Copper flowers, and a spot to relax too

August 2, 2019

For today’s Flowers on Friday we’re heading back to the 2018 Chelsea Flower Show, for a closer look at these copper flowers by Myburgh Designs. I’ve just taken a look at their site, and believe me it’s a very beautiful and potentially dangerous place. They had a garden at Chelsea this year, but when I fell in love with these copper flowers - and more - last year, they had a corner plot which I’m not sure many people stopped by and enjoyed.

These poppies look right at home in the border mixed with the red and white flowers. They’re relatively reasonably priced too, which is always a result, as I have a tendency to sniff out the priciest items.

I think a mixture of sizes works well, and the website says they have a life of their own collecting water for birds in the garden, or could be used to hold candles.

adding a touch of copper to the border at RHS Chelsea in 2018

But my favourite way to enjoy them would be just as it was at the show, from this copper pod.

Which I’m sure proves my earlier point about falling for the high ticket items, but who can blame me?

Post Comment Love and Blogger Showcase 2 - 4 August

August 2, 2019

Hello there and welcome to this week’s #PoCoLo a friendly linky where you can link any post published in the last week. Both Morgan and I know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked and share some of that love.

It’s been a week where I’ve had no idea what day it is, sometimes that’s been bliss but mostly it’s been annoying and confusing. It’s amused my work colleagues though, especially when asking what day it was on Monday. I seem to be over-busy at work and i’m putting it down to that, rather than anything more serious.

But some serious downtime is needed - and will hopefully happen - this weekend. I have finally, started to edit my photos from our trip to Portugal, and this week’s photo is one of those. It’s from the garden of one of the restaurants we ate in in Lisbon, and I’ve a post coming on the whole restaurant in the next week or so.

Blogger Showcase: Robin from Mastering the Side Jam

1 Who are you?

My name is Robin, I’m in my mid-forties, and have two sons who are in their twenties. I’m actually their step-mom, but I’m the one who raised them from when they were toddlers. I have a full-time job, so do my blogging on nights and weekends. Other than that, you can find me hanging out with my two bulldogs or reading a good book.

2 How did you discover blogging?

I discovered blogging accidentally, when I was looking around on the internet for survey companies to try. I’d been doing surveys for years, back before there was an internet! You’d actually get them in the mail, fill them out, mail them back -- and then you’d eventually receive a paper check. It’s sooo much easier now to do it online. One of the posts I read talked about blogging to make money -- and I thought, I could probably write a blog post about doing surveys. Why not try it?

3 Why did you start blogging?

Initially, my main goal was money-focused. But as I started learning more about building my website, optimizing for SEO, writing content directed to my audience -- all of those aspects were just so interesting to me, that I wanted to learn and do more. As of right now, I’ve created (and am trying to maintain) four different blogs. Which is insane, because I totally cannot handle it all -- but it’s just so amazing and fun to do!

4 What do you find most challenging?

The most challenging piece for me is definitely the social interaction. I’m an introvert, and I have social anxiety so I get really anxious in networking situations. Even over the internet -- you’d be surprised how intimidating it can be to even reach out to someone via Twitter or email. I’m someone who is comfortable working independently. However, that’s not the way of the blogging world, which is something I learned several months into the process. You need support, interaction, and you definitely need to be a team player.

5 What is your favourite topic to write about?

I love to write about personal experiences, especially when it comes to finding your voice or coming into your own. While the topic isn’t directly related to finances or money (which is my niche), I firmly believe mindset definitely dictates your success in all things. And that includes confidence, health, relationships, and also finances.

6 Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?

While blogging is fun for me, and I can’t imagine giving it up -- I do have goals. I’d like to build my brand into a small-scale business. Enough to supplement my income, since I don’t imagine leaving my day job. (But I mean -- if that happened, I’d be over the moon!) Right now, I’d like to be able to earn money consistently, to maintain my blogs, pay a bunch of bills, grow a nest egg, and not have to worry about the future.

7 What is your favourite thing about blogging?

My favorite thing about blogging is the creative process. When you think about the thousands (or millions?) of blogs out there, all with different content. All of these ideas emanated from someone’s imagination, or experiences. Some content may be similar, but none are exactly the same.

8 Have you ever attended a blogging conference, and if so what did you think?

I attended FinCon 2018 in Orlando, Florida, USA. It was my very first conference, and it was a doozy. For a socially anxious introvert, being dropped into this frenzy of 2,200 people networking, collaborating, and partying -- let’s just say it was a bit more than what I was ready for. Especially since I didn’t know anyone else there. But I believe every challenge makes us stronger, so I look forward to the next conference I’m able to attend. Plus I know more people now, so won’t be quite as uncomfortable as before.

9 What are your three best posts?

10 Describe yourself in 3 words

Introspective. Curious. Loyal.

11 Are you a tea and biscuits or a coffee and cake person?

Coffee and cake, most definitely. And if it’s ice cream cake, even better!

12 What’s your idea of the perfect night out?

Small group of people, a casual dinner at a nice restaurant, maybe a movie or broadway show afterwards

13 And the perfect night in?

Winter time, it’s snowing outside (and I don’t need to go anywhere), fire blazing in the fireplace, reading a book or watching a good movie, with my two puppies next to me.

14 What would your best friend/OH/mum or kids say is your best quality?

My organizational skills. I’m usually very prepared, make lists for everything, and like to think scenarios through prior to making decisions. Definitely not a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants sort of gal.

Thanks Robin for sharing more about you and your blog, and I’m so glad you got in touch with us over Twitter. You can connect with Robin on her social channels here: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest.

If you’d like to be a future Blogger Showcase then please send your answers to our questions to either Morgan and I - it’d be great to feature you and your blog.

Immerse yourself in a sensory experience this August

August 1, 2019

Gardening is good for you and can provide your own private sensory experience when you fill your garden with plants that excite the senses. Whether that’s colour, scent, flavours, tactile appeal or just their calming rustling and movement, which are just a few ways we benefit from having plants in our lives.

Plants can create vibrant and stimulating gardens for play and entertaining, using bold shapes and bright colours that stimulate the senses. In complete contrast though plants can also be used to make calming, private and secluded spaces. A tranquil garden that calms the senses can provide the perfect place to sit and relax, and in turn help relieve stress and improve our mental health and wellbeing.

Colour plays a big part in garden design, bold colours like yellow, orange and red are vibrant and uplifting. Colours like blue, mauve, violet and green are more calming, and are good to use for areas designed for rest and relaxation.

Tall, dense boundary hedges and planting can reduce annoying noise from roads and neighbours and create a feeling of shelter and protection. But sound is important too in a sensory garden, perhaps it’s the wind gently rocking and rustling the branches of trees, a robin perched high-up entertaining with its song, bees busily collected pollen, or the calming sound of trickling water.

All gardens though have the power to heal and contribute to a healthier and happier life, and I’m sure that your garden, like mine, also provides exercise as well as a sense of achievement, when it’s finally a little more under control. I mean, a garden’s never really done is it?

Research has highlighted how valuable contact with plants is to our health, both through the beauty and colour, or non-visual stimulation of touch, taste, smell or hearing the natural sounds around us. A multi-sensory garden evokes a direct physiological response both consciously and unconsciously, affecting our mood, relieving stress, evoking memories, relieving boredom, stimulation conversation or just by tapping into the healing power of nature.

Quiet ‘me time’

Silent Space is a project promoting peaceful time in green and tranquil spaces, somewhere to switch off your phone, escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and let your body and mind wander. Several gardens are supporting this initiative, and there could be a garden close to you.

Plants to excite the senses

Virtually every plant will stimulate one sense or another, so whether you’re looking for something colourful, tactile, fragrant or flavoursome there are plants available to enjoy throughout the year. Be creative by developing displays along paths and around areas where you sit, so you can get up close to the plants you choose.

Sensory plants include:

Tactile plants: plants with soft, hairy or textured leaves, stems or bark such as ornamental grasses, Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’, Santolia, Jerusalem Sage and Lamb’s Ear.
Scented plants: plants with fragrant flowers and foliage such as Lavender, scented leaf Pelargoniums, Catnip and Wormwood.
Swaying and rustling plants, such as tall, graceful ornamental grasses like Miscanthus, Stipa, Pampas grass and Bamboo.
Tasty plants including culinary herbs like sage, thyme, chives, parsley, basil and ornamental angelica, plus fruits from trees and bushes, soft fruits like strawberries, and vegetable crips and delicious salad leaves which grown in your own garden, will have very low airmiles.

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