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 presence out in Carbis Bay, plus an estimated 1,200 journos and 5,000 extra police from up country. Falmouth's maritime museum has been turned into a media centre; that end of town is now a no-go zone with roads closed off.
Above: Foxgloves running riot with Quaking Grass
The foxglove flowers certainly are late this year - due to that cold, dry snap in May.
The Tree Echium is still standing and has been joined by the Buddleja globosa ('orange ball tree').
This was grown from a cheeky cutting taken from monsiure mam's old flat, overlooking Newquay harbour.
I remember thinking, if it can survive the Atlantic battering on the north coast, then it will be just fine with our winter creek winds.
It is around this time of year that I like to have a good nosey over the fences to see what other cheeky cuttings I could take, under the cover of darkness, later in the year -
(You can take the girl out of Manchester but not the Manc from the girl)
Above: beautiful, scented, climbing rose spotted by my folk's house
Below: Sambucus nigra overhanging a public path
Both smell absolutely divine and would be a welcome addition to Long Mizzle!
There are still plenty of home grown plants that need to get out in the ground -
...including the Cannas, which have been safe from slugs thus far, as they have been sat around the picnic table -
Thankfully the odd strawberry in the pit has survived the mutant snails -
One Dahlia got gobbled almost to the ground over night, plus some Salvia 'Blue Monday', which also seems quite a delicacy to the molluscs. The cloches are back out -
Before you go, here's this year's Sweet Pea structure, complete with dried Agapanthus heads at the top -
I can't wait to sniff those sweet peas!
That's all from me today folks.
I shan't be attempting to drive anywhere round Cornwall this weekend.
Instead I'll hunker down with my trusty books in the biscuit bunker.
I hope you are keeping well.
What are you up to this weekend?
Please do say hello in the comments section.
Lulu xXx
Hello! Wise to stay indoors or in the garden this week in Cornwall.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful colours in your garden. Good luck with your revising - I never seem to remember Latin names.
All good wishes, enjoy the strawberry!
Thank you Mike, the strawberry was delicious, but the ice cream to strawberry golden ratio was all off! The police helicopters have been hovering today. Just watched the local news and it all looks a bit manic out there. I'm coming over shortly to your blog for a catch up...Lulu xXx
DeleteDear Lulu
ReplyDeleteIt is all looking beautiful. I have had trouble with snails and my little dahlia plants too. Also like you, I have a fair few plants waiting to be planted out. Perhaps I can get round to it this weekend, in the morning or evening. Watering will be required, I think.
Good luck with the revising!
Best wishes
Ellie
Thank you Ellie:) It is a bit of a scorcher here today. I am waiting for it to cool down to do some potting! Hope you enjoy the watering, always fun at the end of a hot day. Lulu xXx
DeleteI think I need to declare war on the snails under cover of darkness. A large pot of salt and a torch will see them off nicely.. No, I wasn't planning on cooking them by the heat of the torch light and sprinkling them with salt. That's not my idea of a tasty snack :-0
ReplyDeleteI've taken to lobbing the snails over the wall into the wilderness. Apparently they have homing instincts though! I remember seeing a Uni of Exeter researcher demonstrating this by marking them with different colours of nail polish. Eugh, I couldn't eat a snail either :0 Lulu xXx
DeleteWhat a shame you're not venturing out this weekend, my best mate Liz is exhibiting at the Jellyfish gallery in St Ives all week!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is just gorgeous, loving the sweet pea frame and envying you all that colour and fabulousness. That Tree Echium is incredible, hooray for foraged plants and them taking root. I'm not sure what got my first strawberry but Mrs Blackbird looked very guilty when I interogated her.
I wish I could help you revise the Latin names - I hated the subject at school but it's brilliant for understanding long words.
This weekend? Beer, football, bikinis, sunshine and garedening...bring it on! xxx
Oh that's a shame, I'd love to see Liz's exhibition! Well it certainly should be busy for her. The roads are in total gridlock here. There's been lots of protests happening in Falmouth. Funny, as on the national news, Carbis Bay looks really calm, but that's only because they've security fenced the whole lot off.
DeleteThe latin plant names, although long, are really helpful as they can say so much about the plant - e.g. where it is from (sea, mountains), what colour it is, what family it belongs to etc. So yes, I think it would have been really helpful learning Latin at school and please send me a brain transplant. Enjoy the rest of your sun filled weekend. Lulu xXx
hello Mrs Mizzle how exciting that you have G7 happening on your manor. On telly they showed a man with a chocolate factory had made bars with G7 printed on and I wondered if Boris would be eating one, think they should have made him a chocolate teapot actually. Your garden is fabulous, it seems huge and full to the brim - is naked Monday when you walk about in it naked? bet the neighbours are up early on Mondays. That sambuca is beautiful and definitely worthy of a night time thieving expedition. I notice wild elderberry is rife this year, they seem to go through a cycle every 3 years of being super prolific and this is that year -I might make the old elderberry cordial this year if I can get hold of enough berries. I like the sweetpea structure, you could use it as a den and hide yourself amongst the flowers. Good luck with revision and exams my friend is doing RHS like you and swotting away making me wish I was doing it too, it looks very worth the effort... I am doing diddlysquat, pottering, puttering, sunbathing, worrying about whether the sky might fall in.
ReplyDeleteBoris' blond bonce is as golden as Carbis Bay's sands! Even the Queen came for tea at the Eden Project last night. I can forget trying to get anywhere this weekend!!! It is almost as if I am being forced to stay at home and revise for my own good.
Delete'Nude Day' is from The League of Gentleman if you ever saw the TV show :0 I am loving the smell of Elderflower blossom in the air... yes I think you must be right about it being a good year for them. Enjoy your 'puttering', but please don't worry too much about the sky falling in. It may only be an acorn falling on your head (like in the old story Chicken Licken') . Lulu xXx
I bet the locals are just loving the chaos of the G7 Summit! I’m also struggling with slugs - my cosmos are no more and they’re moving onto the Dahlia now. Pesky creatures. I love your sweet pea structure! The seed head toppers is an inspired idea! Best of luck with your exams - hope they don’t coincide with Nude Day! xxx Claire
ReplyDeleteThe G7 is like marmite Claire - a money making venture, showcase or protest opportunity for some - a huge inconvenience and Covid spreading worry for others. How dare those slugs take your cosmos! The Agapanthus seed heads were in the downstairs khazi collecting dust and spiders, so I am happy I have found another use for them, other than the compost heap. Luckily the exam does not fall on Nude Day ;) Lulu xXx
Deletethe view over your garden: JUST WOW!
ReplyDeletea symphony of pink, orange, red and lots of different greens. wonderful.
i do envy the foxgloves - they don´t want come to my garden although they are blooming in abundance all around in the forest..... i must go on a hike to admire them :-D
love what you have build for the sweat peas - totally art!
i´m like you - most of my plants are collected from the railroad track or cheeky cuttings - shh...
as for slugs - we had legions the first few years. huuuge ones. for 3 years the BW and i did go around the garden every morning and evening collecting slugs in a bucket with water and cleaning detergent...... leave them in for a while and then chuck this soup in a far corner (in the trench of the railroad track for us). its not nice - but it works. and if i meet the odd one now a make short process with the wellie or the shovel.
happy sunday! xxxxx
Thank you Beate, very kind of you :) I am enjoying the pinks and oranges together. The plants waiting to go out have more deep reds.... and... blues! so not sure how that's going to work :0
DeleteI'm afraid I'm a bit screamish with slugs - can't pick them up even without gloves on and scream if I accidentally touch one. I remember my dad and brother 'salting' them as a kid ... what a way to go! Snails I do pick up and throw into the wilderness. Glad you got your molluscs under control. I think I need to do some serious night patrols!
There is something so romantic about your railroad garden. It's the kind of thing that would be emulated as a show garden at Chelsea Flower Show. Lulu xXx
we used a little shovel for collecting the slugs - can´t stand touching them too......
Deletethe BWH garden at the *Chelsea Flower Show* - that would be fun :-D
xxxxx
My mum, like you, has a slug issue- she has a phobia of them which is a little awkward for a gardener!
ReplyDeleteI adore your massive spiky thing! It's so impressive asnd I'm glad this last one survived!
Boo to Dahlia munching! So far mine have survived being attacked by them in my new planter on wheels out the front but for How long? Something seems to have eaten 2 of my 3 sunflowers!
What a good idea re cuttings! I don't know enough to know what to do but I would if I could!
Good luck for your RHS exams. My friend Lara did those at Writtle college a couple of years ago and I remember the Latin memorization!
Your garden is looking so lovely! We are enjoying our Foxgloves too though they were peach coloured last year and this year they are pink!
Hello Kezzie! Yes it is not good for a gardener to be scared of slugs :0 Ah, a planter on wheels. I wonder if you moving it about confuses them ? Every year I have a sunflower obliteration, I have actually been thinking about putting them in a massive container on wheels - and maybe safely beyond a beer moat too. Your peach and pink foxgloves sound lovely. Thank you for sending good luck this way. Lulu xXx
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