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The Garden Curator

Garden designer | Landscape designer | Landscape illustrator

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Colleen Southwell

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Green leaves Illustration by Colleen Southwell

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During the snow last week the garden was flattened

During the snow last week the garden was flattened, pinned to the ground under a heavy blanket of ice. The landscape fitted beautifully into the pages of a fairytale, magical, though we also anticipated great damage as the cloak receded. Despite losing countless branches from eucalypts, the garden has mostly sprung back with an incredible "she'll be right mate" resilience. Even many of the dry and seedy forms have recovered, and I'm thrilled we can enjoy their stoic and honest bones for a little longer.
I've noticed some gardeners this week saying it's time to cut back. Here I choose to wait - the seedy silhouettes are too lovely to remove just yet and should be enjoyed in winter! Waiting also protects any emerging growth beneath. Plants that are particularly unattractive may get an early chop, but otherwise I wait til August before doing a big "chop and drop", cutting the dried forms (and unless they're too woody) leaving them on the ground from where they grew.
So for now the bones remain, standing for another day!

Before and after, I can't resist! I know I posted

Before and after, I can't resist! I know I posted this first photo last week, but I just think it's such a wonderful contrast between the snow photo and the spring photo that it's worth sharing.
It's been a week for snuggling. A blanket in front of the tele, thick woolly socks, flanny pjs and in our case, a sausage dog up your jumper. He's a brilliant hot water bottle.
If the sun peeks through a little this weekend I'll be leaping into the garden, preparing a new spring bed for planting with layers of newspaper and lucerne hay. My idea of heaven.
Have a great weekend ♡

A little peek into the studio - I am so so excited

A little peek into the studio - I am so so excited about this project, a big commissioned work destined for one of the world's most iconic addresses on the other side of the world. Whooooo!! All will be revealed....
Lots and lots of work to do, just about every waking minute in the studio, and well over a thousand individual elements. Little by little it comes together. I'll keep you posted!

Exhibition news! I'm super excited to have been in

Exhibition news! I'm super excited to have been invited to exhibit once again at the wonderful Artisans in the Gardens exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney! So if you missed the recent Fungi x botanica show in the Gardens, put October in your diary. Always a beautiful collection of works, this year will be extra special - an anniversary event. I could be on the speaking agenda too, stay tuned, more details soon!
In the meantime, I'm working on a big and incredibly exciting project, destined for a place far far away from home. A little sneak peek will be posted tomorrow.....

It's melting now, so these are the last two! It's

It's melting now, so these are the last two! It's been a magical, Narnia- esque couple of days. The dams are full, and nitrogen rich water is running. On the flip side, the garden is flat, and there has been a constant sound like gunshot - the cracking of trees and branches as they fall under the weight. But we take what is given and appreciate the moment. It has indeed been beautiful.

Ok, a few more.....

Ok, a few more.....

Snow spam...it had to happen. The fall today has b

Snow spam...it had to happen.
The fall today has been the biggest for years. knee high in spots in the paddock, and drifts making parts of the garden invisible. Brrrr!!

© Copyright 2019 Colleen Southwell