How glorious a summer so far! Forever immortalised and linked with Van Gogh, the mighty sunflower, Helianthus annuus, epitomises happiness, sunshine and a perfect symbol for celebrating a long, hot summer… of skipping and twirling, of giggles and knowing smiles on the green, of that easy abandonment that steals our hearts and goes hand in hand with outdoor living. What summer flower or plant captivates your heart and imagination and has you swooning?
Read MoreGillian Goodson Garden & Landscape Design
Discover articles on garden design, seasonal planting tips for your garden and other news and views from Gillian Goodson Designs.
Head over heels with the countryside
Dorothea Mackellar’s iconic poem My Country shares her love of Australia. Mackellar’s yearning for Australia is one that I can relate to, having lived there for many years. However, I am reminded of the first stanza of her poem, one that is often overlooked:
Read MoreFrom high heels to wellies
Having worked in the legal profession for more than a decade, I fondly recall the moment I told my father that I was hanging up my heels and donning wellies instead!
Read MoreThe arrival of summer
Throw back the covers! Open the curtains! Jump for joy – summer is here! There are predictions for a long, hot summer to rival that of 1976. Whether we remember the summer of ’76 would be telling!
Read MoreThe beauty of nature
Birds flying high, You know how I feel.
Sun in the Sky, You know how I feel…
It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day.
It’s a new life… And I’m feeling good.
Whether you’re a fan of Michael Bublé or Nina Simone, let these lyrics set the tempo for May. Nature is bursting with life and activity, don’t be left behind, join in and let its heady warmth carry you from spring to summer. Languor in its dreaminess and cherish the explosion of blossom.