Bouquets and Garden Musings

 

One of the things I really love about summer is all the flowers that I can grow in my garden and pick for bouquets for the house or for friends.  Over winter my garden doesn't get much sun, so is usually pretty bare of anything pretty.

This year I have grown my dahlias, and even though people say they are easy care, they are finicky at times, they wilt with not much water, rot with too much water, ants seem to like making nests in the tubers, so they die,  and they succumb to mildew.

Zinnias, I find to be much hardier, and pretty easy to grow from seed, and the flowers are interesting all the way through the blooming process.  I love the range of colours and sizes.  Cactus type zinnias are my new favourites.

this summer I have have also tried growing :

- aster, which are quite long lasting when picked, and I will be getting more colours for next summer, - -- phlox, creme brulee a pinky beige coloured flower

- calendula which was pretty easy to grow from seed

- coreopsis, not such a great germination rate but I'll persevere with these next summer.

Next summer I'm going to relocate all my dahlia tubers and plant more zinnias and aster in their spaces.

Winter garden plans have seen me buy more daffodilt bulbs for growing in pots on my deck, much as I'm not really a fan of yellow flowers, I do like their cheery welcoming glow when I see them first thing in the morning  or after work as the brighten up my deck area.

January - Looking back

 

Well the first month of 2025 is over, and my intention of blogging twice a month has already passed.  So this post, hopefully not too long and rambling, is a summary of the highlights and fun stuff I did during the month, starting at the end of the month, as the title says - looking back.

• The best part of January is always my summer break away at the beach.  Just my husband and me (it's quite lovely now my kids are young adults and can look after themselves now), at our favourite beach at Mangawhai Heads.  I paddle boarded each morning before breakfast on amazingly clear calm waters, lazed around reading, ate gelatos and had a fabulous day boogie boarding at the surf beach,  We took a day trip to Whangarei and visited the Hundertwasser Art Centre and the Packard Car Museum.

• One of my intentions this year is to finish the top of my "make it up as I go" quilt.  I haven't touched this since 2023, so have sort of forgotten what I had intended.  I've since drafted a rough plan, and jotted down some ideas, and have started some epp which will be appliqued to a panel.

• I'm trying to walk each morning for 30 minutes before I go to work.  I've noticed its already getting darker in the mornings, but I have been treated to some amazing sunrises.

• I have lived in Auckland for 28 years and never walked up to the top of Mt Eden the highest volcano (196m) in Auckland.  It is dormant and offers fabulous views across the city in all directions.  I finally got to do it on a warm and rather blustery day.  

• My first garment make for the year is the Gibbons Slip Dress from Elbe Textiles.  Its a relatively simple dress, cut on the bias, so fits beautifully but not tightly.  Mine is made from a black linen viscose blend from spotlight

Wishing you all a wonderful February.

Holidaying in Brisbane

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to spend my birthday week  in Brisbane.  I stayed with my sister and her family.  We shopped, enjoyed the odd cocktail or two, went on early morning walks and I especially enjoyed the warm weather. We spent a day in Canungra with friends and I also went paddle boarding with a friend at Coochiemudlo.  On my last evening  I was treated to a Candlelight concert at St Johns Anglican Cathedral.

I had a wonderful time, it's a bit hard being back at work now.

Things Here Lately

 

From the travel files  

• The Scout and I had a weekend away in Coromandel town.  We booked into a lovely Airbnb, that had chooks (fresh eggs), friendly dogs, a goat and cat.  Lovely little garden nooks and garden art too. We ventured into the morning market, ate out  and just relaxed, read and walked.

From around my neighbourhood 

•   Spring is upon, I love it when the flowering crabapple and acacia trees are in bloom

From the sewing room

•  This is the Kingfisher top from The Sewing Revival.  Perfect for those smaller pieces of fabric.

From the garden

• Slim pickings this time of year, the jasmine gets foraged from the coastal banks of my neighbourhood walkways, as does the pink Queen Anne's lace.  I'm currently topping up the flower beds with fresh soil, and have lots of zinnias and new to me summer flowers sprouting away from seeds.

Happy weekending to you all.

A New Coat - Simplicity 8554

 

The pattern is Simplicity 8554, which is an unlined coat in varying lengths. 

 I had hoped to make view A, the long duster style version, but unfortunately, I didn't have enough fabric. I settled for View B,  mid length , with the front flaps.  Size 14, based on my measurements.

 Because it was unlined, and the fabric frayed easily, I bound all the seams with bias binding .  The underside of the collar and flaps is a scrap of printed voile from the stash. In a rather risqué move,  I omitted the pockets , I felt they would just flop and not sit nicely, and I'm pretty much just going to wear it with jeans anyway. I also sewed up the side slit . Belt instructions in the pattern are wrong, but it's easy enough to work out what you need to do. I'm probably not going to wear it done up too often, I'm worried it'll give off dressing gown vibes😂 looking forward to wearing this as a transeasonal layering piece. Not looking forward to the ironing it seems to require.

Fabric is a deep raspberry linen eucalyptus blend(impossible to photograph accurately)gifted to me by  a friend.