Flower Dreams

I just checked up on one of my favourite designers, Heather Moore at Skinny laminx.  I stumbled across Heather's market stall a few years ago at the Neighbourgoods Market in Cape Town and after going a little bit crazy buying her lovely screen-printed tea towels and napkins (but they were so lovely), I've followed her inspiring blog ever since.  This week she is launching a new fabric collection called 'Flower Dreams'.  Dreamy it certainly is and already I'm thinking about re-covering every cushion in the house with her beautiful floral, screen-printed designs.  Check out the cute little animation - what a talented lady.
You can buy Skinny laminx fabrics and homewares on Etsy here.

*Photos - Skinny laminx

garden art

*Photos by Openhouse Gallery

MIFGS 2012

As expected the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show was wonderful this year and Melbourne put on some great weather.  We arrived super early which was smart because by lunch time the place was swarming with meandering visitors.

Of course the Gold Show Garden winners were very impressive, especially 'Conversations' by Paal Grant Designs which uses curved lines and tiered beds rippling out from the dining table focal point.  The garden also features beautiful metal work by metal art studio Entanglements.  But it was the Student Design section that I really enjoyed.  'Eden' by Ross Uebergang took out gold in this section and had so many great ideas including a water feature that doubled as a table - love the succulents in the old glasses.

* Photos by Gardenique

happy easter

These pot plants & tableware by French company Serax for Pantone have me very excited!  Almost as excited as my 3 year old is for easter eggs (maybe even more).  In 12 colours the Pantone Universe collection is sure to brighten up even the dreariest garden on a winter day.  Now what to plant in them?

* Photos by Serax

tibouchina time

Aren't the Tibouchina trees just beautiful right now.  You don't realise how many there are around the place until they are in full, violet bloom.

I'm heading to Melbourne for the International Flower & Garden Show this weekend so hopefully lots of fab photos to post next week.  I'm ready to be inspired!  Have a great weekend.

Photo * Flickr.com

V is for Vondom

There is some great design coming out of Spain right now in the outdoor furniture world and one of the front runners is furniture & lighting design company, Vondom.  Far from the run of the mill patio sets, Vondoms furniture, pot and lighting collections are pieces of art combining top design, functionality & sustainability.

The furniture is made of a lineal polyethylene material with a low density using a technique called 'rotational moulding'.  If that's all a bit high tech for you (as it is for me), then all you will want to know is that the end product is 100% recyclable, UV resistant and can tolerate extreme temperatures over long periods of time, making it ideal for Australia's harsh climate.

I'm loving the new collection called Stones designed by Stefano Giovannoni and Elisa Gargan.  Its available in a variety of bold colours (the hot pink would be amazing) and even has a LED lighting option.  By the look of the glam images from the catalogue, Vondom also have a very good marketing department who know how best to show off their pieces in some stunning locations.  For Australians, the Vondom collections can be found at KEZU.

*Photos from Vondom

watsons bay today

Todays post was meant to be about my visit to Corbett Gardens in the beautiful Southern Highlands town of Bowral.  Built in 1911 and famous for its mass tulip planting in Spring, the gardens are also very pretty in Autumn and I had envisaged a nice lunch in town followed by an afternoon stroll to take some photos.  However as we set off this morning, the skies looked full of rain, Miss T was in quite a mood and hubby was mumbling something about Formula 1 and a nap... so we took a much shorter day morning trip to Watsons Bay.  Not as botanically inspiring, but just as pretty.  Corbett Gardens to come soon I promise.