burra.
7. Hardenbergia - Taken in our garden.
8. Poppy - My first bloom for the season.

Winter Gardening

 

Even though Winter has set in, I've still been enjoying my gardening - I've planted thousands of seeds recently - quite literally! I threw packets and packets worth of seeds all over the garden (I may have gone a little crazy...I wanted to guarantee my odds!) and tiny little seedlings have shot up everywhere!

It's not much to look at, at the moment, so there was no point taking a photo, but I am hoping by Spring I shall be rewarded with a mass of flowers!

I am also germinating a whole lot of seeds in my new mini green house, which are all looking quite promising!

I'm currently growing from seed: Candytuft, Gypsophila, Lavender (Which I'm really excited about, as they take a little more patience than your average seed), Lobelia, Poppies, Virginian Stock, Impatiens, Lettuce, Cabbage, Thyme, Basil, Sage, Peppermint (The only one I haven't had any luck with yet), Parsley, Alyssum, Snow Peas, Beans, Leek, Shallots, Turnip, Radish, Carrot and Onion, plus a bunch of mixed flower packet seeds.

It's also really exciting to see all the bulbs popping up - We have masses of Jonquils flowering already too! (pictured above)

Burra

 

 

 

 

My partner's parents recently purchased an old 1860s cottage (Miss Mabels) in Burra, which they are doing-up, in attempt to restore the cottage to it's former glory and turn it back into a B&B (as it is currently being tenanted).

So we have been invited to join them in Burra the past two weekends to help - Although, I'm not sure how much help I've actually been (I think more than anything I've just complained about the cold!) but my partner and his parents have been making great progress!

Taking advantage of the beautiful country surroundings, I've been out and about with my camera and above are some examples (all photos are untouched).

All photo's were taken in and around Miss Mabels Cottage.

Home-Grown Veggies

Today is such a beautiful day; The perfect day to sit outside and eat homemade quiche and fresh picked salad for lunch.

Yesterday I attempted making quiche for the first time, which worked out suprisingly well.

I made my quiche with asparagus, leek, tomato and basil, and a sprinkling of crumbled blue cheese.

The lettuce and basil was picked from our veggie garden.

Mum has been working very hard on the veggie garden, and we are all reaping the rewards - Thanks Ma!

There's nothing better than home produce; The taste is a hundred times better than anything you would get from the supermarket, You can guarantee it's free of pesticides and hormones, And it saves on food wastage (How many times have you seen lettuce go to slop in your fridge before you have a chance to use it?).

There's also something very 'spiritually' satisfying about growing your own food. And just a little humbling to know you are doing your small bit for the environment and your own self sufficiency.

 

 

In a prior blog post (How to Germinate Fruit Seeds), I wrote of my endeavours to grow my own seedlings from seeds saved from store bought fruit; I didn't have quite as much luck as I had hoped. Almost all the seeds either went mouldy or just plain failed to germinate.

However, I did have success with the apple seeds, and we are now proud 'parents' to three small apple trees (one of our apple trees pictured - above, bottom right).

I've also been trying my hand at growing many other seedlings (with 'store bought' seeds) in 'newspaper' pots.

I purchased a Paper Pot Press online from Biome a couple years ago (A gorgeous eco store situated in Paddington, Queensland. If your not able to make it to the store, most of there products are available online), which is a nifty, yet simple press, that allows you to make small pots from strips of newspaper.

Once the seed has germinated, you simply transplant your seedling (paper pot and all!) into the garden, and the roots will grow through the paper pot, and eventually the pot will disintegrate into the soil.

I highly recommend it!