Once upon a time we lived in Gippsland, and the north-east of Victoria too, where jonquils grew on roadsides and I could pick them to my hearts content, or pop around to my Nan’s and come home laden with armfuls of hydrangeas. Here on the Limestone Coast though the florals aren’t as forthcoming. Other than a dodgy gerbera from Woolies (uh, no thanks) there aren’t many fresh flower options, and the garden here at ‘Carlton’ isn’t exactly bursting with colour.
Instead, I’ve embraced the ‘found floral’ – whatever I happen across, whatever is flowering on the roadside or in the paddock. And around these parts it’s all natives. This year our mantle has been adorned with flowering gum or wattle, banksia or native grasses, and now coming up to Christmas the bottle brushes are blooming.
Over the weekend I started to tentatively deck the halls, stockings were hung, wreaths put up and my Christmas fairy is sitting pretty on the mantle. We haven’t got a tree yet but I’m hoping to hunt one down tonight after Matt finishes work. The old stove in the kitchen is looking a bit more festive now with my linen and lace ‘peace’ bunting, traditional green wreath and milk bottles of bright bottle brush.
My garden isn’t totally bereft of flowers, we do have three very hardy hakeas (the only thing that must survive with absolutely no love from previous tenants) so I’ve been working with what I’ve got. Walking out to the mail the other day I saw a peek of red coming from an old tree stump in the front yard. It seems a resilient geranium has also survived the no love treatment. A geranium by my bedside and pretty in pink hakeas for my desk…
Do you always have to have flowers in your home?
Tell me you don’t spend a fortune on them though.
And most definitely don’t tell me you live near a great cheap little flower buying option.
Kate says
Emma,
I must confess I do treat myself to a bunch of flowers each fortnight – my one and only indulgence together with magazines 🙂
I promise I only spend $15 at the most and the flowers are so deliciously fresh they always last longer than a week – even in the Queensland heat!
Kim says
Yes! I so have to have flowers in my home. But I can’t pay for them. No way! I take what I can from my garden which is still in it’s really early stages. When we were inbetween houses (sold our old house and building on our new land) I had no garden so I stole from the Masonic Lodge’s rosemary bush – doing them a favour, I was, by pruning for them;) Roadside blossoms were also a favourite of mine. Anything free. I never did take from someone’s garden though, not without asking. I’m not that dodgey;) Flowers do make life so much better. Love your Xmas decorating:) x
Allison says
I love having fresh flowers in the house. When we lived in Richmond there was a cheap flower seller (I don’t think you can call a guy with a stand a florist, can you?), but since we’ve been in Alice Springs flowers are harder to come by. Like you I’ve turned to the outdoors for our flowers. I may have had weed varieties in vases in our home this year, if it’s got a pretty flower, you can bet I’ll pick it. Love your old stove and the flowers in your photos are just beautiful x
Kirsty says
Can I ask where those gorgeous stockings are from?
Emma says
I bought them on Etsy a few years ago now, I’m hoping when we have kids I can still get them!
Kirsty says
I love Etsy. If you happen to remember the seller name I’d love it as I’ve had a search on there previously and didn’t see any as pretty as that. Thanks!
Emma says
I just went back through my purchases, I bought them in 2010 from store ‘myadobecottage’ – doesn’t look like they make stockings anymore, but you could ask. I also just did a search for ‘burlap stocking’ on Etsy and there’s heaps of nice ones.
Kirsty says
Awesome, thank you!
Bel says
In the next town, there are lots of orchards and markets, so when we do buy flowers (which I love) we get them from there… they are great quality and for a very decent price. If I can’t do the flowers, I do candles instead.
Katie says
The bottlebrush flowers are very exotic looking and pretty! Unfortunately in a home with four pesky plant eating cats, the only thing I can have inside are succulents in planters. Vases get mysteriously knocked over during the night.
Alicia says
I do love flowers in the house, they are ones I grow myself. Rarely I buy them. I have admired and gone and picked some callistemon(street tree) from around the corner though 🙂
Kathy says
The native flowers look beautiful and I too love bottlebrush flowers….very festive…We are decorating this coming weekend as we have had James birthday weekend (or should I say week here). Just posted lots of “Weekly Stills” to the blog. Can’t wait to deck the halls and trim the tree at our place too. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia