Monday, April 4, 2011

Red Geraniums

I saw this picture in the Marie Claire a few years ago and just loved not only the outfit SJP's wearing, but the beautiful geraniums growing on the balconies at The Hotel De Athenee Paris. (The Eiffel Tower is a giveaway!) So I thought it was high time my inspiration came to fruition with a very long overdue makeover to  my fish pond at the front door.  I've been walking passed it everyday and it will finally get some brightening up and a new look!
Carrie in Paris - Sex in the City
When Brisbane was in drought, we emptied the fish pond and then with having small kids and the perils of having water near our front door/steps it has lay barren for a few years with only a few shells and a few weeds!  Now that we finally have some beautiful sunny days, after all that rain, I'm really enjoying being in the garden.

The Fish pond in it's empty original state
So yesterday I headed out to the Rocklea Markets and was able to get some fabulous "Rouge" coloured Geraniums that are a good size and were such a good price - all in flower.

Geraniums from the Rocklea Markets
I then needed to spruce up my neglected terracotta pots from the driveway.  Firstly I emptied all the old soil and gave them a good wash.  

Before - Terracotta Pot in its original state
Whilst they had a nice aged look I wanted them to be a more subtle colour than the traditional orange terracotta.  So I gave them a milk-wash look by mixing some white acrylic paint with water and painting it onto the pot inside and out and then wiping the excess paint with a wet sponge.

After - Milk Wash Paint affect to give a more subtle tone
Once the pots were dry, it was now time for the planting.  So after carrying the heavy pots up the steps and putting them into place I was then able to plant two Geraniums of varying reds into each pot.  To finish I used some white river pebbles in various sizes from Bunnings, to fill the pond bed and to put around the plants in their pots.




Now I'm enjoying the view (my hard work) from my front verandah, while I'm writing this post!  I'm pretty chuffed with the result and can't wait to watch these plants flourish in the coming months - I hope!

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