While walking around Bunnings this weekend, I came across a plant I'd never seen before. It's called a Cape Goosebery or a ground cherry. From what I read it grows well in Sydney. So I'm going to give it a try in the new backyard that is sunny and bright and not shaded by huge gum trees.

This is what my gooseberry bush looks like after I brought it home and planted it into a larger pot.

I layered potting mix on top of compost. Hopefully that will give it a boost of nutrients to get established and produce an abundance of fruit. The plant is called a cape gooseberry as each orange coloured 'berry' is covered with a papery lantern like sheath.  It reminds me of a weed we used to have growing around the house when I was a child. I loved peeling the papery lanterns to pick the seeds within. There was no berry  as such in my childhood version.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this plant survives and that have something to show you later in the season.  I would love to hear from you if you have any experience with this plant. 

PS.  I have neglected this blog for more than a year but I am determined to be more active from now on!

I love going for walks around the neighbourhood. I get some of my best design ideas then. After a very wet spring, the plants on my walking route have had an enormous growth spurt. I found an abundance of gorgeous little cones on a pine tree and thought to myself that they would look amazing reproduced in resin.

This is how they came out.

 

I made a pair of earrings for myself to see what they looked like and got heaps of compliments when I wore them. They were even more impressed that I made them myself.  A couple of them said that they looked like miniature grenades complete with pin. I guess I shouldn’t have made them in black.  I poured some gold ones too for my sister to match an outfit for an upcoming party.

I'm going to work on them this weekend and list a few items in my shop!