I love the plants (and clothes, and styling) in this lookbook for (now defunct) English brand Aubin & Wills’ spring 2012 collection. The photographs feature Blur’s bass guitarist Alex James and Romanian/ Canadian model Irina Lazereanu.
All images and video from Aubin & Wills.
This past weekend I celebrated my birthday with a four day getaway to a friend’s place in Wollombi. We wiled away most of our days lazing in the sun on the big balcony overlooking the valley. On Saturday I spent the morning visiting some great people down the road at Laguna Earth House (more on that in a moment) and in the evening everyone helped prepare a delicious paella which we ate around the fire pit we cooked it on.
Laguna Earth House is owned by the charming Rosie and Nigel. The main house was self-built with the help of their son using environmentally friendly mud bricks, straw bale and locally sourced timber, and is fitted with solar panels for all their energy needs. The garden is an overflowing bounty of organic fruit, vegetables, herbs and salad leaves. Rosie and Nigel are self taught gardeners and builders and are now keen to share their knowledge through workshops in organic gardening, alternative building techniques and other sustainable practices.
Check out their Facebook page for regular updates and information on upcoming workshops. Next up is ‘Autumn Food Preserving and Fermentation’ on 18 May.
A very warm thank you to Rosie, Nigel and Andy for sharing their home and garden with us.
All photographs by Sophia Kaplan.
This past weekend Kinfolk Magazine hosted flower potluck gatherings across the world to celebrate the northern hemisphere’s entry into spring. Despite our autumnal weather Sydney was lucky enough to be included with an event in Chippendale hosted by photographer and designer Luisa Brimble along with floral and botanical stylist Aleksandra Schutz.
Guests were asked to bring an armload of flowers or greenery whether from their backyard, their local florist or the side of the road. Here are the resulting pictures taken by Luisa Brimble for Broadsheet.
Beautiful scissors $14 from Grosgrain.
Although Karl Blossfeldt’s botanical photogravures are his most famous work, he was also a well respected sculptor and professor of art. His interest in and eye for form and texture are evident in these images, which are striking in both the complexity of the subject and the simplicity of his photographic style. He used a homemade camera and had his work published in 1929 in his book Urformen der Kunst (Archetypes of Art).
Whitechapel Gallery in London is currently exhibiting a selection of his images until June 14, 2013.
All photographs by Karl Blossfeldt.
One of my dear friends Angèle is a young chef in Paris whose catering business La Guinguette d’Angèle specialises in healthy cooking. Her food has the French bio-organic tick of approval, is gluten free and uses only locally grown, powerfully healthy ingredients.
Her styling is also something special. Her use of delicate flowers, berries and herbs makes each piece a little artwork unto itself. Angele and I lived together in Paris for a few months and I can testify that her creations are not only beautiful but absolutely, ridiculously, delicious.
All photographs from La Guinguette d’Angèle.
For more info check out her Facebook page.
Floret Flower Farm is a family owned and run organic flower farm and floral design studio in Washington, USA. The team is led by mum Erin Benzakein who is a self taught farmer and floral designer. Their farm produces dahlias, garden roses, sweet peas, zinnias, peonies, and much more all with an emphasis on sustainable, thoughtful practices.
All photographs from Floret Flower Farm.
Check out Floret Flower Farm on Instagram and their blog for regular updates about life on a flower farm.
New York based artist Matt Wisniewski uses found photographs to create these captivating digital collages.
All artwork by Matt Wisniewski.
I’ve just returned from an incredibly relaxing extra long weekend on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.
The island lies 35 minutes ferry ride from Auckland. We were there to visit my aunt and uncle, who sailed into one of the island’s bays 22 years ago and have remained there ever since. They live in a beautiful cliff top house above an almost private little nudist beach. Their garden has some of the best views and is overflowing with zucchinis, beetroot, pumpkins, spinach, beans, feijoa, tomatoes, tamarillos and lots of herbs.
While in NZ we were also lucky enough to be invited to local girl Lorde’s first show. She is only 16 and is about to take off. Check out one of her tracks below. More here.
All photographs by Sophia Kaplan.
Recently I commissioned my friend Lucy Allen to create some of her quirky botanical drawings. Two as a gift for my boyfriend, two for me. Each plant has an animal lurking in it. Try and spot the squid, fish or squawking birds. I had them framed in pairs in dark wood, floating about an inch off the back.
The Secret Garden 
