spring gardening

This antique garden cloche was one of the treasures I found earlier in the year on a buying trip. It came from the Yorkshire dales area of the UK. I am using it to help protect basil seedlings. It is a bit too early to plant basil here in Tasmania, it is not warm enough. I am hoping that the cloche will give create enough warmth to make the basil grow! This is my dibber - the handiest tool I own, and my light weight watering can.

Rocket is growing well at the moment. The slate label was a Christmas present last year. These are available at Karen Wagner's store in Hobart. If you are like me and love gardening, visit Karen's blog here.

You may have seen these antique French garden tiles in a previous post. Oh well, you didn't see my garlic and rhubarb planted in the bed, did you? Purple garlic grows very well here in Tasmania. Plant on the shortest day of the year and harvest on the longest day of the year, or so they say. I followed this method last year and it worked for me.

I am a tad worried about my broccoli, they are not sprouting or flowering at this stage and they have been in for a few months now. I am trying to be patient but it is difficult. Advice anyone?

My bay tree is flowering at the moment, attracting much needed bees to the vegetable garden.

Tarragon and purple sage in a wire work planter against the fence with another slate marker for the Tarragon. The slate markers are very handy if you ask someone unfamiliar with herbs to go picking. I am speaking from experience, it is easy to end up with parsley when you asked for mint!

This is my trusty daisy weeder which is vying for the title of handiest garden tool. And it is coming in at a very close second. I will be on the hunt for these for the store on my next buying trip as they work very well with daisies in the lawn.

And lastly, a weeping cherry tree in the front yard and a bee at work! As worldwide bee numbers decline with the possibility of extinction, we should all be happy when we see these beautiful little creatures in our gardens.

new in store...soy candles, fishing floats and etched glass domes!

We have been very busy here at the Drill Hall Emporium making our very own range of soy candles... Our first scent is "lemon verbena" which is very refreshing. We will also have gardenia, frangipane and vanilla in the range. These will be for sale in our store very soon. They are all housed in vintage preserve jars of varying sizes and all complete with tin lids. The jars are recycled and recyclable...very eco. As is soy wax which is a slow-burning and clean-burning wax, and a renewable resource. But enough about the eco-benefits...how beautfiul are they? Also just arrived are these antique glass fishing floats. We have them displayed in a large wooden bowl and I can't stop looking at them!

Each one is unique and of a slightly different colour. I have a favourite picked out already.

These gorgeous glass domes are 19th century and are etched with grapevine designs. We were lucky enough to find an entire collection of seven. But they will be sold separately to keep every one happy (well seven people, anyway). I think a collection of perfume bottles would look wonderful underneath.

greige French market basket giveaway!

If you have not yet discovered Greige, now is a great time! As Christina is offering this lovely French market bag as a giveaway to one lucky reader... Below are some further images of inspiration from Greige. There is just something about books tied with string, isn't there? I also like the soft colours of the above objects. They look great all together.

This image of an industrial style kitchen is also from Greige. Do you see what I mean? A must visit blog...and one of my favourites!

finishing vintage touches to my white bathroom

You may have already seen my bathroom from my previous post. As I explained, I jumped the gun and photographed the room before it was completely finished. I was still working on the blind at the time but I was so excited I became snap-happy. Now that the room has changed a little, I thought I had better update everyone on the finished product. For the blind, I took some French linen that I bought as part of a collection on my last trip overseas... The linen is actually a French wine harvest tablecloth and dates to around c.1900. I believe that the French would use such tablecloths for al fresco dining during the wine harvest season. I can just imagine it spread on a small table under an olive tree with baguette and cheeses upon it. Oh and wine, of course. And probably wrinkled, too, as French people have a relaxed approach to dining...tablecloths and napkins were often not ironed as far as I know. That is my way of life! This particular cloth had a tear near one of the edges but it was larger than I needed so it was perfect. And a perfect way to recycle an otherwise damaged piece.

Voila! The roman style blind for the bathroom window. It is lovely and textural as it is handwoven linen. I like the light coming through it (I have backed it in one pass curtain lining) as you can see the weave of the linen.

Next I brought home from the store a deerskin rug to give the room some warmth...

It is a nice contrast with the oak flooring, I think.

I painted the dark brown waste paper basket with a lime wash paint. I am not sure whether it looks good or not, but it sure looks better than the dark brown...

And finally, flowers in a vintage milk jug. I think they are freesias, but I am not totally sure. All I know is they are pretty and also have a gorgeous perfume...

Another view of the room with my finishing touches. Definetly warmer and more homely, I think. As usual, I would love to hear your your comments.

my white and vintage inspired bathroom

Finally the bathroom is completed! Well, nearly...there is always a little something to be done and in this case I am still working on the blind. But I thought the room was good enough to photograph and I couldn't wait any longer! Above is the view from the hallway looking into the bathroom. The flooring is French oak with a lime wash finish. The walls are painted in an off-white colour called "Limed White" (half strength) and the trims are painted in "Antique White USA", both Dulux colours. The Victorian claw foot bath is original to the house and is against the far wall under the window. We gave it a fresh finish of paint. I am yet to use it!

The mirror above the basin is an antique. It is quite ornate but the simplicity of the rest of the room is a good contrast, I think.

This cast iron table is from the Victorian period and has a white marble top. It would have originally been used as a garden table. The towel rail is also antique.

These silvered Italian candlesticks date to around c.1800. Again, I am yet to use them but I have some candles ready.

The taps are by Nicolazzi, an Italian tap ware company with products now available in Tasmania (see previous post).

The painted cupboard is one I bought last year on one of our overseas buying trips. It has finally found its true resting place (it has been in our living room for a little while, see previous post). It is used for storage and is filled with towels, soaps, lotions etc.

An antique lavender water bottle (and original contents) that I found in New Zealand years ago. Actually, it was on my honeymoon which gives it special meaning to me.

An antique French glass jar holds soaps.

Antique jars, pots and Victorian footbaths in the painted cupboard are used for storage. I am particularly fond of this little Roger and Gallet pot above, which is French. "Creme de Savon pour la barbe" translates to shaving soap for the barber. It now holds hairpins!

These antique apothecary jars are also used for storage and are on the bottom shelf of the painted cupboard. I found these earlier in the year overseas and bought them immediately with the bathroom in mind. Most of them have their original apothecary labels on them.

This large Victorian bowl is also a recent find. It is huge! It is on top of the cupboard as it didn't fit inside as I intended. I am unsure what the "K" stands for, possibly kitchen? Or it could represent the family name. We had a smaller such bowl, also with a "K" in the store but it sold last week.

The best part about using antique furniture for storage? You can take it with you if you ever move houses.

The shower is tiled with simple white brick tiles and a pale grey grout. The tap ware and overhead rose is again Nicolazzi.

I am happy with how the room has turned out, I feel like it is in keeping with the rest of the house and is a calming, restful space. As a bathroom should be. Please let me know what you think...

new in store! antique Turkish kilim cushions

We have just had a gorgeous selection of antique Kilim cushions come in to the store, some of which are above stacked on our early Indian trunk. Each one is different and has its own story. Kilims are flat weave tapestries as opposed to carpets which have a pile. It is for this reason kilims are more fragile than carpets which have pile to protect the weave from wear.

The kilims used for these cushions originate in Turkey and are mostly wool. They were either made for decorative purposes e.g. as wall hangings or to use as floor rugs, horse saddles, bed covers etc. I am particularly fond of the patchwork style cushions where pieces from various kilims are sewn together. This striped example is sitting on an English broad arm Windsor chair. The colours would certainly help to brighten a dull couch!

a visit to the greenhouse restaurant in Perth, WA

I have just returned from a break in Perth and the Margaret River region of Western Australia. One of the highlights of my holiday was the Greenhouse in St. Georges Terrace, Perth. I was expecting the food to be very good as the Greenhouse has made it into the Gourmet Traveller's 2011 Restaurant Guide. But I was gobsmacked walking up to the exterior of the restaurant with its amazing vertical garden, juxtaposed directly in front of modern sky rise buildings.

The vertical garden consists of thousands of small terracotta pots and plants encased in the metal framework. It gives something pleasant and green for passersby to admire, the walls almost look like they are breathing.

Inside, the walls consist of raw plywood. The light fixtures are made from wound lengths of fencing wire and it was very effective in creating a relaxed and natural, almost country, atmosphere.

The breakfast menu consisted of many tempting options, including spanner crab omelette and an upside down quince cake.

But I decided upon the wild mushrooms with slow cooked eggs and grilled polenta. It was an earthy and hearty start to my day.

And I resisted the pile of doughnuts which were sitting at the bar next to me, tempting me with their sugar coated good looks.

After breakfast we were directed to the rooftop which functions as a bar area in addition to a rooftop vegetable garden.

Most of the plantings were leafy green vegetables. For more on the fabulously "green" Greenhouse, visit their website.