Spring into things

Packing it in

This month I’ve been playing with patterns and folds, making some cute packaging for flower seeds.

I used a custom dieline template from Sow n’ Sow. A dieline is a flat version of a 3D package. As you can see, it looks quite different from the finished product, so there’s a bit of brain strain working out where all the cuts and folds go, and how the print is configured. Let’s just say there are a lot of prototypes scattered around my studio – my play time as I worked out the scale.

I’m really happy with the final design, and these cuties will be strutting their stuff at the upcoming York Botanic Art Exhibition opening on November 2. A gorgeous gift if you can get hold of one!

Window dressing

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen and I love it, except for one thing: the uninspiring view of my neighbours’ plumbing, and an unsightly hole in the fence.

A recent retreat in Western Australia’s wildflower country ignited an idea: a ‘floral curtain’. So this month I’m showing you how to make one using the colours of spring – whether you have something to hide, or you just want to pimp a window for fun.

You’ll need: some malleable but sturdy wire, garden snippers and an assortment of dried florals and edibles. I’ve used pink everlastings, white tea tree, yellow Morrison featherflowers and some edible favourites; purple garlic, bay leaves and dried red chillies.

Use the wire to string bundles of blooms together down the length of your window, and attach at the top. You can also fashion some wiry ‘squiggles’ resembling twigs and stems, to add a bit of texture and whimsy.

There are no real rules – just go where the florals take you!

So blue

You know it’s spring when you start to see the gorgeous blue-blue of cornflowers.

They’re beginning to blossom in my paperbark hanging baskets. I love looking at the incredible detail in their petals, and their colour always astonishes me. They seem to like the semi-sunny spots, only need an occasional drink (once established), and are hardy enough for the dry, depleted soil which often typifies hanging baskets. They’re quite unfussy, but they do like it when I add a little wire support – something to lean on when they get too tall. They can grow up to 90cm high.

Bonus: the edible petals can be used fresh or dry as food confetti, mixed into cream cheese, sprinkled into salads, or added to rice paper rolls for a pop of blue.