Nature-Play for Grown-ups .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

The concept of 'nature play' for children is gaining momentum with recognition of its many cognitive and emotional benefits.  

But Nature-Play for grown-ups?  These days who has time to 'play'; what with work pressures, having time for  family  and then bills to pay, the concept of 'play' seems a little frivolous!  

Yet, if we don't take time-out to be still

and contemplate, preferably in a park or garden,

the business of 'every day' can become overwhelming.

So at 'Edgeworth Lley' we've devised a series of workshops that focus on 'Nature-Play' for adults.

We use therapeutic concepts that enable our minds to rest and allows time to slow down.  

Bringing the flowers in, so to speak, so that we can focus on the moment .. to enjoy some of the simple pleasures we have forgotten as adults.  

Watching petals fall from spent blooms,

stopping to smell the roses 

and discovering that different roses have a range of scents!

To learn nature-based activities, such as how to combine botanicals in skin care, in the kitchen and in flower-craft.

And to recognise that taking time-out in nature is an investment in our health and well-being.

We are planning our 2016 workshops for adults where new skills will be learned, and where

picking a few tiny sprigs of roses with herbs and perennials from the garden, or

making a tiny boutonniere can be one reminder to slow down a little, 

and to on purpose 'smell the roses'. 

Companions for Roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Did you know that our heirloom roses thrive on having companions?  We plant lots of perennials, biennials and herbs at the feet of our roses.  This suppresses weeds and shades the roots of the roses in our hot summers, keeping their roots nice and cool. 

Some of our favourite perennials and herbs to use are Feverfew with little daisy flowers and button noses.  The flowers of Feverfew make a lovely herbal tea too!

And who can go past the lovely, lemon-scented thyme. Stepping on this herb releases the freshest, sweetest aroma.  We have two varieties of lemon thyme, dark green and variegated.  Right now both varieties are covered in tiny pink flowers and the bees are in heaven!

Some of the larger shrubs we grow with our roses need to be pruned now and then.  Right now we're allowing the gorgeous purple plumes of colour on our Buddleja davidii to dominate.  And the fragrance perfumes the garden for many metres!

One of the surprises in our garden is the lovely white Evening Primrose (Oenothera sp. 'Alba').  Despite it's delicate appearance, it is very hardy and provides a ground hugging cover constantly in flower.  A real treasure. 

And one of our very favourites that we can't live without is the furry leaved lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina).  We need to replace this from our stock plants from time to time during seasons of continuous rain, but it quickly bounces back and provides a lovely edge to the garden bed.

Best of all, each of the perennials and shrubs we grow with our roses also look lovely in posies!  

Which is why we constantly propagate our favourite perennials so that we always have spares, just in case!  And from time to time we offer some of our favourite perennials at our Farm Gate specials for those lucky enough to live in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia!

So perennials are companions that the heirloom roses (and we) can't live without, really!  

Behind the Scenes - Creating Fairytales .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

One of the joys of growing heirloom roses for a living is the abundance of a beautiful and fragrant resource that helps make fairy-tales come true.  

And creating fragrant coronets for little flower-girls is one of those especially joyous things.   Tiny pink Mlle Cecile Brunner and Pink Prosperity roses brim with fragrance. Scatter with sweetly flowering lemon thyme sprigs, gossamer like gypsophilla and silver acacia leaves, all gathered from among the heirloom roses and tie with an antique fairy-pink ribbon. 

It is these moments that bring an extra layer of joy into the garden, especially for very special occasions.  And working with this bounty is just lovely ..

But the realities behind the scenes of growing a large garden of fragrant heirloom roses with perennials and annuals is not always immediately evident.  Especially if visitors see a bounty of roses and think there might be a few spare to 'give away'. Sometimes it can be very hard to say 'no' to polite requests for 'just a few roses that you can spare' , or even 'just a little bag of rosebuds' for free, of course.

But like any business, there are hidden costs, not the least being time and labour. Maintaining the roses and a large country garden costs much effort and resources, not to mention purchasing high quality heirloom rose plants from specialist growers.  

Weeding and mulching are never-ending and time intensive.  Yet these are necessary tasks as our roses are never sprayed with pesticides or fungicides and we keep weeds down through sheet mulching (sometimes with a little extra 'help').   And once these tasks are done, there are a myriad of others, many of which involve sitting behind a computer!!

But these efforts pay off and the garden starts to look respectable again with lovely roses that are safe to smell and even eat.  And we can again gather roses and run more workshops and supply special occasions with posies and other delightful things ...

So next time I'm tempted to be obliging to a polite request for 'just a few spare roses', I need only remind myself why the answer must be a definite 'no'.  

We need our roses to make fairy-tales for little flower-girls come true ..

Rose Soap 'n Lotion Workshop .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

We all love and enjoy the beauty of roses in posies and bouquets..

But, at our November Workshop we will learn about using deliciously fragrant roses in easy to make soap and skincare lotions.  Perfect for Christmas gift giving.

(See our Facebook page, 'Edgeworth Lley' Heirloom Roses for booking details.)  

And because heirloom roses contain their healing properties in their petals .. 

we will be gathering luscious petals from a range of perfumed roses in the rose gardens at 'Edgeworth Lley'.

While fragrance is usually associated with deep pink and dark red roses, 

many of our cream and yellow roses drip with perfume, such as the lovely cream English rose, Windermere.  

Not all heirloom roses smell the same though.  

The variety of fragrances among heirloom roses is endless.  

Some roses smell like violets, others have a scent of myrrh or even citrus, while others smell just like raspberries ..

So during the Workshop we will wander through the garden and do a fragrance sniff test of the roses.  Each Workshop participant will make their own unique blend of fragrances for their lotions 'n potions to take home with them.  

And because we never spray pesticides on our roses, there may be some little surprises hiding among the petals .. 

Which makes our roses safe to sniff and use in home-made lotions that smell beautiful and are made from natural ingredients ..

A Children's Garden of Imagination .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

A garden is a wonderful place where children can fire up their imaginations with nature as their inspiration; building healthy neural pathways in growing, active brains.  And creating happy memories that are triggered in adulthood by the sight, smells and sounds of nature. 

In a garden, with no poisonous sprays, children are safe to wander barefoot among the shrubs and flowers, climb low-hanging trees, make trails of leaves, and play-make in a world of their imagination. 

Are their garden faiiries (or scary fire-breathing dragons) hiding in the shadows over there?    Sssssh, in case we wake them up ..

 .. A tiny rose bud filled with morning dew suddenly becomes a royal chalice for imaginary faiiries to sip from ..

.. And tiny, little cobwebs sparkling with dew drops are now jewel encrusted necklaces for garden faiiries ..

.. Lying on the green grass, staring up at the sky dappled with climbing roses, imagining life in faraway countries, or even galaxies .. 

.. Making up stories and using tiny rose blossoms as finger puppets ..

.. Spying a spotted ladybird hiding next to a fat rosebud ..

.. Squatting on all fours looking up at flowers growing upside down!  How does that happen .. ?

Burying a small nose in a perfumed rose and breathing in gulps of fragrance .. 

.. the stuff of memories that last a life-time.

What does a Rose-craft Workshop look like? - Heirloom Roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

What does a Rose-craft Workshop look like at Edgeworth Lley?

At our latest Rose-craft Workshop we celebrated Spring by gathering a group of women together to create  a mixed Spring Posy of heirloom roses.

We started the morning by walking through the garden and selecting heirloom roses.  Then we placed these up to their necks in water to let the roses 'condition' while we refreshed ourselves with morning tea.  Usually this is held in the garden, but because it was raining a little, we sat on the verandah and looked out over the garden.

Then it was onto learning a few tips on creating a uniquely personal posy with the heirloom roses and herbs chosen from the garden.  Because our roses are fragrant and release their perfume as you work with them, the creation of a  posy is especially memorable and joyous.

And choosing a gorgeous antique ribbon to tie your posy with is a lovely way to accessorise your creation.

There are always roses left over, and these can be used in even more lovely creations. The range of things we can make with roses is almost endless .. it's not just posies and bouquets!!  At future workshops we will be looking at rose soaps and roses in the kitchen.

But back to the Spring Posies.  Along with learning how to combine  herbs and perennials with the roses, there are new 'weed' flowers to learn about too! Who would have thought clover had such lovely flower-heads?

And as the morning closes everyone shares their experience of making their unique creation .. and proudly takes a little snap or two.  

Finally, it's time to show off those lovely creations, each one unique and different, but all lovely!  After another quick refreshment, it's time to gather up the beautiful blooms and take them home.  And often we get even more pictures sent to us once they reach home!!  

And that's what a Rose-craft Workshop looks like .. A lovely way to spend a morning as a treat for yourself or you and a few friends.  

Creating with fragrant, heirloom roses is good for the soul!!!