Long Mizzle Garden

 Hello m' spokey dokeys, Well I'm feeling muscles on muscles after today.  The muggy, morning mizzle didn't stop me joining my folks on one of their Devoran to Twelveheads, Bissoe bike rides. You can tell I'm out of practice as I'm missing my helmet, lycra pants and sweat bands. Although I had a token 'exercise jacket' on, I felt a splash of fluorescent yellow was needed. So I made an impromptu shower cap from a waterproof bag cover... and suddenly looked like an authentic cycling tw*t . Fashion faux pas by Carnon Viaduct  Just look at that triumphant viaduct in the background! Part of the Truro to Falmouth Maritime railway line, the original granite Brunel pillars were simply left in situ when the new one was built. You can read more about Brunel's relics in a previous post here.   (I also spot that Mike has posted about a great walk by the Luxulyan Viaduct, over in China Clay country here ) Why people choose to go and sit all day long on a golden sandy...

Hello m' sunnies, Well I wasn't going to do a post this week, but the weekends don't quite feel right without a little blogging. So here's my first venture in to making a wee garden video: one take - no posh kit, retakes or editing allowed. That eats into revision time, plus more importantly, tea drinking and biscuit dunking time. I just wanted to show you the Sweet Williams, 'Crystal Lemon' cucumbers and Dahlia bed.   I meant to say in the video that the little pot was for collecting white beach pebbles tangled up in the seaweed. Also that 'Love Lies Bleeding' (Amaranthus caudatus) is an annual flower, adored by some florists and it has velvety, deep red, long tasseled flowers, hence its very dramatic name.               Above: 'Love Lies Bleeding' and Tagetes being planted out     Above: Frida's  Dahlia bed    Below: 'Hadrian's Midnight'   In between bashing my daft bonce with revision notes and pacing round the ...

 Hello m' ospreys,   Just a quickie this week - I'm in the midst of revising for my next round of RHS exams - attempting to learn endless lists of latin names and garden design principles. That doesn't mean we can't have a nice cuppa and biscuit break though does it!?!  Let's go... After all the scorching sun, the garden has had a bit of welcome mizzle these past couple of days. It bothers me not. In fact, mizzle is my favourite weather to garden in... and sit drinking coffee. The neighbours must think I'm a right weirdo, what with that and Nude Day (the first Monday of every month). The Confedgery is limbering up.... (that's an invented cross between a fence and hacked down conifer hedge...  absolutely nothing to do with the Confederacy) It must have sensed the arrival of the US president and other world leaders for the G7 summit. The skies of Cornwall have been alive with Osprey helicopters, flying in close formation. There's currently a big naval pr...

 Hello m' monkey chops, Some gardens just bring out the inner monkey. Penjerrick Garden is one of them. This fifteen acre lush, sub-tropical jungle valley, can be found on the outskirts of Falmouth, between Buddock Water and Mawnan Smith. Only intrepid explorers with machetes and Rambo headbands need tackle this one. Even with a map to follow, we lost the paths as we climbed over fallen trees and waded through overgrown foliage. The kids and I were simultaneously terrified and enchanted. The valley was purchased by the wealthy quaker Robert Were Fox, for use as a summer abode, in the early 19th century. Today, Penjerrick could be thought of as is the hidden relation of two better known, nearby gardens. Robert's brother Alfred Fox purchased Glendurgan Garden (now National Trust) in 1820, and brother Charles Fox started developing Trebah Garden from 1838. Penjerrick was left to the National Trust in 1990 but the endowment was not considered large enough, so was turned down. ...