Cup of tea tour: A woody throne

Bonjour mon petit jonquil!

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

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