Garden design

 Although summer is far away where I am now, I am dreaming myself away and summer is in my heart. There's no hiding that I prefer the warmer months of the year and this is one of the reasons I moved south from Sweden to Italy some 8 years ago. This is the 3rd country I've lived in, 8th city, and I think this is my 17th home which surely won't be the last. Every place has given me something very unique which I treasure and has made me to be the person I am today.
My time in Australia as a kid surely brought on my passion for the outdoors. Outdoor sports, spending time in the veggie patch, tending to the garden. My degree in Architecture led to an interest in Garden design. A good garden design according to me is when the space is used in an optimized way, despite its size. Where it can have a multifunction, allowing both intimate cozy spaces as well as open spaces adapt for play, a colourful veggie patch as well as the amazing combination of colours and textures given by the choice of vegetation.

A very nice way to organize a small garden. Creating different seating spaces. It is a little bit too paved up for my taste but the combination of the wood, cement with the grey tiles works very nicely. I'm not sure what's inside the little room in the corner, but wouldn't it be nice if it was a sauna. The pond outside could be a dipping pool and I would also put an outdoor shower. Perhaps a fireplace in the middle of the seating area at the back?

This pavillion in the Chelsea Flower tries to resemble The Barcellona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe. The pebbles in the shallow pond combined with the cement of the building. A winning concept. Here they combine these "harsh" materials with soft vegetation and sweet white flowers. The combination of the Veronica (?) spiral flowers coming out of the otherwise orderly row of flowers, gives a unruley touch despite the otherwise geometrical shapes.

I like the patterns created in this flowerbed. Very sweet.

This was the Australian pavilion at the Chelsea Garden Show. The typical burnt Xanthorrhoea give an amazing dramatical touch. Their seed capsuals resemble tall spears. These are often burnt during the fires in Australia and release their seeds in this extreme heat, letting new life grow shortly after the fires.

This is a very sweet imaginative pavilion. The purple Alliums create a playful touch from the otherwise dull grasses. Also the way the hedges have been pruned to create the center of the flowers is very sweet. I would love to spend an afternoon here with a good book. 

I can see this being a great garden for an office building. Allowing the workers to eat their lunches in small secluded places. Getting an escape to their hectic day. Hearing the sound of the water trickle underneath them.

This is such a nice combination of different plants making it look very natural. Very "english cottage" style garden. Also the combination of materials is clever. Re-using the brick even for the bridge ties it all together.

Very modern. These hanging pots are very sculptural and create a unique feel. I would like it if some of them were used in different ways, for example to have an open fire?

This one gives me warm feelings inside. I see myself in northern europe on a rainy afternoon. Sitting under the roof while hearing the rain outside. The white stemmed Betullas are one of my favourite trees. Here they almost create a second room outside: the stems being the columns and the foliage being the roof. Again a Veronica (?) type flower.  

I found these in a Swedish online magazine, but I forget which one. Oops. Anyway, they're giving tips for a good garden design and they do it well. The combination of materials and spaces is fundamental. Having different "rooms" in a garden created by different heights of the terrain. I don't think the choice of plants are ideal as the colour combinations don't work 100% but as a whole it's definitely nice.

A detail of the combination of the materials

I love the idea of having an open fire in a garden, although this one scares me a bit. Don't want to get distracted and accidentally trip over this fire place. But it does look cozy doesn't it?

Wedding inspiration _ Balls

 Before you start asking why it says balls in the title, calm down! It's nothing dirty! 

Ever since I did a garden design course at university (I do architecture) I fell in love with flowers shaped as balls. Either the whole flower, each petal, the leaves, or the whole plant itself! 

There are many "do it yourself" ideas which don't have to be very expensive, although as with anything you decide to do yourself, time consuming compared to buying them straight away. 

These flower balls can be easily done by yourself or bought at your local florist. Buy a bunch of flowers (almost any flower can be used that has a slightly stiff stem) and a foam ball (those green ones that absorb water that can also be bought at your florist). Cut the stem off leaving just 3cm on each stem.  Start by inserting the flower-stems into the foam ball all around the ball in a circle. Then do another circle in a 90 degree angle compared to the first one, creating a cross. Then fill in the empty spaces. Depending on how big each flower bud is, you will either need just 1, or several flowers to do this last step. 

The flower balls can either be used as table decoration, or aisle decoration as shown on the picture.  Chose a flower that has colours that go in your overall colour theme!

A cute banner in the background for photos. Either behind the newlyweds, on the present table, or as you enter the reception area. 

A rounded ball plant as an alternative placement card and favor. 

A very beautiful wild Australian flower. 

Allium is one of my favorite flowers. It comes in white, lilac and blue. 

A close-up of a Allium flower. 

The craspedia makes a cute little bouquett. The yellow flowers look great when the overall colour theme is black or grey. 

A close-up of the Craspedia bouquett

Why not have some balloons? Either in many different colours or just in the same colours as your overall colour theme. 

Chocolate favours! Yummy!

Make your own tulle pompoms as decoration!

Pimp that shoe! Pimp your shoe with a tulle pompom. 

These string balls can be made by wrapping a balloon with string and using paper mache glue. Pop the balloon and this is your result. A more complete tutorial on how to make these balls, look here. 

Here's a tutorial on how to make these balls! Either use balloons or yoga balls! 

Rice lanterns create a lovely effect for outdoor weddings! They are quite cheap to buy and if you keep your eyes open perhaps someone who has just gotten married is selling theirs off cheaply!