Willie Wildlife Sculptures

Cath Kidston’s Show Garden by Mark Chapman at Tokyo Rose Festival

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:39:11 +0000

For many years I have been fascinated at how many Australian gardens and Botanic Gardens around the world have a Japanese influence or a Japanese garden within the garden. Could it be because the Japanese style gardens are so unique or because they are so well balanced and relaxing that people just want one?

This year Mark Chapman from British Creative design has been sponsored by NHK TV to build the main garden at Seibu Dome Rose Festival in Tokyo for English designer and author Cath Kidston. She is particularly known for her floral range of homewares, clothing, accessories and outdoor products which are available in a number of countries and she now has 20 shops in Japan. Mark is the perfect person to build this show garden as he has been working as a professional Horticulturalist for over 27years in Japan and in the UK. His business offers a complete design service anywhere in Japan.

We are excited that Mark has included a number of our sculptures on his stand at the show. It is a pleasure working with him again.

Dates: 12th – 20th May – Seibu Dome, Tokyo

Pictured is a previous Show Garden of Mark’s at the Rose Festival with one of our Birdbaths as a focal point.

Mark Chapman – British Creative Design 5F 4-6-13 Kudan Minami, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0074, Japan
Tel: (+81) 03-3263-6755
enquiries@britishcreativedesign.com

Chemical free swimming pools are the future

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:32:37 +0000

Chemical free swimming pools is probably difficult for a lot of us to get our heads around at first but natural pools have been around for decades overseas. The concept involves having a small pond beside the main pool full of plants like waterlilies, grasses, flowering rushes, water irises and sometimes fish and other small creatures. This lush, balanced little ecosystem acts as the filter with water passing through this pond rather than adding salt or chlorine making a highly efficient filtration system and beautiful, clear natural water.

The other good news with this clean, healthy water is that you avoid any side-effects from chemicals and the swimming pool itself can be vacuumed with a conventional pool vacuum. So if you want to avoid chemicals to sanitise the water and look after your health and the environment a biologically cleaned swimming pool is a great choice. Existing pools can also be converted.

For footage go to youtube: swimming pool without chemicals

Wombat Park Open Garden, Daylesford

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:19:23 +0000

This family garden at Daylesford is not open to the public very often and is well worth a visit. The collection of exotic trees planted by William Stanbridge in the 1850’s are truely magnificent and certainly deserve their listing with the National Trust Register. A couple of the highlights are the crenellated, tapestry hedge which is the largest and oldest in the country and a majestic avenue of elms. There is a stunning Arts and Crafts style house overlooking this extensive and impressive garden which was designed by Sangster & Taylor. Do not miss this open garden.

Date: Saturday April 21, 2012 and Sunday April 22, 2012, 10am – 4pm

Directions: Midland Highway, Daylesford – 2 km from Vincent street. Take the Midland Highway in the direction of Castlemaine, 600 metres on the left past the Trentham turnoff (Farmer’s Arms Hotel) on the edge of town and 500 hundred metres before the Glenlyon – Malmsbury turnoff. If coming from Trentham – Woodend turn right at the Farmer’s Arms Hotel. If coming from Glenlyon – Malmsbury 500 metres on the right after joining the Midland Highway (Melway Reference X909:C9).

Tickets: At the gate – $10 (Children under 12 FREE)

St.Mary’s Vineyard & Open Garden, Penola, South Australia

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:16:52 +0000

St.Mary’s Garden and Vineyard is located in the heart of the Coonawarra wine region near Penola on the spectacular red Terra Rossa soil. The garden is full of hundreds of roses which thrive in the alkaline soil and are just a magnificent mass of color. The rocks used for the dry stone walls around the garden and throughout the pathways were collected when the land was prepared for the first vineyard and finish the garden beautifully. This all makes for a stunning setting and there are a number of artists and sculptors artwork including ours available in the vines.

Dates: 21-22 April, 2012

Directions: From Penola travel 6km north on the Riddoch Hwy, turn left into V and A Lane, follow signs to St Mary’s Cellar Door and Garden

Cottage by the Sea

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:58:52 +0000

The picturesque hidden gardens of Wallington were chosen as the venues for this year’s Cottage by the Sea garden fundraiser. The charity has been in existence for many years and is well known for its open garden events, which have been held around Mt Duneed, Curlewis and the Drysdale areas in the past. This years gardens included my parents in Orchard Crescent which was designed for drought tolerance and ease of care. The second garden was an old and mature garden which has evolved around the mud brick farmhouse built in the 1880’s from the land it stands upon. The third garden has stunning views across Lake Connewarre and glimpses of the sea in the distance. While the final garden is home to the famous Daddo Family whose sons have all graced our TV sets for many years. This is a really interesting garden with plenty of colour and surprises. The four gardens are a nice mix of styles and designs and was a fun day out for many who were able to make it.

All the funds for the day go towards Cottage by the Sea Queenscliff, which is a well respected community charity fundraising service caring for Australian children and families in need. The organisation offers short term camps and activities for primary school children and is often a life changing experience for these disadvantaged kids.

If you would like to help support this very worthwhile charity please go to: www.cottagebythesea.com.au

Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show 2012

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:51:25 +0000

Our display at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show this year was quite different to our previous displays. This was mainly due to teaming up with some clever people in the gardening industry. Firstly, Kate from Thornology near Kyneton supplied some beautifully woven elm hurdles, baskets and teepees which gave a nice, earthy feeling to the stand. While Merrywood are the espalier specialists from the Mornington Peninsula and lined the edge of the site with 2metre high lemon, orange and Little Gem Magnolias all of which had been espaliered. The plants were exceptionally healthy and were the perfect backdrop for the sculptures and finished the stand-off nicely.

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is located at The Royal Exhibition Buildings & the Carlton Gardens every year towards the end of March/early April. From our experience of displaying our sculptures at the best garden shows around the globe we believe this show is arguably located at the most stunning site of all. The site is now inscribed on the World Heritage Register and highlights the unique nature of this setting for the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. Melburnians and visitors from around Australia can all take great pride in this wonderful place.

New Yorkers

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:38:56 +0000

This was our second time exhibiting at the Architectural Digest Design Show and we were once again impressed with the mix of art on display and how knowledgeable so many of the New Yorkers are regarding art generally. Best in Show deservedly went to Diamond Spas who had a stunning stainless steel spa-bath on display and they can custom make to suit any setting.

Mawallok Open Garden

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:33:00 +0000

Mawallok is one of Australia’s great gardens and is listed on the Heritage Register for both its aesthetic and historical significance. The garden was designed by William Guilfoyle in 1909 after laying out the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne over 36years. The seven acres of Mawallok is considered the best remaining example of his work in private hands. The dominant feature of the garden is the main vista which extends from a raised terrace in front of the Arts & Crafts style house, over the lawns and ha-ha wall across a six-hole golf course, the lake (designed by Sir John Monash) and grazing land to the Pyrenees Ranges and Mt Cole. The garden has been described in many garden books and magazines over the years including “1001 Gardens to See Before You Die”. One of the highlights are the spectacular views from the ha-ha to the Pyrenees and Mount Cole. If you are free this weekend this garden is well worth a visit.

Directions to Mawallok from Melbourne:
Take Western Highway to Beaufort. In Beaufort turn left at supermarket – Lawrence Street (signpost to Mawallok). After 1km (opposite football ground) take right hand turn (signed Mawallok) onto Stockyard Hill Road. After approx. 7km turn right (signed to Carranballac). Follow bitumen approx. 7km and at pine plantation on top of a crest turn right on dirt road (signed Mawallok) and straight ahead to main stone gates.

Cruden Farm Open Garden

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:36:08 +0000

If you have never visited Cruden Farm which is one of Australia’s most iconic gardens here is your chance. On Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 March the garden will be open and will be host to the Open Garden Scheme Plant Fair. This is “Gardener’s Heaven” where you can source some quality artwork, have the opportunity to buy a wide selection of interesting and unusual plants from local and interstate exhibitors, view gardening demonstrations and achieve all this at one of Australia’s most celebrated gardens.

The garden had very romantic beginnings when Sir Keith Murdoch acquired the property in 1928 and gave it as a wedding present to his young bride Dame Elizabeth Murdoch. She is well into her ninth decade of gardening at Cruden Farm which is unusual anywhere in the world to find a garden that has been designed, nurtured and developed by one person over such a long period of time.

A young garden writer and designer Edna Walling, who we talked about in an earlier Blog, helped to layout the garden and you can see her legacy with some of her signature stone walls defining parts of the garden.

You will be blown away by the 130 lemon-scented gums that grace the entrance along the sweeping driveway, before arriving at this very sophisticated country garden which is a picture of perfection. It is a stunning time to view the garden with the autumn colors adding a beautiful mix of foliage throughout.

Do not miss this special weekend to see a garden of such rare beauty.

Directions: Cruden Farm is situated near Langwarrin, an hour’s drive south-east of Melbourne on the corner of Cranbourne-Frankston & Cranhaven Roads, Langwarrin (Mel. Ref. 103 G6) Open: 10am-4.30pm

Zara Peggy Wilson has arrived

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:07:21 +0000

It does not seem like that long ago since we broke the news to our parents that we are expecting a baby. The “grandmothers to be” were so excited they started knitting almost immediately.We are delighted that Zara Peggy Wilson has now arrived and weighs a tiny 5lbs13 – very small and very cute. There is suddenly a lot of splashes of pink in the house!

Will Zara Peggy inspire some new designs? We will soon see but presently we just want to enjoy every precious moment with her.

I wonder if she will be christened in a bronze birdbath one-day?