Floral Love

October always involves a visit to Floriade and Tulip Top Gardens to get our seasonal hit of blooms on masse.

First up...Tulip Top. My favourite floral gem tucked in a valley just off the Federal Highway. The best place for a champagne picnic or some poffertjes and coffee amongst the blooms. I met up with friend Amita in the last week of the school term for a child free morning tea and some floral photography. Its become a sort of tradition for us...a kind of 'floral inspired mummy time out' before the spring school hols commence. 

On the first Monday of the school hols we dropped the Husband at his office in the city, parked by the city pool and wandered over the footbridge to Commonwealth Park for a morning at Floriade. It was a really nice layout this year with more levels and layers of flowers and a fabulous kids marquee. We went crazy and bought donuts and a giant bouquet of fairy floss...nothing like a massive sugar hit to kick off the school hols.

Canberra is such a glorious place in Spring.

xx Em.

Blooming Beautiful with Botanica Flora

It's no secret that there are some astoundingly creative women in rural australia. Libby Spencer, founder of Botanica Flora in Orange is just such a women. When I heard that Libby and Belinda were organising a floral workshop in the creative collaboration space at Tomolly, I knew that it would be great fun, not to mention insanely beautiful. The first workshop sold out so quickly that they ended up adding another. It was a privilege to be invited to photograph Lib in her element. She teaches floral design with such warmth and wit. We watched with great interest as Libby gave a demonstration on how to make a foam free floral arrangement, then with the help of Lib and her assistant Tess, we all took the plunge and created our own using the stunning spring blooms and foliage that filled the trestle table in the window.

 

The room was bubbling with banter and laughter as the stunning spring sunshine streamed through the great big heritage windows. 

 Belinda put on incredible spread for us to enjoy with a glass of bubbles at the end of the afternoon. Honestly...this woman is a freaking powerhouse. There were three delectable home-baked cakes and a giant cheese platter, served up on beautiful handmade ceramics from ottimade. It was the perfect way to end the workshop.

I cannot recommend these kind of events enough. Its a chance to hang out with a group of fantastic people in an incredible setting and just...create! An afternoon like this does wonders for the soul. Take a look at the Tomolly Workshops page or Botanica Flora's Instagram for future workshops. There's always something interesting on the horizon.

Thank you Bels and Lib...the ripple effect of your creative collaboration is lasting and beautiful.

xx Em

Tulip Top Treat

School hols have wrapped up and both boys are back in the classroom.

Today was the day to push aside my long list of errands and head up the highway to meet with one of my girlfriends for tea amongst the tulips.

The weather gods turned on THE perfect spring day for us and we spent a few hours in this heavenly little valley snapping away at the flowers, drinking in the view and enjoying kid free conversation with our tea.

Tulip Top is by far my favourite floral hot spot in the Canberra Region. There's something about it that makes Floriade pale in comparison. Its far more relaxed, no matter how busy it gets, there's no feeling like you're stuck in a cattle crush of tourists. The garden is filled with beautiful shade trees and curving flower beds with a myriad of spots to set down a picnic basket and pop open some champagne.

It's open from 9am to 5pm for the rest of this week. I think I'll be heading back again with my boys before it wraps up for another year. 

xx Em