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michaelcookegardendesign

Half of my working days are in the studio with the Half of my working days are in the studio with the rest in the field. This week I revisited a couple on a small acreage on the coast that chose to work through their garden in a series of ongoing projects, rather than a complete design. What began as a sweeping pencil line on our first meeting became a row of timber stakes hammered into the ground on the next. Mike and Kerrie then collected branches from around the neighbourhood and using posts from an old cattle yard and vineyard wove them into the most beautiful fence which leads the eye to the lower paddock. I love this unique collaboration of ideas. 
Thanks for the excellent biscotti and espresso.
Next the vegetable garden
#australiangarden #recycle #garden #lovemyjob
Occasionally weekends are filled with exciting pla Occasionally weekends are filled with exciting places to go and new things to do, most are spent at home in the garden where growth is slowing down allowing me time to get out into the paddocks. Fallen branches have been cut and chipped for mulch or saved for firewood. Summer pruning have been burnt, and I’ve just cut a hedge that hasn’t been looked at for years and the fine ash from the pile that’s now smouldering from my early start will nourish new vegetable gardens next year. Every year Glenn @dgbrothersrural replaces damaged fence rails and posts and I find a real satisfaction knowing our property is loved and in excellent repair. #simplepleasures
Pony’s out in their paddocks, stables cleaned, and Pony’s out in their paddocks, stables cleaned, and the garden gently folding itself into autumn. #autumngarden #australiangardendesign #australiangardens
Last night we lit the fire outside for the first t Last night we lit the fire outside for the first time this season and sat with friends drinking champagne under the wisteria before dinner looking over the garden while the light faded, and the solar fairy lights twinkled on - it’s a special time of year. The  temperature cools and the garden finds its rhythm, it’s the season for Salvia, early Camellias and grasses, and I wonder why they aren’t growing in more gardens. #autumn #salvia #australiangarden
This morning Colleen Southwell aka @thegardencurat This morning Colleen Southwell aka @thegardencurator wrote that she had abandoned herself to the season, and was letting herself go to seed and aging gracefully - just like her garden, and I’ve all but done the same. My garden is running its own race and there’s not much I care to do about it. It’s wet outside, soon I’ll put the horses out in their paddocks and then continue reading @galah.press no. 14. It’s a wonderful issue, not just because our garden is featured - every article is beautifully written and photographed and I’ve got hours to while away until Easter lunch @thespringspeatsridge
As the mornings become a little cooler Japanese wi As the mornings become a little cooler Japanese windflowers are rising from scorched summer foliage to brighten our days. I grow two cultivars, Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ which is tall and white, and A. ‘Bowles Pink’ with pink flowers and wonderful dark purple stems. They prefer good soil, dappled light and regular moisture, but mine grow in full sun, and often dry out - and they survive. #anemonehonorinejobert #anemonebowlespink
Water droplets like diamonds in the muhly grass, m Water droplets like diamonds in the muhly grass, mist shrouds the garden, over the garden to the paddocks the roofline of the stables is just visible. When I finish my second espresso I’ll lead the horses out, clean their stables. Sunday begins
#autumn 
#mistymorning 
#muhlygrass 
#sundaymorning
I fed the ponies early in the dark, and then went I fed the ponies early in the dark, and then went back to bed. Later I woke to raindrops in the down pipe, roused myself with coffee and a walk in the garden in light misty rain. It’s a contemplative sort of day, I’m onto my second espresso - today the weeds and the garden can wait. #amaranthuscaudatus #miscanthuscabaret #topiary #pomegranates #trachycarpuslatisectus
I know, I know @glenmorehouse and @the_garden_at_m I know, I know @glenmorehouse and @the_garden_at_moorfield I’m late to the party, but in the past, growing vegetables has been too much effort with too many bugs, birds and critters eating them before we do but I thought I’d give it another go and I’m so glad I did. Every day there are aubergine and zucchini to pick (ok maybe I planted too many) I’m ridiculously happy to see watermelon swelling and butternut pumpkins close to ripening, and in the orchard Valencia I oranges and pomegranate are colouring up. I’m as proud as a new father, Mickey and Pip I’m converted. #growyourfood #growyourownveggies
It’s been a summer of relentless heat, but the wea It’s been a summer of relentless heat, but the weather has been kinder to us here than  many others for which I’m grateful. There’ll be plenty more hot days when I’ll work under sunny skies and swim in the pool, but already the sun is rising an hour later, there are tiny cyclamen flowers appearing on the driveway ( thank you Wendy @thecheekyscrubwren ) and just this morning I caught a whiff of apricot scented Osmanthus. By the front gate there’s a half hidden clump of old fashioned pink belladonna lilies, they’re so nothing I forget about it all year, besides the two or three weeks it blooms and I bury my face once more to delight in it’s unique ‘pink’ fragrance. #amaryllis #amaryllisbelladonna #osmanthusaurantiacus #cyclamenhederaceae #summergarden
No matter how hard we pushed on our own we could n No matter how hard we pushed on our own we could never get all the hedges trimmed and topiary finished before the last weekends birthday celebration, so I made a phone call and @laura.munt and @meganjanedesign_  cancelled their prior plans and came to our rescue. Hats off to ladies, I admire your mastery of the blade - a magnificent job in splendid time!
Up earlier than usual on a Sunday, second espresso Up earlier than usual on a Sunday, second espresso cup has been licked clean - the early morning air is fresh, the menagerie fed. Our household sleeps, it’s just me and the dogs. In a moment I’ll wander down and water the nursery and potted herbs on the terrace and make preparation for the incoming summer heat…stay cool my friends. #sunday #sundaymorning #australiansummer
With precipitation after extreme heat just when we With precipitation after extreme heat just when we were getting desperate, the garden is looking happy. 
Lilies are the beauty queens of my garden and this summer they’re stealing the show. 
The terracotta pots atop the bamboo stakes are there just because I like the way they look, and I have hundreds of them stored in my tool shed, which unused are otherwise taking up valuable shelf space. #lilium #liliumscarletdelight #liliummissfeya #liliumlancifolium  #summergarden #australiangarden
We all knew we were going to swelter today- and we We all knew we were going to swelter today- and we did. Up before the light to water the pots and nursery and some extra time with a hose to keep the garden happy. Water bowls and birdbaths filled for the wild creatures. 
We sat talking about the day’s happenings under the pergola shaded by the wisteria sipping a gin a tonic, and later followed the last light tonight to the orchard where the path is bordered with tall bronze fennel in flower and seed where the air is aniseed scented to the white Leonotis. #summer #summergarden #australiangarden #foeniculumvulgarepurpureum #leonotisharrowsmithwhite
New years storm New years storm
The Christmas ham and pudding is finished - there The Christmas ham and pudding is finished - there is space once more in the fridge.
This past holiday season has mostly been spent at home, and close by with friends, not doing anything particularly special. 
We brought home Cathy’s horse from the trainers last week and we were fortunate that friends allowed us to foster their old Shetland pony Willow Waterman to keep young Minky company. It’s good to have horses in our paddocks again.
Lately I’ve been unsettled, but realised yesterday I have it all. 
We design amazing gardens and landscapes I’m proud of. 
I have family and good friends I love dearly, and I am loved in return.
We’ve been pulling weeds and reworking tired parts of the garden - digging up and transplanting, and I’m growing more of our own food…there are pumpkins and watermelons growing in the orchard and below the nursery - and more eggs collected from our own hens each day than we can eat.
We have wrapped protective bags around dozens of quinces so with a little luck I can make jelly again later this summer - and the king parrots can have what’s left.
Valencia oranges are almost ripe on the tree, and there’s a big pot of basil that we pick the tips from almost every evening growing near the kitchen.
Last night after we fed the ponies we picked zucchini flowers from the garden Cathy and her sister stuffed the golden flowers with goat’s cheese and lemon zest, fried them lightly with tempura batter and we drank a few glasses of wine. 
My cup is full, life is good.
Just a few weeks ago the paddocks were parched gol Just a few weeks ago the paddocks were parched golden brown and smelt like straw, and then some rain fell. Not as much as we would have hoped, but enough to send the garden racing once more, and the lilies are breathtaking - and they have only just begun to appear. I love the speckle-faced tiger lilies but the one that has captured my heart this season is  the creamy, gold ‘Miss Peculiar’ which fills the air with waves of perfume. #lilium #liliummisspeculiar #liliumlancifolium #tigerlilies #achillea #perillafrutescens #summergarden #australiangarden #liliumlesliewoodriff
It was a quieter Christmas than usual for us this It was a quieter Christmas than usual for us this year and Cathy made the call that rather than our usual tree we could use the huge Agave stem which was about to open in the front garden, and it worked a treat. Relaxing is a skill I’m yet to perfect - but I’m working on it. Sleeping in is an impossibility so I was up as per usual pre dawn poaching eggs, making toast and cooking up left over ham before taking a walk around the garden with the dogs. Kaiya and I return to the studio and our designs on January 6th, in the meantime I’m going looking to improve my relaxation techniques.
With the studio closed for the year I can finally With the studio closed for the year I can finally unwind and decompress. We had a great day yesterday with a gang of friends here relaxing by the pool, this morning Cathy has headed to the shops to gather provisions and I can wander about the garden just enjoying quiet moments. 
#habranthusrobustus #miscanthustransmorrisonensis #summergarden #australiangarden #bronzefennel #foeniculumvulgarepurpureum
Looking out of the kitchen window last night I sai Looking out of the kitchen window last night I said to Cathy I could actually see the plants growing. 
Rain is a miraculous elixir - the tonic the garden, and I, needed to feel fresh and restored.
Early morning out and about, and before the heat d Early morning out and about, and before the heat dispels the morning mist the light is magical. In the studio we’re on the final push for the year, tying up loose ends, scheduling Christmas deliveries and one last design to work on for the year ends.
#australiansummer #australiangarden #stipaichu #lagerstroemiaacoma and what I think is #poapoiformis ?
I’m onto my second espresso and I’m making mind li I’m onto my second espresso and I’m making mind lists for the morning ahead. It’s been a wild week of dry, windy weather with two days without power or internet and I’m still trying to catch up. If you’ve been trying to contact me, sorry, the studio phone is still out of order. #australiangarden #sunday #ornamentalgrasses  #stipaichu #gaurabellezawhite #achilleamillefolium #achilleablush
There’s a beautiful stillness in the garden on mis There’s a beautiful stillness in the garden on misty mornings. The racehorse tree is heavy with gold, currawong and azure kingfishers are calling. #tipuanatipu #dontaskmewhatthebromeliadiscalled #angophorahispida  #mistymorning #sundaymorning☀️
Every year I make mind notes with ways I can impro Every year I make mind notes with ways I can improve the garden on the entry terrace. Some years I let the bronze fennel and purple perilla get above themselves because I like the way they look early to mid season - and they smother the grasses. Last winter I got tough on the thugs, simply replanted some more #panicumvirgatumrotstrahlbusch  #gaurabellezawhite #stipaichu This year, so far, it’s on track and I love the way it looks when I close the studio door and head inside for the evening.
Years ago my friend Barbara gave me a handful of s Years ago my friend Barbara gave me a handful of sweet pea seeds saved from plants she had grown herself; they were the wonderful fragrant old species  Lathyrus matucana. There’s something primal about pushing a seed into the ground. Then the wait until it appears, the nurture as it’s watered, wrapped in protective rabbit proof wire and then training the early tender explorative tendrils onto sticks before they can look after themselves. They’re old fashioned, maybe a bit daggy, but their abundance makes them perfect to cut and bring into the kitchen so their colour can brighten our lives and scent can be enjoyed in a vase or glass of water. Thanks Pip @the_garden_at_moorfield for telling me about @veggieandflowergardenseeds . #sweetpeas #seeds #lathyrus #springflowers🌸 ##fragrantflowers
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michaelcookegardendesign

Australian garden designer and author with a love of design, art, plants, wine and horses. I live north of Sydney with a large garden & home studio.

Half of my working days are in the studio with the Half of my working days are in the studio with the rest in the field. This week I revisited a couple on a small acreage on the coast that chose to work through their garden in a series of ongoing projects, rather than a complete design. What began as a sweeping pencil line on our first meeting became a row of timber stakes hammered into the ground on the next. Mike and Kerrie then collected branches from around the neighbourhood and using posts from an old cattle yard and vineyard wove them into the most beautiful fence which leads the eye to the lower paddock. I love this unique collaboration of ideas. 
Thanks for the excellent biscotti and espresso.
Next the vegetable garden
#australiangarden #recycle #garden #lovemyjob
Occasionally weekends are filled with exciting pla Occasionally weekends are filled with exciting places to go and new things to do, most are spent at home in the garden where growth is slowing down allowing me time to get out into the paddocks. Fallen branches have been cut and chipped for mulch or saved for firewood. Summer pruning have been burnt, and I’ve just cut a hedge that hasn’t been looked at for years and the fine ash from the pile that’s now smouldering from my early start will nourish new vegetable gardens next year. Every year Glenn @dgbrothersrural replaces damaged fence rails and posts and I find a real satisfaction knowing our property is loved and in excellent repair. #simplepleasures
Pony’s out in their paddocks, stables cleaned, and Pony’s out in their paddocks, stables cleaned, and the garden gently folding itself into autumn. #autumngarden #australiangardendesign #australiangardens
Last night we lit the fire outside for the first t Last night we lit the fire outside for the first time this season and sat with friends drinking champagne under the wisteria before dinner looking over the garden while the light faded, and the solar fairy lights twinkled on - it’s a special time of year. The  temperature cools and the garden finds its rhythm, it’s the season for Salvia, early Camellias and grasses, and I wonder why they aren’t growing in more gardens. #autumn #salvia #australiangarden
This morning Colleen Southwell aka @thegardencurat This morning Colleen Southwell aka @thegardencurator wrote that she had abandoned herself to the season, and was letting herself go to seed and aging gracefully - just like her garden, and I’ve all but done the same. My garden is running its own race and there’s not much I care to do about it. It’s wet outside, soon I’ll put the horses out in their paddocks and then continue reading @galah.press no. 14. It’s a wonderful issue, not just because our garden is featured - every article is beautifully written and photographed and I’ve got hours to while away until Easter lunch @thespringspeatsridge
As the mornings become a little cooler Japanese wi As the mornings become a little cooler Japanese windflowers are rising from scorched summer foliage to brighten our days. I grow two cultivars, Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ which is tall and white, and A. ‘Bowles Pink’ with pink flowers and wonderful dark purple stems. They prefer good soil, dappled light and regular moisture, but mine grow in full sun, and often dry out - and they survive. #anemonehonorinejobert #anemonebowlespink
Water droplets like diamonds in the muhly grass, m Water droplets like diamonds in the muhly grass, mist shrouds the garden, over the garden to the paddocks the roofline of the stables is just visible. When I finish my second espresso I’ll lead the horses out, clean their stables. Sunday begins
#autumn 
#mistymorning 
#muhlygrass 
#sundaymorning
I fed the ponies early in the dark, and then went I fed the ponies early in the dark, and then went back to bed. Later I woke to raindrops in the down pipe, roused myself with coffee and a walk in the garden in light misty rain. It’s a contemplative sort of day, I’m onto my second espresso - today the weeds and the garden can wait. #amaranthuscaudatus #miscanthuscabaret #topiary #pomegranates #trachycarpuslatisectus
I know, I know @glenmorehouse and @the_garden_at_m I know, I know @glenmorehouse and @the_garden_at_moorfield I’m late to the party, but in the past, growing vegetables has been too much effort with too many bugs, birds and critters eating them before we do but I thought I’d give it another go and I’m so glad I did. Every day there are aubergine and zucchini to pick (ok maybe I planted too many) I’m ridiculously happy to see watermelon swelling and butternut pumpkins close to ripening, and in the orchard Valencia I oranges and pomegranate are colouring up. I’m as proud as a new father, Mickey and Pip I’m converted. #growyourfood #growyourownveggies
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