The Beautiful Magnolia - Felix Jury

Felix Jury is an award-winning magnolia bred by New Zealand plantsman Mark Jury.

It truly is the most spectacular Spring small flowering tree.

And once planted will bloom at a young age.

In maturity, Felix Jury magnolia will treat you seasonally with hundreds of flowers on the compact tree.

You can depend on this beauty to perform year after year with very little care from you.

So if we bullet point information here's what you get:

*The flowers are highly fragrant and measure up to 30 centimetres in diameter.

*The foliage is an attractive lighter green colour.

*The flower is a gorgeous hot pink colour.

*You'll only need to prune it in early training.

*Felix Jury magnolia will grow in most climates.

*It's an ideal small tree for the garden as it only grows 4.5 metres high by 2.5 metres wide.

*Deciduous.

*Hardiness: Hardy.

*Planting season: Winter.

*Planting location: Full sun.

*Planting position: Moist

*Feeding: Slow-release fertilizer in Spring.

Felix Jury Magnolia is an excellent landscape tree because of its form and large colourful flowers.

At Mia Bella Homestead my tree often had second flowers appear once the leaves appeared.

Many people visiting the garden commented on its serene beauty.

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#magnolias #felixmagnolia #floweringtrees #gardentrees

DIY Dinosaur Treat Jar To Make

I've been playing around with a lot of glass of late and creating homemade gifts to give.

Homemade always offers a special uniqueness, it's personal,

can save money and is a fabulous outlet for your creativity.

The 'Dinosaur Treat Jar' is very simple to make.

All you need is:

A jar with a screw lid.

A plastic dinosaur toy.

Spray paint in the colour of your choice.

Strong glue 

Lolly treats.

I used a square-style preserving jar.

I used the same style jar for the Pretty Pressed Flower Vase

which is also a wonderful homemade gift.

To Make:

Place the jar lid on the newspaper in a well-ventilated area.

Spray the lid with spray paint.

Paint the dinosaur toy too.

Leave to dry.

Glue the dinosaur onto the lid.

The glue I used is called Araldite because it has a super strong hold!

Leave overnight for the glue to set.

Fill the jar with treats.

I used 'The Natural Confectionary Co' lollies which are 25% less sugar with no artificial colours or flavouring.

Quite conveniently they have the cutest little dinosaur treats in their range.

Add a bow to the jar neck if you want to or leave it plain.

And there you have a fabulous homemade gift that kids little or big will love!

#homemadegifts #DIYgifts #dinosaurs #treatjars

Garlicky Roast Mushrooms

 Enjoy them on their own as a meat-free meal with a green salad.

Or present them as a sidekick to your next steak meal.

Super quick to whip up, you'll be devouring them in 15 minutes!

To make it, you will need:

6 portabello medium-size mushrooms.

Trim the stalks.

Place in a non-stick baking dish.

Dice 2 cloves of garlic and finely chop 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme sprigs.

Sprinkle over the tops of the mushrooms.

Mix 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 5 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Drizzle over the mushrooms.

Grind seasoning of salt and pepper over top and place in a preheated oven heated to 180 degrees Celcius.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve immediately.

I served mine as a main meal with a bacon, chicken and vegetable stir fry.

You can enjoy them on their own with toasted sourdough bread for breakfast.

Or they are delicious with steak and coleslaw.

Printable recipe HERE.

#mushrooms #sidedishes #healthyfood