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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
I love a road trip, and setting off early this wee I love a road trip, and setting off early this week we passed through Sydney, up and over the Blue Mountains to the Central West through bush, pastureland, small towns (great cake shops/good coffee) and vast ripening fields of wheat and canola. New landscapes, big skies and endless possibilities…
We’ve been all over the place the past week, from We’ve been all over the place the past week, from Canberra to Central West NSW and back, and when I got home I couldn’t wait to stretch my legs, get out walking and see what’s been happening. In the orchard Lilium Tiger Babies are looking g peacy as are the roses and grasses like Pennisetum Tall Tails are stretching upward to claim the light.
#liliumtigerbabies #lilium #pennisetum #pennisetumtalltails #rosapataustin
Lilies are a small indulgence, and whenever I see Lilies are a small indulgence, and whenever I see one in a catalogue I don’t have in my collection it’s almost irresistible. This year I ordered fifteen ‘Tiger Babies’ (the name alone got me) and behind each bulb I hammered a thin bamboo stick. They would probably be self supporting but I stake them anyway, and I cap each length of bamboo with a terracotta pot. I do this mainly because I like the way they look, and I have hundreds of old pots stored in the tool shed. 
#liliumtigerbabies #lillium #lily #spring #springgarden
The skies are rumbling, the storm is close and lig The skies are rumbling, the storm is close and light eerie. 
Computer unplugged in case lightning strikes - fingers are crossed, our garden could do with some rain. 
In my mind the plants in the courtyard look like coral, yet this garden is never watered. 
Intriguing textures and wonderful colours. 
#drygarden #aloefairypink #agavepotatorumkichiokan #agaveblueglow #teucriumfruticans #kalanchoebeharensis #worsleyaprocera #cleistocactusstrausii #aloeplicatilis #opuntiaburbankspineless #podocarpushenkelii
The koels are calling. Summer is here, and like th The koels are calling. Summer is here, and like these migratory birds, friends and friends that are family are arriving from Europe - and just like that, the season begins. In a few days we will greet a group of gardeners travelling with @renaissancetours and in preparation for visitors, Nathan and Issac from @verduousgardens trimmed all the high hedges beautifully whilst I started on the more accessible topiary, helped by the inimitable @laura.munt who wielded the hedge trimmer with the hands of a surgeon.
There’s a divine alchemy in the springtime when th There’s a divine alchemy in the springtime when the jasmine flowers and the air is warm and still. 
Some jasmine are thugs but this starry jasmine with its sweet clove scented fragrance is better behaved than most.
#fragrantflowers #jasmine #jasminummultpartitum #spring #australiangarden
What could be better than a clear morning, the sta What could be better than a clear morning, the start of daylight savings, a little sleep in and a Sunday fuelled of possibilities?
The iris that encircle the pond are in bloom and the koels have arrived on cue, and I heard the first channel-billed cuckoo last week so summer is coming fast on spring’s heels.
#irispseudocorus #spring #springgarden #australiangarden #bunyabunya #araucariabidwillii
I had a hankering for fairy lights last weekend, a I had a hankering for fairy lights last weekend, and spent Sunday afternoon stepping up and down a ladder stretching 150 metres of them from our outdoor fireplace, past the white wisteria to the living room doors. Solar powered they light up like magic as nighttime descends the show begins.
#fairylights #summerready #gardenlighting #australiangarden #springgarden
And just like that spring has arrived and everythi And just like that spring has arrived and everything is in a rush to grow. It reminds me of something garden designer Edna Walling wrote ‘The plants were nice and thick, the ground well covered, and there was an air of wildness about the garden. It was the sort of garden in which you could garden if you wanted to but if you didn’t it would not matter’ (A Gardener’s Log)
I see them every year but when the days grow longe I see them every year but when the days grow longer and the blossoms appear they still warm my heart. The dwarf flowering almond blossom is falling like pink and white confetti and the crab apple is at its best.  Once seen everywhere, now not so often. #malusfloribunda #crabapple #crabappleblossoms #spring #australiangarden
It’s the most perfect morning to be out in the gar It’s the most perfect morning to be out in the garden, and I’ve been out perusing the burgeoning green. I’m well past my second espresso and sitting in the kitchen with a glass of Rondoletia flowers beside me remembering my childhood bedroom where an enormous bush of it grew outside my window. Fragrances take us back. #cliveahiraogreen #podocarpushenkelii #aloeplicatilis #barlettinasordida #spring #springgarden #plantfragrances #sunday #sundaymorning
I wake pre dawn to the melodic tune of butcher bir I wake pre dawn to the melodic tune of butcher birds, later I tip toe down to kitchen for my first espresso and feed the dogs, later when the sun begins to rise I pull on my boots and walk over dewy lawn taking in the garden’s nightly happenings and the miracle of spring. This is my Sunday pattern - second espresso and I’ll plan the day. #spring #magnoliaathene #springblossoms #euphorbialambii
Late last week I drove up and over the Blue Mounta Late last week I drove up and over the Blue Mountains, travelling though Bathurst to Canowindra where with new clients we explored their garden and discussed possibilities (it was a whirlwind tour and I didn’t get my camera out) I love an adventure - becoming familiar with new landscapes,  and coming home I was also excited to see what had happened in our own garden. Believe it or not, two days makes a difference and the garden has awakened.
My home garden was pruned, organised and in good s My home garden was pruned, organised and in good shape for the warmer months, but watching the garden mulched today was icing on the cake. The mulch will control weeds, improve soil texture, increase fertility, conserve moisture when it’s dry - and I love the way it looks. It was a treat, thank Nathan @greenblowertrucks for a job well done
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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.

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
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