My tips for a cosy southern highlands winter

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Winter in the Southern Highlands .. an easy 90 minutes south west of Sydney (out of peak hour) … is my favourite time of year.  More akin to a northern hemisphere winter and every bit as enjoyable, once you have geared up for it.  I have to admit that I did freeze during my first couple of winters.
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The first step is to invest in good quality blankets ..  and I don’t think you can go past  beautiful Waverley blankets.  They are always coming up with a new collection and the latest colours to feature rather than hide under a bedspread.
My very favourite thing to do when returning home to the Highlands after a trip to Sydney is to make sure that the wood basket is full to overflowing .. even if it means many trips to the wood pile .. quite a pleasurable task.  You never know what you will discover in the garden along the way .. so much can change from week to week.  This week it was the snowdrops …
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Of course a stylish wood basket is a must.  Dirty Janes is a your first stop for a traditional basket or Cloth and General for a more contemporary version.  Koskela in Sydney would offer something creative.
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It goes without saying that an inviting ambience is essential and this is all about cosy furnishings, the right fabrics and of course an open fire.  Don’t be afraid of a little glamour … a chandelier is never out of place.
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And I will end on a practical note .. always have curtains made with a bumph lining (layers of flannelette will do the job).  This will guarantee that the winter chills are kept firmly at bay.
There is nothing like a true winter in our beautiful Southern Highlands.

Bowral weekends … the new design hub

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Bowral in the Southern Highlands now has its very own ‘design hub’. The once neglected bottom end of town is becoming ever so fashionable. My favourite … rabbit trap timber, has a new, larger home that shows off their gorgeous rustic yet contemporary style to perfection.
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Full of recycled and environmentally friendly pieces, the design aesthetic is very much of the moment but with its own unique stamp. Such an interesting mix of beautifully designed furniture and homewares … and found objects.
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I feel I need to keep an eye on the changing scene at rabbit trap timber but look forward to exploring this end of town further next weekend.  In the meantime … back to Sydney !!!

Stylish baroque flowers in bowral, southern highlands

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Oh what a joy to have such a divine little shop in the Southern Highlands. Once renowned for all things stylish and smart the beautiful Highlands has had little to offer in the way of boutique shopping of late.

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The Southern Highlands has seen the likes of Belinda Seper, Peter Chadwick, Jan Weekes and many others, open wonderfully stylish shops … sadly, no longer. This is the sort of boutique shopping that Sydneysiders with weekenders in the Highlands, crave.

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Anyhow, back to Baroque Flowers … it isn’t all about flowers … the shop is full of decorative items such as urns, baskets, glassware and one off antique furniture pieces that compliment the flowers …. and draw you through the door.

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Vanessa is a very clever florist/stylist who creates not only fabulous flowers but beautiful vignettes within this tiny space.  She puts together unusual combinations of flowers and foliage, both strikingly bold and pretty, rustic and classic.  There is always a surprise element.

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Weekend woollens in the highlands

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Another wet and cold weekend in the highlands.  Whatever has happened to our sunny winter days and crystal blue skies.  My memories of winter are those of finding a sunny spot in the garden to sit with a tray … pot of tea, a slice of boiled fruit cake and papers to read … absolute bliss.  Not this year !!  I watch from the window as the first sign of bulbs appear under the trees and yearn for Spring.  Even our sasanqua camellias have rebelled with very few blossoms on show.  I am looking for a lot more colour with the Japonica’s.

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Instead we are cosying up inside with woolly blankets, throw rugs and open fires.

I do love the old fashioned check blankets and seek them out in antique shops.  I found some gorgeous ones at out local antique emporium that had come from Scotland … such interesting colours and so homely.  More than anything I love a blanket stitch edge.  Even more homespun !!

Cath Kidston does wonderful things with vintage blankets … she makes cushions with them and even covers wing back chairs with one or a number of check blankets in patchwork .  They look fabulous.

Maybe our cold wet winter will inspire some of these creative activities … in the meantime I will just bring out that scarf that I started to knit last year but didn’t finish. No doubt Monday morning will bring the sun !!

French and country …. 3 more days !!!

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Hopewood Country House is open again for the Annual Stocktake Sale for French and Country and Suzie Anderson Home.  It was gorgeous to visit at the weekend and also to know that it is on for 3 more days.  So much to see and take in.  Suzie is very clever with her styling … every room delicious to look at … all so tempting.  There were none of the tell tale signs of a sale when I was looking.

The highlands are looking a picture … Suzie’s setting is particularly beautiful  … it is well worth popping in for a viewing or down from Sydney for the morning … and you won’t be disappointed in the delightful morning tea being served.

Stone houses and a weekend in the southern highlands

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Yes another wet weekend in the highlands but it doesn’t seem to have deterred the holiday makers and visitors ….. people everywhere …. impossible to even get a seat in a cafe.

Out of town, however, it is all very atmospheric …. misty rain and wintry landscape …. this is why people come to the highlands !!!

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Driving through the countryside the many dry stone walls that this area is known for, are now more visible …. and seem to go on for miles.

I have always been drawn to houses made of stone …. and there are quite a few in the highlands. They just seem to nestle into the landscape.

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On the inside, exposed stone works best with a soft neutral palette of creams, caramel and greys.

The use of timber whether it be natural, limed or painted ….. compliments or can contrast with the stone beautifully.

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Apart from its beautiful texture, exposed stone has a warmth that brings an interior to life. If a whole house made of stone isn’t possible …. maybe a stone fireplace and hearth is !!

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Autumn in the southern highlands all but over

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I was horrified to return to the beautiful Southern Highlands this weekend to find every jewel coloured leaf had been stripped from the trees in the space of a week. Gale force winds during the week had wreaked havoc !!

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There is not one leaf remaining on our gorgeous trees. We have the perfect autumn garden and usually have the pleasure of weeks on end of autumn colour….not after the week we have just had….freezing conditions and wind.

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 I do have some wonderful photos which I have longingly looked back over this weekend….so will share some I have taken over the last couple of weeks !!! I guess the only thing left to do is start raking, I will only have to do it once.

Autumn starts slowly in the southern highlands

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I am going to drip feed photos of our autumn as it seems to be much slower to progress this year. While there are pockets of wonderful autumn colour that seems in its peak…..other areas are barely starting.  Our maples….the showcase of our garden….have barely started to turn.  Luckily we already have so much other autumn colour to admire….particularly our beautiful smoke bush.

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It seems such a shame to have inclement weather at this time of year because you really do want to be out in the garden admiring it all.  I love finding a sunny spot to set up morning tea….the glow of the sun shining through the yellow and red leaves…..it reminds me of stained glass windows.

The house always looks amazing when you can pick branches of colourful autumn leaves to put in jugs.  Colourful rosehips look equally as good.

With the nip in the air….although already some days are quite cold!!!…..work in the garden seems such a joy.  Any excuse to be out with all the autumn leaves….even if it means hours of endless raking.  It is exhilarating and fabulous exercise I tell myself year after year.

I am never alone out there though…..the families of kookaburras perched close by…..are always on the lookout for worms as you work your way through the leaves raking….raking.  They are never afraid of you….and I find them quite a comfort.

On a less strenuous note, autumn heralds the arrival of our beautiful sasanqua camellias ….. the bushes so old they are enormous. I have bowls of them all through the house ……they don’t last long but that doesn’t worry me a bit …..there is an endless supply down in the garden.

A touch of autumn in the highlands

 

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I am not sure if it is psychological or not but as soon as those clocks get put back ….. the days seem to close in all too quickly and autumn is here !!! In fact autumn on a cool day in the highlands can seem awfully wintery.  The leaves have turned and already falling….the memory of all that raking comes flooding back.

We do have a good while yet to admire the colour on most of our trees.  I am not sure where the falling leaves are actually coming from except the Silver Birch which is always the first….and the messiest due to its huge height.  I seem to remember our garden being at its most colourful by Mothers Day. We often have lunch outdoors so that we can enjoy the garden and fruits of our labour before the chillier days arrive.

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I have to say I have been a little disappointed by our Virginia Creeper which I planted for its autumn colour.  We have watched it rampantly climb up our north facing wall for two seasons…. looking forward to the turning of the leaves.  Of the two vines, one has turned vibrant red in the space of a week and is now dropping leaves profusely !!! Way too quickly for us to have time to admire it….. the second vine quite lacklustre in the colour stakes.  Just as well we have the Japanese Maples to look forward to.

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Rather than post photos of autumn gardens just yet…. I thought I would get you in the moods for autumn with the thought of snuggly throw rugs, checking your supply of firewood for those cooler autumn evenings, quaint cosy cottages for weekends away and anything in those gorgeous warm earthy tones!!!

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Images: dave coote/pale and interesting

Wet weekends and barbour jackets

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Yes another wet weekend in the Southern Highlands…..in fact most places are wet.  I was reminded just how beautiful the gardens at Milton Park Country House Hotel are when I went on a long walk…..in the rain……all very atmospheric. The trees are some of the oldest of their species in Australia…..beech and avenues of oak.

The view to the east is absolutely spectacular….they are actually higher than Mt Gibralter….hence the misty conditions!!

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Having dealt with the Hunter wellington boots I am now moving on to the Barbour jacket.  Thank you Annabel for the reminder about the Liberty lined Barbours.  Have struggled to find an image of these and the one shown below is not a particularly good example of the prints that are available or the jacket style.

Everybody in the Southern Highlands should own one of these jackets…essential for our climate here.  This year the entire east coast of Australia should treat themselves.

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