The early bird

Hello m' pickles!

What a week! I'm sure you've heard all about it. For us here at Long Mizzle, England Lockdown #3 means back to homeschooling (or 'School of Rock' as we like to call it) whilst working from home until at least mid-February. Our amazing NHS and key workers, frazzled from 2020, are continuing to work selflessly under extraordinary circumstances.

Last Sunday, the day before the lock down announcement, we left behind a slightly frosty Long Mizzle and headed to a rather grander patch of land - Trellisick Estate, located near Truro and owned by the National Trust. If I'd taken a proper photo of the house itself, you may have recognised it from the BBC Antiques Roadshow!

 

Monsieur's not interested in grand estates and chose to stay at home with his guitars and coffee. I had previously booked the parking online (earliest slot available). We had intended to pay the additional fee to allow us access to the gardens, but we got completely carried away with the woodland walk and little beach, which took us completely by surprise.

 

On the way down, we only saw one other family walking their dogs.

 

The girls were very excited to find a boat shack! 

We've seen lots of old boats being used as planters in these Cornish parts, but this is the first time we've seen one being ingeniously used as a roof.  

 

An incredible dry stone wall straddles the length of the little beach and the seaweed piled on top and deposited on the other side, indicates the high tide line. (You can just about see Trellisick House in the background)

Perching my bottom on a semi-dry rock, I took a quiet moment to have my flask of coffee whist I watched the sprogs muck about with their dolls (Monsieur has been threatening to throw any dolls he trips over or finds on his chair on the BBQ all week, so the dolls were very happy to have a stress free dip in the water!).

This old Beech tree was a victim of the ravages of Storm Ciara (February 2020) combined with Giant Polypore fungus -

 

Trelissick overlooks Turnaware Point, which was used as a secret embarkation point by the US Army's 29th Infantry Division, V Corps, prior to the D-Day Normandy Landings in June 1944. They joined with the 1st Division to attack the Western side of Ohama beach. As I type, the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan has just been on TV. It is hard to imagine that many of the men departing this quiet point in Cornwall, had eaten their last breakfast and probably knew what was coming on that fatal day.

 

 

 

I'd just about managed to take some photos for my death-by-slide-show 'textures' album when my phone ran out of battery. Following an epic welly walk (well, epic for little legs) all the way to the King Harry Ferry, we headed back to the car park, which was by now starting to fill up quickly.

 

In an attempt to honour my contracted working hours, I have been dragging myself out of bed at 6am, to get a couple of undisturbed hours in before the kids wake up. It seems very unnatural to me to get up whilst it's still dark, but it is rather lovely watching the sun come up.

The forced hyacinths are still doing well -

 

 

All week we've had a family of Great Tits visiting the bird feeder. On Wednesday and Thursday morning, a couple of Goldfinches feasted on the Verbena Bonariensis seeds.

Eager to get a good shot, I got out the posh camera and tripod ready for Friday morning... but they didn't visit. Hopefully they'll be back again.

Down at the bottom of the garden, we have a gifted bird house that needs properly securing to a fence / tree...we don't think the birds would appreciate spinning around on rope. 

This pink camellia always flowers in January. Note the weird contorted angle of the trunk. This is because this area was an absolute wilderness of overgrown conifers, bindweed, brambles and the poor Camellia had to stretch towards the sunlight.

Camellias make a great cut flower. I love a pot in the house, they are so cheery!

The late autumn sown Sweet Pea, Ammi Majus, Dill and Achillea seedlings are doing ok in the cold greenhouse.

 

I was about to order a shed load of seeds when I stopped myself and thought, 'let's not get carried away, what do I already have?'. Now, I could have been super organized and made a spreadsheet, but I spend too much time doing that for a living, and it's no fun, so I got old school with a pen and paper.

I will be growing more cut flowers than ever before this year, including some specifically good for drying.

 On the list of vegie seeds to order - things that we'll actually enjoy eating -

• Crystal Lemon Cucumber (delicious! I couldn't get any seeds last year)
  
• Leeks (easy to grow and delicious)
  
• Beetroot (Rainbow Mix)
• Yellow climbing courgette (I find the yellow ones tastier, and a climbing variety will save on space) 
• Climbing French Beans (Cobra) (the dwarf varieties seem to get completely obliterated by slugs in our garden)
  

If I get time this weekend I am going to draw up a plan of what will go where. As Monsieur collapses in a mock boredom faint whenever I show him such things,  I may have to share my drawings with you lucky people! ;) 

After all the early mornings this week, I will be taking it easy this weekend  - lots of tea and pottering around the garden. 

I hope that you are keeping well, whatever you are up to.

Lulu xXx

 

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