I’m always snooping around for garden stuff. Everyone should have a character bench in their garden to enjoy the ambience of your outdoor sanctuary. Here are some interesting options, but if you decide the cost to ship from the UK is too much, then use it for inspiration to search for a bench closer to home or grab the images you like for Pinterest.
I thought I’d share this link from HGTV on 14 Simple Garden Tips:
My guys from Cedar Springs support the care of our six garden areas by keeping all of our lawn areas trimmed and looking beautiful throughout the three seasons. If you’re in the western GTA you might want to consider Cedar Springs. Wally and his new sidekick Tyler have been managing things for Mr. Fussy.
Well, I guess this is more of a rant than a tip, but I just have to get very fussy about an issue that’s really annoying to me for a whole bunch of reasons.
Behold, the Dandelion (Taraxacum), our new provincial flower. It used to be the Trillium, a fantastic and rare specimen, but apparently our government has decided (without consulting with the public) to make this our new emblem of pride, or should I say shame. I’m only assuming this, given that our boulevards and public areas have become overwhelmed with this unsightly, grass destroying weed.
Summer has snuck up quickly and I stood in my garden tonight just before the sun set. It was a spectacular late June evening. The breeze rustling through the trees, blossoms in full bloom and everything green and lush. A rabbit hopped around me without fear and for a moment, I felt like Francis of Assisi. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of all the new growth and the bursting forth of late spring. It’s easy to busy yourself so intensely over the season working at your garden that you neglect the pleasure of the fruit of your labour. You know take some time every so often – stop and smell the roses.
Much to our surprise, “Style at Home” came back a couple of months ago to interview me for the June issue of their magazine. They wanted to feature the gardens this time. It’s out on the shelves. I’ve posted the article for you to enjoy.
Not to be confused with Harry Potter, this is one of a country-wide network of nine botanical gardens administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. It was founded in 1958 and is situated between the mountains and the sea in Betty’s Bay, within the Kolberg Biosphere Reserve, a floral hotspot in the heart of fynbos region. My visit took me there well after peek blooming season in their late summer/early fall, but the gardens and setting still provided an unforgettable experience. Our itinerary got shuffled leaving me short of time to visit the renown Kistenbosch Gardens near Cape Town and while quite disappointing, this provides a good reason for a second visit to South Africa.
300 years of history, surrounded by 47 acres of lush vines, near the quaint village of Franschhoek, Grande Provence boasts being one of the top ten restaurants in South Africa. From our experience it should be in the top 3. A spectacular place to spend time and breathe in tranquility. We sat in the garden outside under umbrella’s eating the finest lunch you might imagine and admiring the stunning reality around us. The art collection and gallery shop featured many talented South African Artisans. Right near the place we stayed just outside Cape Town was a great discovery. Set up on the hill overlooking Table Mountain is DeGrendel. The dinner here was so exceptional we cancelled a night in Camps Bay and went back again. A remarkable dining experience and uniquely attractive estate.
