Searching for inspiration in the garden.

How many 'rooms' can  you create....or dream of creating in your garden?

How I wish I had this tranquil courtyard at home?

Living with this heat in Cape Town recently, we have all been driven to find cool, shady spots for some relief from the heat. Herewith my inspiration and dreams................. 


Every garden should be blessed with the sound of trickling water.....cool and tranquil, to calm one's mind and refresh the soul.


I can clearly remember a lecture during my studies by an architect who believed in designing his homes with a central courtyard, with a pool, and all the living quarters flowed off the central, communal area......as the Roman's designed in ancient times. 

Take the inside, out......and enjoy entertaining outside in the peaceful setting of  the garden. The perfect  way to start the day with friends and family.....a breakfast on the patio.

Create a Lunar garden....best enjoyed when the moon is bright........plant grey foliage, white flowering plants and a touch of purple or blue.....it can be mystical and magical.

Use agapanthus and lavender as your purple and blue component in the Lunar garden.

Lanterns create added atmosphere....especially  at night when viewing your Lunar  garden!

These magical lanterns were bought in Turkey. They are made out of gourds and have beads inserted into holes drilled into the dry gourd. How beautiful are they?

Create a tropical setting using Palm trees and Banana trees.....and it helps if  you are lucky enough to live with the sea as the perfect backdrop!

Any deserving cook dreams of the perfect Potager where herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and edible flowers are grown. Here again it is fascinating to look at the origin of this type of garden......Monks used to plant medicinal herbs as well as vegetables side by side for daily use.

We should all go back to nature and cultivate our own herbs, salads ingredients, fruits and vegetables.

Fennel flowers always add a wonderful, sunny splash of colour to any herb garden...and the bees love them too!

Mint will always be lush, juicy and green if grown near a source of water....or as with this one, in a pot placed under a leaky overflow pipe!

Fragrant Lemon Verbena, another must for any herb garden.  Crush the dried leaves and place in your linen cupboard to keep it fragrant and to deter the fish moths.

This clove scented Perennial Basil also loves water and  also attracts the bees to the herb patch.
I always include this in my herbal tussie mussie's .....and everyone knows I am coming, as they can smell my herbs  before they see me!!!

Happy gardening, until our next inspirational gardening encounter!

I leave you with a Sunflower Smile...............they always make me feel good, bright and happy!!!