Early August coffee catchup

 Hello m' luvelies,


It's a glorious morning here at Long Mizzle. The sun is just starting to fill the top patio, where it will sit hot all day. I'm not one for basking in the sun, much preferring early mornings and evenings, when the light is sweet and magic.  Happily I don't have to rush off anywhere, and project 'Marie Kondo the living daylights out of the wardrobe' will just have to wait until later. Here are some pictures taken last night, at around 9pm, once the sun had dipped down behind the hedges and fences. 

Sometimes I am serenaded in the garden by a little pink Ukelele playing wandering minstrel -

 
The minstrel's services will be paid with apples -

Unfortunately I lost three dahlias by leaving the tubers in the ground over winter: 'Heatwave', 'Spanish Dancer' and 'Totally Tangerine' all gone. I suspect they got too wet and rotted - lesson learnt! The orange 'Pooh' type are positively unruly though.

Dahlia 'Mary Eveline'

Dahlia 'Dilys Ayling'
 

 Whilst at the carbooty during the week, Ol' Glass Eyed Mumrah and I were sitting down having a coffee when we got chatting with a nice couple that had brought a pale leaved variegated Canna. As we were admiring it, the chap spontaneously ripped a bit of tuber off for me. We had a good laugh as the action had sprayed soil and plant debris down his wife's top - so she had a bra full of soil!


The offending tuber , safe for transit in a zip bag. 
Monty Don isn't the only one who walks around with a pocketed zip bag.



The outdoor tomatoes are out performing the greenhouse ones - which is an absolute first. Usually they get blight before the fruit sets. They've certainly had the sun but I haven't been watering them. Thankfully the soil is rich and deep with organic matter. I have two new favourites that make Gardener's Delight seem a bit bland in comparison - Tigerella, and Sweetie - so delicious!


I've had enough of beetroots already, and I haven't even eaten any yet. Here's a row that's been harvested and replaced with purple sprouting broccoli. 
 

 There was a bit of a disaster in that ALL my chillies lovingly raised from seed got munched to the ground by mutant molluscs. Luckily B&Q mark chillies down to 50p and pop them on their bargain racks each year.

 
Last year I made a fig pit on the middle terrace. The idea being the roots, which can be quite rampant, would be restrained by bricks and tiles; the plant would put its energies into fruit, not excessive foliage. Well, the poor plant sulked all year. In the past month it has finally put on growth. The roots must have broken through the tiles at the bottom and found something to feed on. 

 Fig 'Brunswick'

Sweet Peas 'Cupani' - smaller but more fragrant and reputed to more heat tolerant than other sweet peas - all of which I have found to be true.
 
 
Fennel is said to be a bit of a bully, but here it jumbles together with sweet peas quite nicely - under-planted with rhubarb and self seeded Nigella. Like the outdoor tomatoes, I have not watered this bed in this super dry, hot weather - they take shade from the large budleja.
 

Cherie's Cantaloupe melon is looking happy in the old recycle tub. I have been treating this to a bucket of shower run off water each week. 


Aside from gardening I've been busy with the school holidays. Although I still have to work, I do have extra days off for action time fun with the kids. If you see a forty odd year old mum trying to skateboard, best to look the other way. 

What has thoust been up to? Please send gossip. 


Lulu xXx

p.s. And just because I seem to be Monsieur's music promoter :0 (This new tune ROCKS the French Horn )


Thank you for visiting!

Most recent posts can be found here - https://longmizzle.blogspot.com/

You can sometimes find me here Long Mizzle on YouTube 
 
Want to send me biscuits for elevensies? Please email  'longmizzle (at) gmail.com'

Comments

  1. Dear Lulu
    It's good to hear about your successes, although there are always bound to be the odd failure, especially this year! There looks to be lots to enjoy in your garden (as well as the musical accompaniment!)
    Have a good week and be careful on that skateboard!
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Thanks Ellie, far too hot to skateboard today. Jobs are done, feet are up & ice cubes are out :) Hope you are well xXx

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  2. It's lovely to hear gossip from your side of the world, Lulu, and I'm enjoying the fruits of your garden vicariously. Mine is a no-go area at the moment, due to extensive - and extremely noisy - building work going on at the neighbours. How I do long to be serenaded by a pink ukelele playing minstrel instead! Strangely enough my Sweet Peas have been a huge success so far, in spite of the heat. Fingers crossed they keep doing fine as we've got another string of hot weather days coming along.
    Enjoyed Monsieur's latest tune! xxx P.S. Keeping my fingers crossed for the skateboarding!

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    1. Oh drat on the noisy building work. We may be in a similar position if a nearby parcel of land gets sold. It's no good for a garden, garage or parking spot, else I would have tried my best to bag it! Enjoy your sweet peas Ann & I hope it isn't as hot for you as it is here right now xXx

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  3. your garden looks so lovely in the evening sunshine!
    and how much apples do you have - and perfect ones. i just collected a few fallen ones from an un-attended tree near the BWH - they were all wormy but tasty - i made applesauce of them.
    your bi-coloured sweet pea is extra sweet ;-D my perennial one stopped flowering - its to dry even for her with her very deep roots....
    very nice to get presented with a canna tuber - is it possible to grow them in pots for my mice infested garden??
    thank you for the music!
    xxxxx

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    1. Thank you Beate :) Hmmmm, I'm not sure if mice or voles are partial to canna tuber - probably :0 In past years I have grown them in big half barrel pots, but be warned, they are very hungry and thirsty plants. I am looking forward to the apples - I shall have to count them. We love apple sauce on everything! xXx

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  4. When we had those eye wateringly scorching days a little while ago - I made the executive decision not to water the garden. The pots yes but not the garden. There were casualties - and then there were those who not only survived but thrived gloriously. So the weak and weedy are now in the process of being donated to the compost heap and the garden is getting a major make over in anticipation of less water generally.
    However, I do not have a pink ukulele wandering minstrel as my side kick but rather a cat and a dog which seem to get right in the way!

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    1. Interesting to hear you are changing your garden ready for more future droughts Kate. I am so pleased I don't have to water the patio pots with succulents, but there are some others I still have to water (on the 'to change' list). Cats and dogs are high master experts at getting in the way aren't they ;) xXx

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  5. Your garden is looking very pretty isn't it. T'was my birthday on Saturday and we've had a weekend of celebrations. We went to York on Saturday, yesterday we nipped up to Cragside Hall in Northumberland then hopped across the border into bonny Scotland. A round trip of more than 200 miles. I'm off out for a meal with friends tonight to finish off the partying.

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    1. A belated happy birthday to you Cherie! You know how to celebrate in style :) I need to pop over for a proper catchup. I've been attempting to de-junk the house so have not allowed myself any t' internet time all week xXx

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  6. Your garden is looking stunning - I keep on about growing a fig tree, I might have to copy your idea. Fennel is such a thug, I've transplanted some out the front and love watching the Asian ladies who walk past pulling off a few leaves and stuffing them in their handbags.
    I'm off to listen to Monsieur's latest toon! xxx

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    1. Oh fig trees are so handsome aren't they Vix. I just love their foliage. I went for a 'Brunswick' as I heard they are tastier, but less productive and hardy than the popular 'Brown Turkey'. My neighbour has a monster one in the ground, by her back patio. I could do with some shade like that right now. Those stealth fennel ladies! Funny xXx

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  7. My favourite time to view our garden, and take photos, is when the sun has set below the surrounding houses. The colours seem to stand out more, your photo are lovely as usual.
    I too have plastic bags in my pocket but that's ' cos I have a dog and they're "poo bags". I do use them for cuttings and many years ago I spotted a self sown little Silver Birch tree in a local wood so lifted it, root & all, and brought it home in a poo bag. After several re - pots it had to go in the ground. It's now taller than our house!
    I've grown Tigereller Toms, they crop early, taste great and do well oudoors. I only grow toms outside. I switched to Alacante a few years back as the Tigers tended to get greenback.
    Although some areas a having hosepipe bans our water authority don't envisage imposing one but I'm very careful with water. Regarding slugs, we have a resident frog who attends to them.
    I love your garden & blog, take care Lulu, especially in this next heatwave. 😊 🐕 🐢

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    1. Thank you David :) We've been enjoying a pink rising super moon these past few days but I've mislaid the tripod for the ol' SLR camera, so haven't been able to do it justice :0 How lovely about your silver birch. Poo bags, who'd have thought of the multiple uses! ;) Thanks for the tip on Alacante tomatoes, I'll look out for those. We're still waiting for the plum tomatoes, but they're always late to the party. Good that you have a resident frog earning its keep xXx

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  8. How very sensible to carry a zippy bag for unexpected donations to your garde which is looking totally jungle fresh and lush, full of wonderful flowers, food and not a sign of heatwaviness or drought, how do you keep it watered? are you desalinating seawater into a secret underground watering system? Having their own private ukulele player must be helping them grow? I never knew slugs and bugs ate chilli plants. I am dreading the arrival of slugs on my manicured breadcrumb textured allotment, best not to plant anything me thinks or they might spoil it - I plan to keep a can of beer up there so I can get them all drunk then sacrifice them to the birds.

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    1. Hello Betty, I have to admit the zip bag was from some random collection of nail varnish the kids bought for 50p off the carbooty - but I do have another emergency plastic bag in my rucksack ;) The rain butt ran out weeks ago, so most things have to tough it out. I only water a limited number of plants in pots, or newly planted ones in the ground- always from sink / shower run off / bath water, because I'm that tight! Often I go out with my teapot & the neighbours must think I'm a nutter. It is weird that slugs eat chilli peppers too - they must like it spicy!!! Your breadcrumb allotment sounds enticing, as does the beer xXx

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  9. Wonderful evening photos Lulu! Your garden is looking incredible and how lucky that you have your own little wandering minstrel! The tuber in the zip bag is reminiscent of something Dustin from Stranger Things might try and rear - are you sure it's a Canna? :-D xxx P.S. Monsieur's latest work would make a great driving song. I can imagine hurtling along a lonely mountain road such as Glencoe, listening to this (within the speed limit of course). Love the multi layered sound. Very impressive!

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    1. The Ukelele is actually quite pleasant sounding in little hands, unlike the violin or trombone. I'm going to name the canna 'D' Artagnan' or 'Dart' for short ;) That reminds me, we saw a kid that looked just like Dustin yesterday - he even had the same hair, cap, T-shirt and shorts. Thank you Claire, I will be sure to pass that on to Monsieur xXx

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  10. Your garden looks wonderful, I loved this post, thank you for taking us on a wee tour. We are having just enough rain to keep our water butts full so although we have had dry periods I have yet to run out of rainwater as yet. I have acquired a toad in my polytunnel who is doing a marvellous job of keeping the slugs at bay. I finally managed to clear a big bed at the top of my garden which had not been touched for two years, my triffid like kale has now all gone.

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    1. You are lucky to still have rain water in your butt - mine ran out weeks ago :0 Oh, I would love to have a toad in the garden. As soon as I lob one snail over into the wilderness, another thirty arrive overnight! Good job on the clearing, must feel good xXx

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  11. Your garden always seems so magical - the mornings and evenings must be special. Super photos. You have some lovely dahlia. As for tomatoes we are lucky as a neighbour supplies us from his garden and also drops in some beans. Trust all is well in your world, all good wishes.

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    1. Thank you Mike :) Very kind of your neighbour to supply homegrown items. We are on heat-down here - all outdoor jobs must be done before 10 am, but the night times are wonderful, especially with the full super moon. As I type, it is coming up to 5pm. Curtains are still drawn, fan is on, ice cubes are out :0 Hope you are keeping well xXx

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  12. Skateboarding? That sounds like fun.
    Your garden is so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
    Naturally, I wouldn't mind if you shared the photograph from my blog. Have a lovely day.

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    1. I probably shouldn't skateboard - I broke my arm doing it when I was a kid! Thanks Ivana, I'll let you know when I post it :) xXx

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  13. I love following your gardening stories. My ffiend and I have justgot ourselves an allotment. t has been neglected for a year so the focus is on weeding. x

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    1. How exciting Jane! Happy weeding. Hopefully we'll get to see it at some point :) xXx

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  14. What a beautiful garden, it's great to create these green and healthy spaces! Hugs, Raquel

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    1. Thank you Raquel :) I spy that you have a blog, so will check it out xXx

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