Sweet Mary

Mid week in the Sweet Mary house and not much to blog about so I have just uploaded a few random photos. Parcels arriving at my door always cause excitment, especially when I am expecting new fabric. This little lot came from the US and is a lovely collection of reds and greys. Pretty greys, the ones I actually like, are hard to find so I am pleased with this lot. Its a grey day here today so its fitting to wash my new fabric and hang it on the line for a splash of colour. A little part of me wants to leave it there forever as I like the look. Last night I made risotto - Jamie's recipe and I just happened to have all the items listed so only took half an hour. Maybe its in his "30 minutes" book. Anyway, this one was online and if you are interested in having a go, click HERE . I put the courgette in but actually think peas would be nicer. Be careful not to overcook as I did a wee bit. It should have more of a sloppy texture. Lastly, a photo of the set of beautiful rose...

Pale, pale pink, blue and green Chook Eggs on sale at the Links Organics stall at the Hastings Farmers Market last Sunday - double click on the photo to enlarge and read the information. You know its autumn when the fennel is as pretty as a picture. There is something wonderful about the intensity of colour in autumn flowering roses.

The one and only peony that bloomed in our spring garden and what a beauty it is. I couldn't find a really pretty flowery bag for the summer and couldn't afford the ones online at Cath Kidston so I made my own using some of my precious CK stash. For some reason I decided to use a pattern - the instructions just about drove me mad. I kept reading each point and then re-reading and still thought it didn't make sense. Anyway, after a day of determination (and a lot of cursing) I finally finished the bag and I am delighted with it - roll on sunny days.

The last few days I have been happily sewing in preparation for running a Sweet Mary stall at the Shop by Chocolate (a fundraiser for Te Awanga Kindy) being held at the Clive Rugby Club tomorrow, 20th August 7-9pm.

Over the last few days we have started the final autumn clean-up. Its officially winter here now in New Zealand but there is still alot of autumn colour around. I love pansies so like to fill any spare pots with them - these ones will be red and in the white washed pots should look very striking when they flower. I think these pansies are mixed colours with an underplanting of anenomes and ranunculus. The bamboo canes are there to support the sweetpeas planted as seeds which hopefully will be climbing up them come the spring. I wanted to leave this mountain of leaves as a haven for hedgehogs but the landlord doesn't agree so I will pack them into bags tomorrow to mulch down over the winter. My favourite tree on this property is this glorious copper beech - it is huge and the most perfect shape. Photo taken from the rose garden where I am still picking the odd bunch - see blog below. Today was a cold but sunny, cloudless, blue sky day.

I have had a blogging break. I didn't plan it - it just happened. But now I am back and I have lots of pretty pictures to post over the next few days. Last weekend was a 3 day one celebrating the Queen's birthday but unfortunately we spent a lot of it huddled around the fire as it was so cold. By Monday I had had enough of that and decided that if we had to stay indoors at least we could enjoy ourselves by eating something delicious. An afternoon tea with friends cheered us all up. I baked the Victoria sponge, something I haven't done since leaving the UK over 6 years ago and it was very, very good if I may say so myself. Peter made the very delicious cumin and cheese scones (my favourites). I know he would happily give me the recipe or I could maybe work it out for myself but its just not the same if I can't harass him into making them. Off now to start on a new order for Redcurrent in Wellington but will blog again tomorrow.

Now, if you had so many roses blooming in your garden that you were picking a huge bucket full each morning you would be thinking what to do with them all. After filling the house with vases of roses, giving rose bunches away to friends there is only one thing left to do and that is make rose potpourri. So, for weeks now I have had baskets of rose petals balanced on the shelves in the airing cupboard slowing drying out enough to go into the "master mix" with dried lavender and a few other pretty things from the garden. Here is a large bowl full below - being bagged up for sale on my next stall and through my FELT site ( left of this post, click on Felt - online).

Early evening with dinner cooking in the oven I went out to water the pots. We have a cute courtyard that has been created within the confines of the L shaped house and two outside rooms called "sleepouts" here in New Zealand. Its warm and sheltered and everything grows very well so I find I have to cut back on a regular basis to keep it looking nice. Watering done, I thought the pretty lavender against the wall could do with a trim so that I get another show in about 6 weeks time. I did mean to do this a couple of weeks ago so they would be flowering for Christmas but oh well... So pretty - it does seem a shame. Piled up on the table ready to be bunched up for drying in the airing cupboard alongside the rosemary and rose petals already there. I use the rosemary in my Sweet Mary "men only" sachets. My lavender goes into my Sweet Mary lavender hearts topped up with lavender that I buy in from a beautiful New Zealand lavender farm as I don't produce enough. Th...

The roses in the garden are blooming! Lots and lots of the most beautiful blooms. These are the notice boards I have been working on to sell at the Holly Trail next week - just a few more to do and maybe a few kiddie ones as well. As the next week is going to be very busy for me with lots of last minute things to get ready for my stall I will take a wee break but get back soon after next Nov. 9th with photos from the event.

Last April my friend Nic gave me a gorgeous piece of fabric as a birthday present which I thought was a great idea. What could be more perfect than a piece of fabric for someone who loves it so. The weekend just passed, I used that piece of fabric to cover this pinboard in my play room and I am very pleased with the result. I will be selling my pinboards (different fabric!) along with my lavender hearts from my stall at the Holly Trail which is coming up soon. There was a small piece of the fabric left so that got made up into a few lavender hearts to add to my stash that I am building up for my stall. One went to Nic of course. The first rose to flower in our rose garden. I counted over 50 bushes in the three rose borders. It is going to be a wonderful sight when they are all in bloom. Below is the rose garden two days ago with the single rose on the far left side. Just imagine...