I have gardened for many years but I had never seen a real live clematis till recently. I had seen pictures of different types of clematis but I had never seen a real clematis in bloom. That is – until we came to live in Gauteng.
We used to live at the coast – and clematis didn’t seem to be top of the list there.
Then one day at a garden display I saw this exquisite clematis plant with three of the most heavenly blue plate-sized blooms.
Suffice it to say that I was blown away – and of course I had to have it.
So I bought this very expensive clematis plant. It was very young and delicate so I looked after it with the greatest of care. I watched every leaf bud open. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: black frost, blue flowers, clematis plant, huge clematis flowers
A curved design
Designing cards with pressed flowers is very easy. Once you have pressed your flowers they are so pretty that half the work is already done for you.
But that being said there are a few little tips that can help you get the best from your pressed flowers.
It’s important for pressed flowers to look natural in a design. Because don’t forget, pressed flowers are flat and one dimensional.
Curved Leaves
So it’s important to create an impression of depth with curving lines.
A clever little trick I have discovered is to use elegantly coiled tendrils and curled leaves in my flower designs.
It gives them the natural flowing look I want and the designs soon take on a curved and even three-dimensional appearance.
Designing with Leaves and Greenery Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: designing cards, designing with leaves, pressed flower tips, pressed flowers
A spray of pressed flowers
If you love flowers and gardens, flower pressing makes the most perfect hobby.
It’s both stimulating and therapeutic and it will give you all the scope you’ll ever need to express your creativity.
And you’ll be using the loveliest materials that nature has to offer.
Pressed flowers can easily be sourced from your own garden.
And you don’t need to plant anything special either.
Your garden will provide you with all the material you need.
You can learn how to press flowers quickly. And once you know how, there’s no end to the variety of ways in which you can use your pressed flowers.
Artistic collages of pressed flowers and greenery make the loveliest greeting cards and wedding invitations. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: flower pressing, from your garden, how to press flowers, pressed flowers
Orchids had never captured my interest before. I always thought that orchids were hot house plants – fussy about their environment and difficult to grow.
It just shows what prejudice can do to your decision-making faculties. Because nothing could be further from the truth.
I have been growing orchids for about a year now and I can quite understand how people become obsessed with them.
With every new addition to my orchid collection, my interest in orchid growing expands. It’s a great new hobby and I’m just loving it!
I read somewhere that a good hobby is defined by its ability to provide visible results in a short amount of time. Well, orchid growing fits the definition to perfection. Because with very little effort, you can get stunning results quite quickly. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: growing orchids, house plants, orchid collection, orchid flowers, orchid leaves, orchids, phalaenopsis orchids
This is a quick and easy recipe for creamed spinach. It’s one of the best ways to use your own home grown spinach.
I can promise you that when you pick the spinach fresh from your own garden it will taste far better than any bought spinach!
I don’t have to tell you about the many health benefits of spinach which are long reputed to be unbeatable.
Suffice it to say that spinach is packed with the best vitamins and protects us against many of the dread diseases.
All that in a bunch of spinach?
Yes! And here’s a delicious way to take advantage of those health benefits. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: a quick and easy recipe, creamed spinach, spinach from your garden
Most people buy their Amaryllis plants from nurseries when they are in full flower because they are so spectacular.
But this is unnecessarily expensive particularly if you would like to have a collection of amaryllis flowers in different colours. In this case, you should think about purchasing a few bulbs.
Amaryllis Bulbs
Make sure that you buy the largest bulbs as mature bulbs will give you the biggest flowers. Smaller bulbs may skip a season before they flower and disappoint you.
As soon as you have planted your amaryllis bulbs – remember not to plant them too deep – water them thoroughly and allow the soil surface to dry a bit before watering them again. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Amaryllis, amaryllis bulbs, amaryllis plants, flowering amaryllis, indoor plants
