I'm Back & the House is Becoming a Home!

I can't believe it's been two months since I last posted and, not only that, but the house is still being worked on!! Since we moved in we've had tradies here pretty much the whole time - whether it's working in the garage, making gates, putting in mozzie screens, touching up paintwork, putting in glass balustrades, handrails ... the list goes on.

Right now the landscapers are finishing up and although I still don't have a washing line (!) the garden is starting to come together. Even just having some grass helps make the place look less like a building site. But I can tell you I'll be very glad when they've all gone. I'm sick of looking at builder's cracks, finding cigarette butts in the garden, listening to power tools, having issues with sub-contractors and just trying to get stuff done without being interrupted.

Having said all that, the house has turned out fab and I don't regret a minute of it. It may have been a long and, at times, frustrating journey (sorry to use that word!) but it's been worth it and may I never have to move house again for a very long time!!

So, finally I've taken some updated shots to show the house being turned into a home. These are views from around the deck ...

The pool was finally completed two weeks ago much to the girls' delight! For those who are interested, we used a metallic blue mosaic tile for the top trim and seat and a product call Gemtex - which is a mix of coloured glass and concrete - for the inside.

View showing roof pebbles, a feature Yucca and the louvre screening.

A bit of my own gardening - succulents on the table and six different herbs on the railing. Star jasmine will eventually climb up the back fence.

Another view of the herbs and the rebuilt rockery, where the barbecue is (just out of shot to the left), and the transplanted tree ferns which amazingly survived.

We've got cream cliveas and cycads, star jasmine along both fence lines and on the top part is my mini vege garden which has a tomato plant, strawberries, a perpetual lettuce, rosemary and rocket which is still to sprout.

So now that I've finally got my blogging groove back, I'll return with shots of inside!

Take care
Jx

Plant or table?

Slightly digressing from our house, for something a little different, is this ...

No, it's not a plant. It's a living, breathing table.

How cool is that?

Images via Contemporist

It's called Plantable (nice) and is designed by London-based JAILmake Studio.

What do you think of this idea?

Flower Friday

Flowers are like a ray of sunshine, I reckon.

Via Belle Maison

Love the picture arrangement in the background, too.

Via Belle Maison

Who would have thought sticking them in a bird cage would work?

Via Living etc

Okay, so the flowers aren't the main feature here but they add to the fun rug and mish-mash of stuff that looks comfy and welcoming.

Via Point Click Home

What is going on with those frames? Kind of like it, though.

I think everyone should buy themselves a bunch of bright flowers - or pick their own - for the weekend!

The Joy of Gardening on Paper

You may remember from previous posts that I'm not much of a gardener (and neither is hubby, I might add!). Although we do appreciate lovely, well-kept gardens. So, the thing is, we are now looking more closely at the landscaping plans and deciding which plants to plant where. And I must say, I quite like this gardening-on-paper lark!

Our three main priorities are plants that are low maintenance, have low-water requirements and, for me, are allergy friendly (asthma, hayfever and sinus problems now being my new unwanted friends since moving to Sydney). The focus is on native and tropical plants with a cream and red flower theme. So, here are some of our choices.

As we already have a pink, orange flowering frangipani at the entrance to the property, we're going to add another couple of frangipanis around the garden to keep with the theme and they're my favourite flower.

Then we've got dwarf New Zealand Christmas bushes (or Pohutukawa as we call them). They come out in gorgeous red flowers at summer time.

Cream Clivias which I just love en masse and will be great in the more shady areas of the garden.

Star jasmine to climb the fence at the back of the garden.

A couple of Cycads

White Mondo grass

Slender Rush grass

There will also be Lilly Pillys running along the neighbouring boundaries to provide privacy, slender tall bamboo along the concrete/stone wall side - to not only hide the concrete/stone wall but provide a screening of greenery to the guest bedroom, rumpus room and the glass splashback in the kitchen above. And hopefully our rather sad-looking tree ferns will survive and be able to be replanted.

Tree Ferns

In an effort to keep the tree ferns that were growing from the rocky promontery in the back garden that we've basically cut in half to get more lawn (it is outside the picture to the left), we've transplanted them in the middle of what will be the back lawn where they can get both sun and shade and hopefully, continue living.

They look a bit sad at the moment, but cross fingers they will survive the upheaval. With Spring here and the sun shining, this has almost got me enthused about doing some gardening. Although, the closest I'll probably get is helping my girls plant the seedlings we bought a week ago. They definitely have more of a gardening gene than I do! But I do enjoy colourful spring flowers and fresh tomatoes, don't you?

Happy weekend everyone ...