Fleur Woods is one of our all-time favourite artists and we couldn't be more excited about the launch of her newest collection, Bloom Revolution!! Her work sparks all kinds of joy and we're completely captivated by the stitch detail she spends hours sewing into each and every piece. We caught up with Fleur ahead of the launch of her brilliant new collection and chatted about her life-long love affair with flowers, career highlights and why she can't go past 90's RnB.

Fleur, it's so lovely to be chatting with you finally! Tell us about when your love of art started, and how your career has been as an artist? "THANKS!!! I think maybe I was born an artist and it just took me a little while to embrace it. I've always seen the world through sensitive, creative eyes and was lucky to move and travel a lot with my family when I was young. This definitely elevated creativity for me as we were a museums & galleries type family so I got to experience some inspiring art, architecture & design from a young age."

Tell us about rural New Zealand and where you live. "My wee fam and I live in a gorgeous little village, Upper Moutere, near Nelson at the top of the South Island. It's a wine, hop & orchard region just inland from beautiful beaches & surrounded by national parks. It's pretty magic. There are lots of creative people doing really nice stuff here (www.moutereartisans.co.nz)."

Tell us about your love of flowers and plants "Flora is part of my DNA...I mean my name is Fleur Woods, it's ridiculous! My Mum is an avid gardener and as a result I got to grow up around flowers. We moved to NZ from Hong Kong when I was 8 & I definitely think the contrast of our HK concrete roof top garden and the abundance of nature in NZ must have really stood out to me as an early influence. I am just so in awe of the life cycle of flowers and the amazing resilience they have, the joy a single bloom can bring me is immense, it is the ultimate art to me."

It sounds as though this is a huge source of inspiration for you! "Inspiration for me is everywhere, I grow a few flowers from seed in my own (very average) garden, I love following florists & floral artists on Insta like @flowersvassette @hattiemolloy @woodlucker & sooo many more but my favourite source of floral imagery is old gardening books l find in op shops with gorgeous illustrations."

What is your interior style? What other artists do you love and have hanging in your home? "Our home is eclectic in part because it's a rental, so we have to work with the 70s-90s farm house base. Luckily I'm a treasure hunter so I find vintage and retro bits n bobs to mix in with contemporary furniture that feels fun to me. We have some great pieces that I adore by some of my fav Kiwi & international artists, Clare Celeste Borsch, Veronica Green, Jessica Lindblom-Brice, Sophie Holt. I'm coveting some Elle Campbell & Georgie Wilson works right now as well as Katherine Throne & Elizabeth Barnett."

What's been the best thing to happen in your career so far? "Every time I think the best thing has happened there is a new best thing but I would have to say that my first ever feature in a mag was pretty magic. I was finding it really hard to get picked up and had just had a bucket load of rejections when I got an email from the then Style Editor of Inside Out Mag Jessica Hanson, she asked if I could stitch some designs on a large piece of linen to form the background for their mother's day feature. I had 7 days to create a massive artwork and was totally out of my comfort zone but I just did it and hoped for the best. After that feature I started getting orders...the first was from JUMBLED & I haven't looked back!"

When are you at your happiest? "Stitching in the sunshine in my studio or in nature with my family."

What is something not many people know about you? "I love 90's hip hop and even though I'm basically a 38 year old nana I like to think Im a tiny bit gangster haha!"

What exciting things do you have planned for 2019? We're releasing my new collection right now, its called Bloom Revolution & Im feeling really proud of it, so that's super exciting! I'm also carving out a window of studio time to embark on a collab with Berlin based artist Clare Celeste Borsch! Her collage installation work is sublime. There's also some traveling and teaching workshops which I really love! Lots happening!"

The Jumbled Quickie:

• The first thing you do when you have spare time: Spend time with the fam / catch up with friends
• Guilty pleasure: Donuts/lollies and trash telly 
• Dream Collaboration: Gucci
• Hidden Talent? Baking cakes!
• One thing from your bucket list: Visit India
• Favourite Spotify Playlist?: LP (she's amazing)
• Go-to meal to cook when you have friends over?: Hubby is the chef when friends come over, I'm chief wine drinker
• Craziest thing you've ever done? Jack in my well paid corporate job & become a full time artist
• Last book you read: The Alchemist
• Favourite family tradition? Christmas Day sitting in a circle taking turns to open pressies
• Current Netflix addiction? Queer Eye
• Song that gets you on the dancefloor: Anything by Salt N Peppa or Fat Freddys Drop

To shop Fleur Woods new artworks, click here!

This year, Country Style Magazine are celebrating their 30th birthday and I couldn't think of a more deserving publication to reach this milestone.

We are absolutely OBSESSED with the work of Rachael Hooper and I am so excited to introduce her work to my Jumbled community.

When my good friend Julia Green of Greenhouse Interiors first introduced me to the work of Candice Perese I was BLOWN. AWAY!

We are super excited to announce local indoor plant fanatics 'Shitting in Pots' will be hosting a pop up shop right here at Jumbled with a ridiculously amazing range of indoor plants, succulents and cacti on Saturday 4th May.

We first met Taylor and Justin after their frequent visits to Jumbled to buy pots. Not just a couple here and there, we're talking so many pots, that we started calling them 'The Crazy Pot People!'. This super-cool duo are obsessed with plants and have turned their passion into a side hustle, so it made sense to invite them to pop up at Jumbled so you guys could get in on the fun.

We caught up with Taylor and Justin recently to find out more about their intriguing business name, how severe their plant addiction really is and what varieties we need in our lives right now!

Shitting in Pots, did we read that right? "Ha! Yes well we're paying homage to our two cats that love to dig the dirt out of our pot plants and shit in them. We feel we may need to change it for more professional purposes at some stage but hey, go ahead and introduce us as that."

On the scale of 1 - 10 how severe is your plant addiction? "I'd say a 10! There's not a week that goes by where we don't buy a new plant or something plant related. Either we get them through the post or we day trip it to different towns just to get plants. I'd say we have about 250 plants throughout the house, and that's not including outside where we keep most of the cactus."

When did you decide to turn your passion into a side hustle? "Mainly to feed our addiction! There are no great indoor plant shops around here which means traveling to other towns or hopefully scoring a good plant at Bunnings - but rarely does that happen. It's been on our minds to do something plant-related for about a year but we didn't know where to start. My sister is the one that really pushed us and made it happen."

So where can we get our hands on some of your plant goodness? "At the moment we are focusing on markets and via our eBay store. We're also hosting an amazing pop up shop at Jumbled where we'll be selling a huge range of awesome plants on 4th May. We love the shop and the space and will be bringing all sorts of goodies from the basic devils ivy and monstera that everyone loves, to the rarer and more hard to find plants."

What are your top five plant varieties? "I love Philodendrons - all of them!!! Sansevieria masoniana, rhaphidophora tetrasperma, the ceropegia family and just cactus in general! Justin's favourites include the monkey tail cactus, peyote, agave parryi, euphorbias and monstera adansonii!"

We love a hanging plant here at Jumbled - what is you favourite hanging variety? "Oh, it's SO hard to choose a favourite but the rats tail cactus and the rhipsalis family are amazing!"

You're also quite partial to a pot, as we've discovered! "I love white pots. The Oslo planters from Jumbled are a favourite, we've bought so many, we've well and truly earned our nickname! Cactus look great in terracotta pots which are awesome as they don't hold moisture. I also love a nice hand made ceramic pot but they are so hard to find! We'd love to try ceramics classes and have a crack at making our own sometime soon"

What's your go-to plant to gift to a friend? "I can't go past a pilea or a cactus cutting to gift to family and friends"

What are your top tips for keeping plants healthy (and alive)? "Literally just don't overthink it. I never stick to a watering schedule or anything like that. I sort of (sounds weird) sense if the plant is either thirsty, sick or not getting enough or too much light. Have a close look at the leaves to check for pests and dig at the top layer of soil - if it's dry, give it a drink! I also move plants around the house until I find the right spot. You can even group them in the shower to water them that way, plus it washes the dust off the leaves so they can absorb more sunlight.

Coming into winter - should our watering habits change? "Yes! Most plants go dormant during winter which means they basically stop growing and save all their energy until the spring time. I water my plants probably every 2 weeks maybe longer for some during winter, but you also have to keep in mind heating in your home which can dry them out. Cactus and succulents are easy, you don't have to water those guys at all really. Maybe once if that.

I use Seasol fertiliser every few months which helps with growth and is also good at keeping pests away. A lot of people don't realise when getting plants, that pests are basically a package deal!"

The Jumbled Quickie:

First thing you do when you have spare time? At the moment we literally have no spare time. But snuggling with the cats on the lounge and watching a movie is what we'd love to do.

Dream collaboration? Doing a pop up shop at Jumbled is pretty amazing!

One thing from your bucket list: Taylor - bringing my retro plant filled dreams to life and buying my own home one day. Justin - start making my own pots, either using cement or taking ceramics classes.

Craziest thing you've ever done? We once spent $700 on one plant (variegated monstera deliciosa)

Favourite family tradition? Chrissy is always a good one. Food, pressies and a fun time.

Song that gets you on the dance floor:  Taylor -Michael Jackson's Rock With You really gets me grooving. Justin - Usher, Yeah.

Yay! Great chatting, and we can't wait to see you at Jumbled on the 4th May! "We are so excited our little dream is happening and heaps thankful to Jumbled for making this wonderful plant pop up shop happen"

You can see more from this super-cool duo on Instagram - @shittinginpots, or via their eBay store here.

Isn't it always the best day when you get to meet your Insta friends in real life!?

I first met Jill from Layered Vintage when I featured one of her images as our Jumbled Insta Find. She messaged me to thank me and we hit it off instantly, so you could imagine my excitement when Jill announced she would be flying out from the US to run a two-day workshop in the Gold Coast hinterland in July!

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to travel to the USA as a finalist for the gia Retail Awards in Chicago. Of course, I couldn't let the opportunity pass without adding on some extras and so my husband Speedy and I traveled to New York, Las Vegas and my personal highlight, Palm Springs before heading home. 

Drive just a few hours west of the Blue Mountains and you’ll find yourself surrounded by beautiful countryside, where rolling hills of rich greens and scattered grey gums sprout sporadically — these are telling signs that you’ve indeed arrived at Orange.

Whilst out-of-towners venture here for the wine, being renowned as one of Australia’s best wine regions, Orange is far from being a one trick pony. Here, the food is just as much of a drawcard, with many fine dining restaurants, local cafés and casual eats, placing great focus on locally sourced produce. Equally, the flourishing cosmopolitan lifestyle is also beyond question, attracting more and more boutique fashion and homeware stores to its stylish streets.

However, regardless of its burgeoning nature, Orange maintains its pace and authenticity as a rural region, where the word ‘community’ is not merely a buzzword, but instead, it’s the very heartbeat, and what makes this destination so appealing.

Here are just a few reasons why you should make a treechange to Orange — even if only for a short (but sweet) visit.

WHERE TO EAT:

From trendy cafes serving up innovative dishes using local produce, to gourmet local bakeries and fine dining restaurants, Orange offers a variety of glorious dining options. After all, this is where Australia’s longest running regional food festival, Orange F.O.O.D. Week (held annually in April) takes place, and surely that’s enough to catch the curiosity of any foodie.

Racine

Part of the nearby La Colline vineyard, Racine is an award-winning restaurant, famed for their excellence in food and service. This fine dining experience places a focus on the best local produce and a huge selection of local wines, matched only by its stunning, idyllic location. In addition to the restaurant, there’s also the adjoined charming venue space called The Apple Shed, available for larger groups and special events.

42 Lake Canobolas Road, Nashdale

The Greenhouse of Orange

Previously a bowling club, The Greenhouse of Orange was transformed into a multi dining venue in 2017, and quickly become a popular eatery locale. On site, there’s various kitchens available, offering multiple menus — all of which give a nod to the regional produce of Orange. There are also multiple sitting sections, including an indoor dining space filled with abundance of plants and an expansive open-air deck with raised garden beds to the side. 

231-243 Anson Street, Orange

Byng Street Cafe

Having opened in 2011, Byng Street Cafe has become one of the leaders amongst the local café scene. The prominent location on the central Orange corner of Byng and Clinton St draws in the morning crowd, friendly catch-ups, business meetings — and anyone just grabbing a coffee to go. Seat yourself on the benches on the wrap around verandah, inside the main, bright and spacious dining area, or outside, within the sunny courtyard.

47 Byng Street, Orange

Sweet Sour Salt

Ask any local where to go for the best Thai food in town and Sweet Sour Salt will be recommended proudly. And once you pay a visit to their new location, it will be easy to tell why. This buzzing restaurant now sits inside a tastefully renovated Victorian terrace and serves up a flavourful Thai menu with Chinese, Vietnamese, and Malaysian influences thrown into the mix. The Korean spicy fried chicken wings are an absolute must. 

179 Anson Street, Orange 

WHERE TO DRINK:

Home to a celebrated wine industry, Orange is the perfect place to swirl, smell and taste some of Australia’s best cool-climate drops. Spend your time wine tasting at the many cellar doors of acclaimed wineries, get recommendations as to what local tipple might go best with lunch, or even grab your favourite bottle for a scenic picnic amongst the vines.

Phillip Shaw Wines

One of Australia’s most celebrated winemakers, Philip Shaw Wines, established his own vineyard in Orange back in 1989. Today, this family-owned and operated winery, now run by three industrious members of the Shaw clan, consists of a tasting room, restaurant and wedding venue — all centered around a restored turn-of-the-century stone barn. Expect the wines here to have a bright fruit flavour with an intense elegance and complexity.

100 Shiralee Road, Orange 

Nashdale Lane — Cellar Door

Nashdale Lane is a welcoming and unapologetically laidback winery, surrounded by rows upon rows of vineyards. Family owned and run, Nashdale has ‘sit back and relax’, written all over it. The light-filled Cellar Door invites visitors to sample their exceptional range of cool-climate wines, all whilst taking in the idyllic surrounding views through the many oversized, sliding windows. There’s also an onsite glamping experience, the only one of its kind in NSW (more on this below). 

125 Nashdale Lane, Nashdale 

Rowlee Wines & Vineyard

Harvested by hand and crafted in small batches, Rowlee Wines & Vineyard is the epitome of quality over quantity, producing premium single-vineyard wines and the results (and awards) speak for themselves. Visit here for one of their various ‘Experiences’ offerings, including a ‘Picnic In The Vines’, where you can spend an indulgent afternoon on the estate with your very own private picnic — gourmet produce included.

42 Lake Canobolas Road, Nashdale 

Ferment

Housed in a carefully preserved heritage building, Ferment is an elegant wine centre where you can sample some of the Orange region's best wines, along with a matching cheese plate, should you wish. It’s the perfect place to stop for a pre-dinner drink, and you may just be tempted to take a bottle (or two) of your favourite home with you. 

87 Hill Street, Orange 

WHERE TO STAY:

A visit to Orange will no doubt involve some overindulgence of the food and wine variety, so a place to rest – and a beautiful one at that – will be in order. Whether you choose to book a stunning onsite hideaway at one of the many wineries, or a luxury self-contained villa with a secluded, scenic outlook — you can count on Orange to provide a beautiful backdrop during your stay. 

Rowlee Guesthouse

Rowlee Wines & Vineyard (as seen above) also has its very own private, luxury guesthouse set within the estate. This lovingly renovated one-bedroom cottage displays a comfortable and sophisticated setting, with a single master bedroom, making it perfect for couples. There’s plenty of space to relax too, with double French doors that open onto a private verandah with views across the lush gardens.

19 Lake Canobolas Road, Orange 
From $299 per night

Nashdale Lane — Glamping

Another winery with onsite accommodation, yet with a slightly more unique design, is Nashdale Lane’s luxury glamping tents, set right amongst the vines. The two spacious timber and canvas tents, named ‘Rustig’ and ‘Kalmte’, feature hardwood floors, kitchenette, comfortable queen bed, and a private toilet and shower facilities. There’s even a wood fire for the cooler months, and a cushioned deck seating, along with a BBQ — perfect for those warm summer evenings.

125 Nashdale Lane, Nashdale
From $250 per night

Lakeview Luxury Retreat

Specifically designed as a couples’ retreat, Lakeview Luxury Retreat offers clear views over Lake Canobolas, in separate spacious and modern 5-star villas. Along with your stay amongst the hills just outside of Orange, you’ll be provided with all the local ingredients to cook up your own breakfast in the self-contained kitchen, or on the BBQ out on the deck. And make a point to say hello to the friendly herd of Highland cattle who roam the adjoining paddocks.

Stanford Road, Orange 
From $290 per night

WHERE TO EXPLORE:

Should you need a break from all that wining and dining, there’s plenty to explore in Orange in the form of some serious retail therapy. Take to either Byng Street, Summer Street, or Sale Street (or all three) for a boutique-shop-crawl, where you’ll find classic and country style homewares aplenty, but also a healthy dose of fresh, contemporary designs, tempting both locals and visitors.

The Sonic

The Sonic is a lovingly renovated old Masonic hall (hence the name, ‘Sonic’), housing three different stores — JUMBLED, a colourful display of homewares and lifestyle products, iglou, an adjoining fashion boutique stocking many trendy and current labels, as well as Nimrods, an intimate and relaxing cafe towards the back. The now white-washed hall has a grand presence from the street, with an equally impressive show going on inside. Best to put aside a decent amount of time treasure hunting here and make sure to grab a coffee to keep you company.

33-35 Sale Street, Orange 

Of course, we'd love you to come and visit Orange for yourself! To start planning your visit, visit Orange 360. 

Republished with full permission from Pauline Morrissey.