Time Worn Style

Hedging our bets...

To those who are considering putting  a hedge around their property.

Consider these points..

Be VERY careful about what hedging plant you choose...

For example:

DON'T choose Leyland Cyprus as the previous owners did.

Why?

because they are HUGE and they dont stop getting huge..

and they get more and more HUGE every year, 30 feet or more

AND

it costs a fortune to keep them trimmed at the top..

Also for a bush fire prone area such as this they go up like a match!

So we bit the bullet and brought in the heavy duty tree loppers to trim them down

to a more manageable 6 foot (ish)...

The cost to get this done was HUGE but at least now we will be able to maintain them ourselves.

Before...

  After... 

Before...

 

 

After...

 

(scuse Box hedge clippings, I decided to trim those as well)

All thanks to these guys...

it's now all done..

Personally if it were me choosing a hedge plant it would be ~ drum roll...

Sasanqua camellias.

these make a beautiful hedge, I put in a hedge of them in our last garden ..

And whats more they flower too.

You can't deny that the effect is totally gorgeous

(gettyimages)

Not as fast growing but certainly 100 times more manageable.

You have been warned..

Leyland Cyprus = No

unless you are a farmer and require a windbreak for your paddocks

ps. now i have more light in the house from having the hedge lopped I was able to photograph more treasures for my ebay store ~

I mean, who doesn't need a beaded gogo top??

today at Greystanes

Oh dear we are not well at Greystanes

Seems that we avoided the flu all winter but it has caught up with us at the start of spring.

Not good timing for a high school girl who has a major roll in her schools musical this weekend

Lots of lemon and honey tea all round...

Have you noticed though that when kids get sick they get to lie around and watch TV during the day..

When mums get sick however

they still have to ..

 

Clean out bunnies cage because she is wet and cold and she really cant stay inside the house any longer....

Clean up elderly dogs mess inside the house because kids forget to let her out they being too sick and all ~ mind you I am a horrid mum and got middle girl to clean up the last lot..

Discover whilst tidying up outside that there are two big fat brushy tail possoms now living on top of our hot water service ~ explains noises against the wall very early in the morning.

Will be putting possom spikes on top of that tonight once they are out running across our tin roof.... Bet they wont like sleeping on a bed of nails come morning ~ evil laugh ~ that will teach them to be nocturnal...

But whilst cursing all possom kind under my breath and horrid flu bug that finally caught up with us..

I stopped to smell the flowers and appreciate the joys of our little slice of heaven..

 

Our winter primroses are in full flight...

Our water restrictions have been eased and Melbourne is no longer in  full drought

Huge Mountain Ash gum tree has still not fallen on Greystanes (thanks so much for asking everyone, yes we did get through that last storm a ok!) I mean isnt she magnificent really!

So you know its all good, whats a little flu bug in the grand scheme of wonderous things??

Had to share these pictures with you too...

You know what its like when you bring something home and just "plonk" it somewhere thinking you will get back to it later after sorting out kids and animals etc etc??

I was about to get back to these "plonked" items today and then stopped myself.

Cause I liked how they looked where they were "plonked"

What do you think?

This was actually a "triple plonk"

First blackboard, then cabinet on top of little table, then old french wire basket on top of cabinet.

Found this old house number, didnt know where to put it so "plonked" it down in the old plant stand.

Think it can stay here a bit....

 

A cottage garden in the hills...

Greystanes has an old garden

It has paths and rock walls and big old trees.

But it has been neglected

and the weeds have moved in ~ English ivy, sycamore maples, onion weed to name a few..

It should be an old English garden (on an Australian mountain) like this...

 

all neat and tidy..

with flowers

 

we have paved areas for seating already which could look like this (minus the thatched roof).

and we do have old hedging throughout which could look like this..

but at the moment we have a beautiful expanse of onion weed, sweeping across from the stables in all its oniony glory (yurk)..

and half dead trees that need the old chain saw treatment to add to that ever growing burn off pile..

but one thing I have realised with gardening is that there is a lot of satisfaction bending down pulling all that onion weed out ..

 

Because hiding in there are these..

A whole expanse of bluebells..

So in the end tackling this is going to be well worth the effort..

Oh and getting some gardening exercise is also an extra benefit!!

Blue Chairs and an Aussie Verandah...

A nice mild winters day today..

Did a little rearrange of the furniture on the wrap around verandah

Brought all my old blue cottage chairs together...

To sit under the old kitchen windows..

Always nice to have some spare seats handy..

I do love an Aussie wrap around Verandah

Some more lovely treasures in my ebay store this week, I think this is one of my favourites

It has a touch of that Aussie Verandah beautiful blue...

Winter blossoms and layered mirrors..

Its a beautiful look to layer old linens on a bed, or even a few antique white cloths on a table. Or several different layers of curtains on a rod...

But have you considered layering old mirrors??

Beautiful day here on the mountain, a good excuse to get out in the garden even if it was still a bit chilly.

Took my old flower trug and found some Camellias to bring inside

I was surprised to see so much colour in the garden considering we are in the depths of winter...

A nice place to rest them on my Roadside find Wicker chair whilst I wrestle with the old front door. Seems the door likes to change shape with the weather, one day that leadlight is going to pop right out..

 

Found one of my favourite 1940's vases to pop them in..

Then it was time to start layering the mirrors....

there is a large oval wardrobe mirror at the base

on top of a large etched Murano mirror

and on top of this an Art Deco pie crust boudoir mirror...

The mirrors catch the light and push it up highlighting the flowers and vase...

I sorta like it

Its a focal point to the room...

My eldest came home today and said "gee the house looks tidy"

Seems like the layering may have worked!

(well I'll tell myself that)

Of couse I do have some yummy mirrors in my ebay store

Victorian RUBY GLASS table centrepiece

Or for some lovely little floral delights to display on a mirror, try these..

 

Today is only 2 degrees Celsius

That's 35.6 degree Fahrenheit

Its the middle of winter...

There could be snow...

I would rather use our Verandah for doing this...

  I do love our Verandah in Summer...

I love opening those big French doors...

But for now we will enjoy the open fire and hot chocolates...

See it isnt all bad

Autumn gardening in a very old garden

Another beautiful sunny Autumn day here on our mountain..

Not long to go until winter but the autumn leaves up here are truly beautiful..

The Canadian Maple has really coloured up..

 

The fairy toadstools are making their magic circles under the silver birch trees..

but our garden has been a bit neglected lately, too busy working on the house..

You needed a machette to get through this garden path..

I cut my way through with only a few scratches from the blackberries..

Now we can see all the way through to the lower garden...

 And the old orchard is in dire need of a prune..

We rediscovered the old cubby house under a heavy veil of ivy..

aaah we do love the sound of a chainsaw on a sunny Autumn day...

  Needs a few little repairs and the huntsman spiders to move back out

Then the youngest girl will move her things back in...

Our Bantam rooster loves it when we garden too..

Lots more bugs to eat..

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Hows the serenity....

Beautiful  weather here on our Mountain this week, have been doing a few long walks with friends to make the most of it as there are some beautiful walks around the area.

Love listening to my old valve radio whilst doing the house work with its crackles and pops, not looking forward to the new age of digital radio..

Found some gorgeous Autumn roses yesterday too, one is called BLUE MOON the other JUST JOEY (a favourite of my mums and my Grandmothers who had them lining her driveway).

Both are fragrant and totally yummy!

And ~ as everyone knows I do love a bargain ~ they only cost $10 each, even the standard roses were only $15 each..

If you are in Melbourne pop on down to the Caribbean Markets on a Wednesday. Cheap fruit and Vegies too, I might see you there!

Have put these roses in the garden bed coming up to the front door.

Remember the set of drawers I mentioned last post? Thought I would show you some before and afters of this transformed piece today.

Then realised I didnt have any "before" pics!! Needless to say it was a horrid yellow brown colour with equally horrid handles.

Steve took the top off with our favourite and for ever useful belt sander and I then put three coats of satin varnish on it.

Whipped off the black horrid 1970's plastic handles and replaced with some sweet clear glass knobs.

 

We were going to use it to put our TV on in the family room but not quite the right size for us so it can be purchased here at my ebay store if you would like it. Dont you love the little pointy sides on this cabinet, very sweet!!

Also found another magazine rack, I did a similar makeover here as I am loving little shelves for magazines lately rather than those floor ones that you trip over.

Its a lovely shape ....

Makes a great little telephone table too...

Also available for purchase at my ebay store

Was going to have a nice day at home and get a few things done but one of the girls has missed her bus to school aaaah the best laid plans.........

I have joined  FADED CHARMS WHITE WEDNESDAY

I've joined Cindys Show and Tell Friday, do pop over to My Romantic Home and check out lists and lists of other creative bloggers.

Do visit all the lovely bloggers over there!

Windows....

Thanks everyone for all your lovely feedback regarding my French Provincial style table makeover, I really appreciated hearing from you all.

I have a matching set of drawers coming up soon so stay tuned...

Took some photos around Greystanes today as it was such beautiful autumn weather here on the mountain but I kept being drawn to the same theme, can you guess?.....

The French shutters outside our bedroom windows look so pretty against the blue hydrangeas...

The lattice windows around the side....

The little box window tucked further around....

A platoon of sash windows across the front........

My favourite bay window further on.......

To a window with a view........

Around to our sweet French doors that open on a hot summers night.....

And our girls little cubby house sad and neglected....

I am thinking this little house would make a lovely garden shed, the girls dont play in it anymore and its starting to be covered by ivy and holly.

Will have to make some plans.....

Currently in my ebay store

and.....

Autumn Roses

Wanted to share some beautiful Autumn Roses from my Mums garden that she gave me today.

Perfect timing as I found that sweet little Italian glass vase with chandelier crystals during a treasure hunt this week.

Only thing is it leaks throught the screw section underneath ~ have placed one of those milk shake bases inside to hold the water instead, I think it gives a lovely soft lemon glow.

Seems I have a thing about old "empty" frames. I just love them particularly old mirrored ones such as this. I think they are such an artwork in themselves I often dont fill them with anything.

Have found some beautiful empty frames lately, will share some pictures of them with you soon!

Alicia