Is there anything uglier than one of those black plastic compost bins in the garden? It’s alright, you are safe, I’m not going to go on a rant about how much I dislike them. We disguised one of ours by making a box out of timber offcuts to put over it and the box  looks […]

Dear Lovely Reader, As the days turn from late Winter to early early Spring there always comes with the promise of Forget Me Nots. I watch for tiny blue flowers popping through amongst other foliage or along the edge of the wood shed and garden steps. Taking special care to check where they self seeded […]

Dear Lovely Reader, The Albertine Rose & the Potato Vine love each other and to be honest I love them. It’s a match made for our garden. With our climate and where they are planted they don’t get too carried away growing every which way. A  yearly prune and all is good. Albertine has a […]

    Just a heads up to all those interested in history & family trees. For a year now our Lil has been writing a blog called Family, Folk & History. The web address is familyfolkandhistory.com link here: familyfolkandhistory.com  To celebrate its 1st birthday she has added some new resources. ~ There is a great […]

Dear Lovely Reader, Some roses from our Springtime 2019 garden here at Fairy Wren Cottage. Every year it is different. The colours, the shapes, light & reflections. Sending love and a warm Spring breeze, Jude x The modest rose puts forth a Thorn, The humble sheep a threat’ning Horn, While the Lily white shall in […]

21st August 1999 I met my husband Michael when I was living in Darwin, he was there for less than forty eight hours, on holidays from The Netherlands. We both knew it was love at first sight and when he returned to Australia four months later we bought a car and started travelling together. During […]

Lady of the Snow. Geeveston Fanny. Devonshire Quarrenden. Lady Williams. White Pearmain. Ranelagh. Cox Orange Pippin. Brambley Seedling. Gravenstein. Golden Delicious. Campbelltown Pippin & two other unidentified apple trees we rescued from someone’s over zealous use of secateurs before they went to the tip. I may have gone a little over  board with planting apple […]

What is on your Lovely Things to Do List? Books to read? Craft projects to start or finish? Things to bake & cook? Music to listen to? Something you want to research? With the seasonal change Springtime is here and humming along, the garden changing so much everyday, trees are blossoming for such short windows […]

  When we are making Quince Jam the kitchen reminds us of walking through our  Quince Orchard just as the trees are in full blossom during Spring. Now that it is Spring I walk through our Quince Orchard wondering what we will all be doing when the quinces are ready to harvest. The summer will […]