Got your cuppa? Let's go....Wow, what a difference one week makes. It really feels like spring has sprung. The question is, is it warm enough to sit bare bottomed on the soil yet?... certainly not, how dare you! The mornings are still a little frosty.
Here's just one job I've been meaning to do all winter: sorting out the area by the playhouse. I wish I had taken a 'before' picture to go with my smug 'after' picture, as it
was quite a mess! Nettles removed and bramble roots wrestled out, I laid weed membrane down and covered
it with new bark shredding.
A landing area where the kids put their deck chairs, I have been
instructed not to grow plants in this spot. This is where they natter to their friends at the bottom at the garden (p.s. the friends sound made up, but they are indeed real).
So, what to put there instead??? A wooden throne of course!!!
Voila! The Long Mizzle Throne, forged from seven pieces of fallen wood,
collected from across the seven kingdoms. I fancy myself as Arya Stark, but Monsieur says I'm more like a 'wilding' extra. For those of you
that are Game of Thrones fans, who will you be?
On to other twiggy matters, our willow arch collapsed in the winter gales. It has been dismantled and the Fennel cut back almost to the ground. This is how
the arch looked last year before the sweet peas scrambled up through it.
Some type of structure will be made to help support the Ammi Majus, which will be planted alongside the existing Fennel. The sweet peas fared better in a
much sunnier patch of the garden, so will not be planted again here.
Stark (for now)
The Cordyline australis has had its sharp tips trimmed, to prevent it poking our eyes out! As it grows taller and the canopy lifts, this will be less of an issue.
Behind the throne... more logs.
Have I ever told you before that I love logs?!?
I'm like the Log Lady from Twin Peaks ...just ask the log.
Re-positioned Harts Tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)
Clumps of self-seeded forget-me-nots have been relocated to the steps
leading down to 'the wilderness' and 'the wall' (a 20ft drop down to a neighbouring orchard). This area is quite labour intensive,
as it needs a lot of hand weeding throughout the season.
Thankfully in
the summer months, I can sit on a step as I 'm doing it, white wine
spritzer at hand.
Amongst the stonework and common yellow primroses, a surprise pink one -
Here's the previously mentioned Ammi Majus, with other autumn-sown seeds from
Higgledy Garden;
Achiliea, Dill and Cornflowers. I had been gradually hardening them off,
but one night, with the distraction of one of my mam's home
made lasagnas and a classic episode of Neighbours, I forgot to bring
them in!
The neglected plants look bigger and better for it.
Here they are after just one week of sun and rain out on the picnic table -
The Camellia japonica party is still in full flow. I have been
enjoying the blooms whilst touring the garden with my cup of tea (which
incidentally, comes from the related Camellia senensis).
One thing for
my bucket list is to visit the UK's first tea plantation at Tregothnan
Estate, where for the past few years, the Cornish microclimate has accommodated plants native to South East Asia (Southern
China, Northern India, Cambodia).
These bulbs want to join the party too-
Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête'
Crocus 'Ruby Giant'
Narcissus 'Scilly White' (I wish you could smell this!)
Here's my watercolour homage to the forced Hyacinths. I gave this to my mam for her birthday the other week.
Above: Watercolour in progress
This year, thus far, I have only sown chilies and tomatoes, which are currently sitting on my bedroom window ledge.
Just as I was getting a bit cocky about my chillies....I've lost some to over watering! There were nineteen, now twelve remain.
This surely must be the weekend to start sowing seeds in haste. And thus begins the great spring shuffle. Things are about to get busy!
What's a growing for you?
Please send me gossip using the comments section below.
Lulu xXx
thanks to the mild cornish climate your spring put the turbo in....
ReplyDeletelove that you plant forgetmenots at the steps <3 here they came by itself to the 3 little steps that let to my yoga medow.....
and the camellias! this year we could´t go to that: https://kamelienschloss.de - because the plants are all in greenhouses to protect them from the harsh climate here......and this are closed because of covid lockdown. so all the lovely flowers blooming for their own - and the diligent gardeners :-D
the hyacinth drawing for your mom is awesome!
happy weekend! xxxx
Hello Beate, ooh, a yoga meadow, that sounds brilliant!
DeleteI can't wait for the gardens to reopen, there are so many I'd like to visit.
Must be strange for the non-furloughed gardeners having these places to themselves. Thank you, mam liked the painting. Take care, Lulu xXx
Love your hyacinth, you have a really a nice soft style and the glass looks shiny! something I can't master. I have garden envy - yours is big, full of things that actually grow, a throne - that would be for me by the way and the cat could keep it warm for me. I love the little house and am surprised the (minimalist?) kids don't want flowers - what not even some nasturtiums climbing up things? Your greenhouse looks interesting, a bit on the harry potter side (remember the greenhouses in the film, full of dangerous things!? I want one like that and would fill it with poisonous plants and large spiders). My lemons as you asked, go in gin and tonic - what else - seems like a wonderful waste of a lemon to me but I have thought about trying to preserve them in salt so they can sit on a pantry shelf one day and be admired.
ReplyDeleteThank you Betty! I need to work on the white hyacinth roots next, maybe some masking fluid may help (?) - I haven't used that before. The local cats already seem to enjoy marking out 'the throne'! If it were down to me, the whole garden would be full of beds, with no lawn, but I have to allow the kids some 'swing around' areas :O There is a Screaming Mandrake in the greenhouse...how did you suspect?!?!? I think Gin and Tonic is a very fine way to use up Lemons - especially if you get the ratios right ;) Lulu xXx
DeleteGood morning me old blossom. I have loved wandering around the garden with you. I brought my cup of tea along and felt that spring warmth on my face while I sniffed that beautiful narcissi. I may just have to pop to our local plant nursery and see if they have any pots of fragrant ones. I caught the sun a little while working in the garden yesterday so am showing my 'golden face' to the world today. I'll be getting talked about. They'll be thinking I broke the lockdown and went abroad for some winter sun.
ReplyDeleteAlreet m' Cherie! Glad you brought your cuppa along and enjoyed the wee turn round the garden. The 'White Scilly' (from Scamps Daffodils) smells exquisite. I have a pot indoors to make the kitchen smell nice. Ooh, a winter tanned face, whatever will the neighbours say!!! Lulu xXx
DeleteWhat a delightful tour of your magical garden. I like camellias but the flowers do seem to fall quickly. Our camellia is called Toby's Bush as this is where our wonderful border collie is buried - a while back now, but Toby is always in our memories. All good wishes ~ Mike.
ReplyDeleteHello Mike, thank you for coming along on the little tour. Camellias are beautiful aren't they! I don't mind them falling at all as I like watching the floor turn pink with petals! Toby's Bush sounds wonderful. What a lovely way to remember him by. Lulu xXx
DeleteLong Mizzle is such a joy! I've admired those log thrones in some of the National Trust gardens we've visited although I suspect Jon would have them chopped up and whalloped on the wood burner after a few weeks. I'll have to come and sit on yours, I'll bring the wine. Log Lady - ha! that takes me back!
ReplyDeleteI love that the girls have a say in the planting even though they've sais no to flowers in their area.
Camellia! It just goes to show what an ignoramus I am when it comes to gardening, I saw one of them in a garden I passed today and thought it was some kind of rose bush.
We haven't planted any seeds yet, we're starting next week (she says every week!)
Your art is so good, you are a clever sausage! Loads of love. xxxx
Hiya Vix! Jon would have loved the old cherry tree we reluctantly had to chop down when we moved in. I am reliably informed, from a friend with a wood burner, that cherry wood is the best... conifer wood, not so much! One day, I 'll have a whole array of thrones and pipes and invite you over one summer solstice! I am fearful that the kids may one day rebel by concreting over their own gardens and putting up one of those plastic trees that you love so much ;) Stay fabulous, Lulu xXx
DeleteSuch a wonderful garden! I really love the set out of it and all those beautiful plants, flowers, Logs and trees! The Camellia reminds me of my grandparents as they had several in their garden and it is a shrub I associate with them!
ReplyDeleteYour paintings are wonderful!
Thank you Kezzie, very kind of you :) It is lovely when plants remind us of loved ones. Lulu xXx
DeleteSorry, that was Kezzie.... I seem to be logged in as something else! By the way, were you going to dress as a Weeping Angel for my birthday party? Thought I'd remind you in case you were and you'd forgotten about it! If not, don't worry! I will be posting it tomorrow!x
ReplyDelete(I find myself doing the same...accidentally commenting as 'unknown' :0 )
DeleteKezzie, I haven't got my costume on (yet) but I am on my way over for your Birthday Tardis Tuesday!!!!......
A link for others who are coming over too!
Deletehttp://kerenzaallin-garner.blogspot.com/2021/03/type-40-tardis-tuesday-birthday-special.html
I am enjoying Long Mizzle more than Long Meadow now. I love watching your garden grow and expand.
ReplyDeleteI planted some seeds last weekend.
I hope you get to enjoy your wine spritzer soon.
Bottoms up! (not bare on the ground or then why not?)
Jane X
Thanks Jane :)
Delete(shhh, don't tell Monty!...I can't wait for the new season of Gardeners World!
I miss it so much in the winter)
Bottoms up indeed!
May your seedlings grow strong and happy.
Lulu xXx
Lovely post and your garden is full of character. I will follow your progress closely. We too have a long garden (ours slopes upwards and is shaded by woodland) and it has taken a battering over the winter. It's looking very sorry for itself so I need all the help I can get!
ReplyDeleteHello Winter Peach! Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a lovely message. Raising a cuppa as I type (multitasking eh) to long sloping gardens! It's a lovely day and I'm getting out there shortly. Happy gardening :) Lulu xXx
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