Art in the Garden: A Faerie's Guide to Cottage Garden Colour
The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness has descended over my far flung corner of the world, dear wildflowers. And the cottage garden is a tangle of spent summer blooms and drooping seed heads, nodding gently in the breeze. It is wild and weedy, and all the plants are tinged with burnt orange and caramel now. Rosy pink camellia petals and golden oak leaves flutter to the ground, and the earth breathes a long, deep sigh before settling into her winter slumber.
As the high heat of summer gives way to cool breezes and chill mornings, this little garden goblin can finally get on with the busy work of the season. Weeding, pruning, digging up bulbs and pulling out all the spent summer annuals. It is so satisfying to tidy up the cottage garden, but even on these cool Autumn days, it can be a hot and sweaty job for a wildflower! Phewwf!
I have gathered the cosmos and zinnias I like best, and now I’ll move on to selecting my favourite dahlias of the season, so I’ll know which bulbs to keep for next year, and which ones to give away as gifts. I’m looking at you, Mum!
You may remember the episode where I began planning this new garden at Belladonna Cottage, and how I wanted a colour palette of plum and lavender, apricot, raspberry, and dragon fire orange. I made my selections from pictures in seed catalogues but, it is only now, after a summer spent in observation, that I can truly know the way each individual plant expresses itself, seeing their glorious display of shape and colour in context. The myriad hues and shades, when set against each other, blend and soften, or contrast and pop... and some, of course, clash rather unfortunately. And you can’t really know until you see it all come to life.
Pale pastel and whites flower, for example, lend a sweet, softening effect to their companions in the garden, so I’ll definitely be planting purity white cosmos again, along with whirling butterflies, creamy David Austin roses and white velvet salvias. The same goes for foliage colour, which is why I love to add in silvery saltbush, white sage and lamb’s ears.
I now know, roughly how tall each flower grows, how leafy and sprawling they can be, how large the blooms are, and in particular, the exact shade of their petals. After all, it’s really just another artwork, but this one is made with flowers, instead of paint and paper. I don’t know about you, but I’m really happy with how it all turned out, and I can’t wait to try again next season, with my shortlist of showstoppers.
It’s truly incredible how many seeds are produced from a single plant, which began as a tiny seed itself, just 6 or 7 months earlier. I’m almost certain that Mr. Rose and I could start a whole flower farm from this summer’s cut flower patch alone.
I’m not sure we’ll find a place for all of these beautiful babies come spring, so I might pop a limited number of mixed seed packets up on my online store for Australian garden faeries to enjoy... they’re far too pretty to sit in my potting shed in the dark, and I’d much rather imagine them blooming in cottage gardens across the country, delighting bees and butterflies and inspiring a new generation of green thumbs.
If you’d like to see this episode in full, head on over to ‘The Rambling Rose’…
A Cottage Witch's Gift Guide: The Art of Frugal Hedonism
“No one has ever become poor by giving” – Anne Frank
Summer has arrived here in Australia, and the days are getting warmer and longer in my sleepy little valley. Each morning I wake to the sound of magpies, fairy wrens and bower birds, happily chirping as the first rays of the sun spill out across the mountains. It’s easy to forget the outside world here sometimes, and, to be honest, I prefer to do so... A handful of friends and I, refer to this town as ‘The Shire’ sometimes, and I certainly feel like a harfoot at heart, wandering barefoot in my garden searching for berries, talking to faeries and following dragonflies along forest trails. But, adopting a slower pace and opting out of the modern world, requires some adjustments, and as the holiday season draws near, I’m reminded that one of those is developing the practice of frugal hedonism.
Simply put, it is the art of spending less, while enjoying everything more. Instead of trading your time and energy for money, ending up stressed and exhausted, with very little time to enjoy life, you can take back those precious hours of your life, and get creative with what you already have, rediscovering the incredible amount of free, and low cost, resources around you.
When we begin to recognise that the myth of ‘more’ is not in the best interest of human biology, we can slowly start to say ‘no’ to the cult of consumerism, and ‘yes’ to the abundance of the natural world, and to the generousity of loving, conscious community. We can slow down, heal our tired, tender bodies, and focus on what we truly need to be happy.
With a global recession looming, it seems many of us are tightening our purse strings even more this Christmas and so, I thought I’d share some ideas for delightful handmade gifts that you can make with materials found around the home, in the garden, or at your local thrift store.
A SWEET PET PORTRAIT – My first handmade gift idea, of course, is for the arty witches out there. Whether you are a painter like me, a photographer, or gifted with another creative talent, I thought to myself, what could be more special than a sweet pet portrait!? Pets are our beautiful, furry family, and our loyal familiars, so, I decided to gift one dear friend a painting of her beloved cat Forest. I will share a photo of Forest with my patrons on Patreon, so you can see how I did capturing his likeness.
SCENTED CHARM BAGS – My second thrifty gift idea is for all the skilled seamstress witches! It’s an easy little sewing project whether by hand, or machine. And you know, even my sewing machine and kit are thrifted! Since it’s high summer, the rose goddess garden I shared with you in the last episode is in full bloom, so we’ll be using the petals to create a heavenly scented charm bag. With a pinch of glamour magick. I’ll need to dry these petals first, but don’t worry, I have some dried ones saved up from last season. Now I only took up sewing again recently, and in true rambling rose style, I totally winged it with this pattern: I made quite a few mistakes, which is no surprise when you don’t even measure first! But I promise to write it up perfectly for my Wild Roses on Patreon, so you don’t have that feeling of ridiculousness when you realise it’s all inside out and upside down.
CHOC MINT TRUFFLES – My third homemade gift idea is for the kitchen witches, using any ingredients you have on hand to make a yummy edible gift. Now, I’ve got peppermint growing every which way in my garden this summer, even underneath my steps - let’s give them a quick sweep on the way to the herb garden shall we? I thought I’d use this voracious peppermint, along with some other ingredients in my pantry, to make choc mint truffles. I’ll pop the truffles in gorgeous tin from – you guessed it – the Op Shop! And i think they’ll make a lovely gift.
MINI FAERIE GARDEN – My fourth frugal gift idea is for the green thumbs, the garden fairies that just have a gift with plants, and it all started with a cutting from this beautiful spotted begonia. So, with an old painted pot that I previously repurposed, I thought I’d make a miniature fairy garden with this begonia cutting. With my own gift wrap and some more thrifted ribbon, in a charming bow, this gift cost next to nothing… and I feel like any garden faerie would adore it!
SUGAR SCRUB BARS – My final thrifty gift idea is for the green witches, the lovers of potions and lotions, and it uses another ingredient that’s growing in abundance this summer. Calendula! This magical flower stimulates collagen production, and will make your skin so youthful and bright. Along with some other ingredients in my home apothecary, we’ll be making some luscious sugar scrub bars for radiant, glowing skin. I think they look like the golden sun itself, don’t you? Beaming away in the garden. Once again, this recipe will be shared in detail with my Wild Roses on Patreon later this week, but they are quick and easy to make, and cost next to nothing.
Watch the full episode here…
Designing a Rose Goddess Garden
Planting a garden and watching it come to life over the years must be one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It brings me so much joy to work hand in hand with mother nature, creating something of beauty and magic, a living artwork with my own two hands. Being out in the garden is incredibly healing, sun on my skin, earth between my fingers and toes. It allows me to enter that flow state, where all my fears and anxieties recede, my chattering mind goes quiet, and I feel in a peaceful state of ebb and flow, effortlessly dissolving into the rythym of nature. My heartbeat seems to slow to that of the pace of earth itself, and insights flow to me.
I’ve recently added a film to my vlog ‘The Rambling Rose’ where I show how I created a rose garden in honour of one of my favourite goddesses. You might recall that in my ‘Sowing A Secret Garden’ episode, I introduced you to the different zones in my ever evolving cottage garden, and how I promised to plant a brand new garden bed with you, centered around this stunning goddess bird bath?
When I spotted her on my local buy, swap, sell group, I knew instantly, that she was the one. Faeries love magical garden decor, mirrors, water features, wind chimes and such, and I felt they would be adore this bird bath. I thought, she would make the perfect centrepiece for a rose garden, one that would delight any romantic soul or, sweet little nanna at heart. And, of course, with the hot Australian summer on the way, it would hopefully become a beloved oasis for native birds, bees and other beneficial insects.
But at first, I couldn’t quite decide which goddess she most resembled... and which one I most wanted to honour with this garden. So... let’s start planting, and wait for a sign from the faeries. And, once all that hard work is done, we’ll head on up to my art loft to paint another page of my new illustrated book ‘Wild Faerie Magick’. Finally, a few weeks later, we’ll return to the rose goddess garden for the final reveal.
Watch the full episode here…
Sowing a Secret Garden & Harvesting Purple Veggies
I stumbled upon the quote, ‘The secret garden bloomed and bloomed, and every morning revealed new miracles.” It is from the beloved book ‘The Secret Garden’ by Frances Burnett Hodges, and I recall that this story is about healing. A garden left abandoned and forgotten for a decade, just like the little orphan Mary herself, is brought back to life with love and care. With the help of a robin, Mary discovers the key and slowly begins to interact with the seasons, the dirt, and the flowers – and both she, and the garden are beautifully transformed.
I loved this quote, because gardening has healed me too, and I feel like we are healing each other. Every morning, when I walk to the back of my garden to let my chickens out to roam and forage, I always stop to marvel at something new and beautiful that seems to have appeared overnight, every day a new surprise. It does feel like a secret place, away from the world, where I can let my imagination wander.
I have big dreams for my secret garden this season, and want to try my luck at growing flowers from seed, to fill out any little gaps in the garden beds. I have names for each an every one, there’s the moon garden, the faerie garden that I planted for my birthday last year, and... a new rose goddess garden centered around a stunning bird bath.
It’s all a bit wild and weedy in my garden and my excuse is the incredible amount of rain we’ve had these past few months. La Nina is in its third consecutive year here in Australia. And I must say, the weather has really challenged my co-creative gardening skills. I do love a good cosy rainy day, but I am itching to get out in the garden and get to work. I guess this weather is just another life lesson taught to me by nature. You can only do your best, and that’s always good enough.
Co-creative gardening is where you work with all the forces of nature and the plant spirits, working together rather than imposing your will. It’s not neat and tidy, it’s rambling and shifting, like a conversation, thanking the plants for all that they provide, and asking them what they need in return. I always talk to my plants, giving them tender words of encouragement and explaining what is going on and where and why I’ve planted them. I also play them classical music, especially when transplanting, to help settle them into their new home. I often place crystals in their pots, and when I’ve planted something new, I sit with it for a moment, and with one hand on my heart and one over the plant, close my eyes and visualise sending them love and joy, picturing them growing beautiful and strong and leafy and blooming, season after season.
At the end of Djilba season, just after the equinox, is just about the right time to harvest the last of the winter greens, and prepare the beds for the season’s crop. In the last episode, I talked a little about colour magic, and how simply reading the colour of a plant is a simple way to reveal it’s healing or magical properties. Purple is associated with the crown chakra, the portal to other dimensions and higher states of consciousness. When you see this colour in a fruit or vegetable, you know it’s high in anthocyanins, which are known to improve vision and have neuro-protective effects. I love it when modern science figures out an ancient kind of magic that pagans have intutively known for centuries, don’t you?
I’m so pleased that the purple kohlabi, kale and cauliflower all did so well this year, even with so much neglect, and I’m going to use them to make fritters with kale pesto (and share the recipe with everyone on Patreon!)
All of my brassicas are going to seed now, and the bees are loving it. Some might say I’ve made a mistake in planting too many varieties together, and letting them all flower at once, as this means they will likely cross pollinate and create strange and not so productive hybrids... but I’m happy experimenting and practicing an intuitive gardening style. I feel like this is more magical and special. This way, I’m creating my own unique little ecosystem, complete with weeds and beneficial insects, and letting the plants surprise me. After all, its a secret garden, and its designed to reveal new miracles.
But, in order to create a truly magical cottage garden – one that attracts beautiful birds, butterflies and bees... and, of course, faeries – one needs to grow more than just herbs and vegetables. Flowers are of course, essential to the secret garden of my dreams. And this year, I’ve collected some really exciting varieties of flower seeds.
Now, being an artist, I have a loose colour palette in mind for each of my garden zones – It feels like painting a Monet, dabbing pastels and jewel tones across my garden canvas, hopefully creating a dreamlike harmony, and an enchanted place that I will want to spend my summer days in, reading books and drinking iced tea, chatting to the faeries and chasing butterflies.
When it comes to planting seeds in seedling trays, I think there’s something quite meditative about little repetitive tasks. And of course, being outside in the fresh air, and working with soil, is so healing. I often feel that gardening is a metaphor for life, and I ponder the quote; ‘the seed never sees the flower’. I find it so profound to think that, in the passage of time, this tiny seed, will never know the magnificence that it will one day become. It makes me think of my younger self, little Nancy, and I wish she could see the woman we have become, all of the beautiful art we’ve made and the home and garden I know she’d love.
So, I hope you will join in the fun with me as I plan out my garden, harvest some veggies, sow seeds for an enchanted faerie wonderland, and paint a few pages for my upcoming book, ‘Wild Faerie Magick’.
Watch the full episode here:
Tiny House Garden Project: Chicken Cottage Makeover
In my latest vlog over at ‘The Rambling Rose’, I shared how I gave my chicken coop a cottage garden makeover and figured out what herbs and flowers are best suited to my chookos. I even got to work with some power tools – yes, faeries use power tools! I share a few insights into building a tiny home, living off grid, and starting a cottage garden. And so, I thought it might be nice to share a little snippet here on my blog too…
When I found this little block of land back in 2019, my heart was filled with romantic dreams of creating an off-grid tiny home, with an overflowing veggie garden, an outdoor tub, meandering animals, and flowers everywhere. I thought I’d be self-sufficient, plastic free and living like a reclusive, forest witch in no time. But, dear wildflowers, I had no idea just how hard it would be to make that dream come true.
I shivered through the first three winters, after realising that my solar battery would not see me through the cold and dark and snow, trudging out to start the generator in my gumboots and dressing gown, faerie umbrella in hand, crawling under the house to reset the battery, brushing spiders and cobwebs from my hair. There have been so many challenges, blood, sweat and tears, and a whole lot of mud and mistakes.
But the garden teaches me so many things, and one of the most important is patience, and learning to adapt to your conditions, problem solving, and... when you make a mistake, you can always try again next season.
On one of my forest walks recently, I was drawn to a little creek and considered that, when a rock falls in its way, the river simply flows around it. When a tree comes down after a thunderstorm, it is as if nature just shrugs and simply sends some mushrooms and moss to make it their new home. I felt like the forest faeries were whispering some wisdom to me – mistakes are just opportunities to try a different approach.
My chicken coop has seen better days, and just like me, my two chickens have been doing it tough in their tiny home this winter. Now, as the days get brighter, I thought it was time to treat them to a Spring surprise, and build them a beautiful new home with a cottage garden of their very own. I put together a lovely green and white ‘cottage style’ chicken coop, made the nesting boxes cosy with wood shavings and herbs from the garden, and potted up some flowers to place around the coop. I also put in a little stone path leading up to the coop, and, in a future episode, want to build a ‘Hobbit style’ chicken run with wicker swinging gate and climbing vines. I honestly think I could live in a little green and white cottage surrounded by garden flowers. Hmm... I kinda do!
It looks like my girls are already loving their new home, and I’m so pleased with the result too! I feel much better knowing that they will be safe and warm through winter, and cool in summer here under the leaves of a peach tree. I can totally imagine little faeries sitting on the poppies and blessing my chickens too! Can you?