A dreckly updated blog from a long and mizzly garden by the sea in Cornwall.
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Hello m' dotties,
It has been a wonderful Easter weekend. You can probably guess where I've spent most of it?
Of course, the garden!
Since September I've been missing some packets from the Alpine Garden Society seed swap. It was driving me potty as I had looked everywhere for them. I had intended to sow the remaining seeds in autumn. All the logical places were checked: the potting bench, my tupaware store in the fridge, the cold cupboard in the downstairs toilet.
Then on Friday night, as I was Marie Kondo-ing the living daylights out of the airing cupboard (as one does on a Friday night), they revealed themselves. They had been sat in the sun lotion basket! Well, I had to do celebratory dance and found it hard to sleep after all that excitement.
Before they escaped again, I got them sown into freshly washed pots and window propagator. Fingers crossed it's not too late and they hatch ok.
The lost alpine seed list
From South Africa: Romulea gigantea, Lacanalia carnosa & Lacanalia klipranensis
From the Alps /Pyranness: Gentiana acaulis, G. acaulis 'Stumpy' & Physoplexis comosoa
From Chile: Trapaeolum autropurpureum
From Nepal / Kashmir: Rosocea alpina
A reet posh compost heap
This year I hope to make more space for edibles. Food prices have rocketed, so it makes sense. This means making a couple of new beds, so I do not lose my beloved flowers. I am half way through this process, so I shan't do the grand reveal just yet.
Please excuse me while I do a little note to my future self -
I have planted some elephant garlic in the old vege bed.
Let's hope I manage to grown more than £5 worth of garlic in return.
I'm going to crack on in the garden this afternoon.
I shall leave you with a couple of little videos should you have the time, inclination, and most importantly a cuppa at hand to watch.
The first is a garden update -
The second video is a little trip we had to the Marconi Musuem by Poldu Cove.
This is where the first transatlantic wireless transmission was made.
There's so much wonderful history and stories associated with this place. Something I didn't have time to mention - the white building in the photo, now a nursing home, was a newly built hotel when the young Italian / Irish Marconi arrived in 1900. Apparently Marconi was quite an charismatic character and liked life's luxuries, so would always make sure there was a good hotel nearby.
The wooden hut is home to the Poldu Amateur Radio Club - a group of volunteers and HAM radio enthusiasts. I am seriously thinking about building my own radio rig and applying for a license. These kind of skills would be useful in any post-apocalyptic scenario.
Last night I caught a bit of BananaJSSI's live stream on You Tube - he lives on Vancouver Island, where he runs a palm nursery. With his radio setup he was able to randomly communicate with someone from Niue Island in the Pacific (between Tonga & the Cook Islands - we had to google it).
Radio still has the ability to be magic!
Something else also not elaborated on in the video - it was Professor John Ambrose Fleming that helped design the wireless station and transmitter. He too spent quite a bit of time at Poldu, going on to invent the diode valve in 1904. It is his nephew that donated the old chair that we can see in the museum's control room. He remembers as a lad Fleming would sit him on his knee on that chair, at his Devon home.
That's all for today folks.
I hope you are keeping well. What have you been up to this weekend?
Lulu xXx
Please remember to bike, plumbs up & subside on YouTubey HERE
Ah how lovely to take a trip through Mullion to the Marconi Museum. A trip down memory lane as I've once stayed at a lovely B&B in Mullion and walked on the Lizard. I was aware of the Marconi link at the time, but the museum wasn't there yet, I think. Looks like its well worth a visit. Well done of finally finding those long-lost seeds - I wonder what I'd find if I Marie Kondo'd our airing cupboard. Good luck with your veggie beds and I am truly impressed with your "reet posh" compost heap! xxx
Hello Ann, oh Mullion is so pretty, & the Lizard so wild. The museum opened at the end of 2001 I believe, to commemorate 100 years. I am half tempted to Marie Kondo all the other wardrobes now, as part of my mutant spring clean! Glad you liked the compost heap :) xXx
Eh!?! Having never watching either of the Mama Mia movies, I was not aware of this Cherie! Eugh, it's going to be cheesy isn't it. They're going to spontaneously break into song whilst talking. Greece 2 is the only musical I can handle, & that's because it's SO bad it's brilliant ;) xXx
Oh yes please Cherie! :) :) :) I only really like the yellow courgettes, as opposed to green. I am trying not to buy seeds this year, but rather use up all my stash or do swapsies. I shall have to have a peek to see what I have & send you and email.... xXX
glad you found the alpine seeds! wish you luck with them - and with the garlic and the veggies..... your garden looks picture perfect - esp. the compost heap :-D i too have a week spot for amateur radio communication. this hobby saved some actual lifes over the years - very interesting history...... happy spring my dear! xxxxx
Thank you Beate :) You have rail engineers' spirit, so it does not surprise me that you are into radio communication. I bet it comes in handy in the vast forest too. Springy chics to you xXx
Happy you found the seeds Lulu. I get so annoyed at myself whenever I lose something. I'm forever tidying up, putting things in safe places and then forgetting where those safe places are. I'm like a squirrel in that respect! I'm also crossing my fingers that you are rewarded with plentiful gigantic garlic bulbs! I shall set aside some time to watch your videos - my attention was piqued at your radio rig/license idea. A post apocalyptic world feels like a very real prospect these days. xxx
Thanks squirrel Claire! I haven't tried elephant garlic before so it should be interesting. Last night the eldest tot & I re-watched Dustin in Stranger Things rigging up his ham radio & accompanying walkie talkies :) xXx
Oh it is so annoying when you 'know' that you had something and you 'know' that they are safely 'somewhere' but ... WHERE?!? then when you do find them ... either there is a dawning recollection of 'oh yes, I remember now duh' or (this is me more and more these days...) 'what the hell are they doing here? I still don't remember that!' 🙄🤪😁
Strange how such things as seeds can keep disappearing. I'm always missing something or other! My gosh it's blowing a gale at the moment, the trees are dancing. All good wishes.
Its so annoying when you misplace something, especially when you "put it in a safe place"! Of course you could keep a little notebook where you record where these items have been left; you'd need to know where the notebook is so best to put it in a safe place! 😯 I enjoyed having a look around your garden, you're way ahead of mine. I did some seed sowing a few days ago, some toms for growing outdoor and Zinnias for my tubs. I also enjoyed the two videos, as a retired BT Telephone I found the Marconi museum fascinating. Enjoy the weekend, our weather here is dire but better soon. 😊 🐕
Glad you like the Marconi video David :) Well done on getting the tomatoes sown, I'm still yet to do that. The littlest one sowed some Zinnias for me during the week. I hope the weather has improved for you. We had the storm pass over at the start of the week, but it has been a lovely sunny day today xXx
Hello m' piskies, Shhh, not many people know it, but there's a little fairy colony on the outskirts of Truro (spot the Enchanted trail on the map here ). High up in the trees a wise owl presides over the comings and goings and all is at peace. Wooden trip trap bridges lead beside a stream and the path is edged with fallen branches. The fairies are shy, but the occasional creature can be found. Why are owls deemed to be wise? Although their brains are no bigger than any other birds' (in fact their eyes are so flippin' big, there may not be much room for brains, and they are positively slow compared to the cunning crow) ... they sit silently, watching and listening. Their nocturnal nature and spinning heads make them appear like an omnipresent all seeing eye. The Ancient Greeks believed owls' night vision and stealth flight abilities lent them a mystical inner light. Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and War adopted the owl and was often depicted with one. When to be we
Hello m' hot chocolates with marshmallows on the top, With the wintry frosts here, I have been taking comfort in granny blankets, good conversation, delicious food and early nights. Autumn with all its sweet nostalgia often passes too quickly. Before I immerse myself fully in the stark wintertide, let me share with your some recent bits n' bobs. Cornish Chough applique A visit to Helston's Museum of Cornish Life to see Grayson Perry's eight meter long 'Comfort Blanket'. Perry described it as "a portrait of Britain to wrap yourself up in, a giant banknote, things we love , and things we love to hate" On the plus I could spot listed a nice cuppa tea, yorkshire pudding and curry. On the negative (debatable) morris dancing, moaning and white van drivers. An endearing photo (c.1910) showing the comfort of tea and a good natter with old friends - What do you like to collect? The late Mr John Brock of Coverack had a very fine collection of Black T
Hello m' shiny orbs, See here - https://youtube.com/shorts/K3ohA8jAaR4?feature=share Do you sing to your seedlings? I do, whether the like it or not. I did audition for a part in the choir singing 'Zadok the Priest' at the weekend's Coronation. I even had the right getup - teapot for orb, soup ladle for sceptre . I stole my youngest daughter's crown. Strangely I didn't get a part, but I thought I'd share my beautiful singing anyhow. The neighbours are treated daily to this mock operaticness reverberating from my bathroom. Just like Jimi Hendrix, that's my preferred practice space. So I might not be here next weekend. Monsieur thinks I'll be locked up in the castle for treason. I'll just argue that a fortnight of Covid plus cabin fever have altered my normally perfect state of mind. I also suspect the music used in the clip will flag a You Tube copyright strike, but we shall see. I shall leave you with some lovely pictures of my convalescence
Hello m' sunny June berries, Please forgive me for my naughty blogging absence! Before May disappears in a purple haze, here's the garden turning slowly from starry blue to fiery orange. Above: Tree Echium Below: Cordyline flowers Forget-me-nots going over. Californian poppies and Sweet Williams coming into bloom. Above: the 'Faraway Tree' Poor sad frost damaged succulents - out for their summer hols! It's been a busy half term 'holiday' week, involving not one but two job interviews for me, together with the associated swatting & stressing. Aside from some sea swimming and a carbooty jaunt, we've mostly been pottering around the garden and enjoying the unseasonably dry hot weather. On Thursday, Long Mizzle had a very special visit from author Sue Kittow (Pen name 'SL Roswarne'). I know Sue from following her Flowerpot Days blog here . Isn't it lovely when bloggers can meet up in person for a proper natter! We sat on th
Eh up ducks, A super quick bloggy post today. Gritty life and endless rain seem to have been getting in the way of gardening. Monsieur got me a new tent for my birthday. It's a great improvement on my old festival tent that only qualifies as 'three man capacity' if packed like sardines. The new one has a living room area with windows and a porch canopy at the front. We even put some bunting up. Posh tent heaven! Moodiness over Long Mizzle Fed up with the constant foreboding weather forecast and restricted time off from work, I decided to brave it and take the kids on an outing on the Lizard, Cornwall's rugged southern peninsula. Little did we know Storm Betty was ominously approaching. On the advise of an old camping mad school friend, I had pre-ordered some serious pegs and extra guy ropes (cross storm peg revelation - thanks Shauno!). Some old tights were joined together and and used to strap our tent either side to the base of nearby low growing trees. Rainy day d
Ah how lovely to take a trip through Mullion to the Marconi Museum. A trip down memory lane as I've once stayed at a lovely B&B in Mullion and walked on the Lizard. I was aware of the Marconi link at the time, but the museum wasn't there yet, I think. Looks like its well worth a visit.
ReplyDeleteWell done of finally finding those long-lost seeds - I wonder what I'd find if I Marie Kondo'd our airing cupboard. Good luck with your veggie beds and I am truly impressed with your "reet posh" compost heap! xxx
Hello Ann, oh Mullion is so pretty, & the Lizard so wild. The museum opened at the end of 2001 I believe, to commemorate 100 years. I am half tempted to Marie Kondo all the other wardrobes now, as part of my mutant spring clean! Glad you liked the compost heap :) xXx
DeleteI'm clearly a thicko... I thought you'd been watching mama Mia dot dot dot. X
ReplyDeleteEh!?! Having never watching either of the Mama Mia movies, I was not aware of this Cherie! Eugh, it's going to be cheesy isn't it. They're going to spontaneously break into song whilst talking. Greece 2 is the only musical I can handle, & that's because it's SO bad it's brilliant ;) xXx
DeleteYou haven't missed anything it was cheesier than cheddar. X would you like some banana courgette seeds. I'm trying them for the first time this year.
DeleteOh yes please Cherie! :) :) :) I only really like the yellow courgettes, as opposed to green. I am trying not to buy seeds this year, but rather use up all my stash or do swapsies. I shall have to have a peek to see what I have & send you and email.... xXX
DeleteI'll put a little package together for you. Don't buy seeds I have loads I can send
DeleteThanks Cherie love ❤❤❤
DeleteDear Lulu
ReplyDeleteI hope all the gardening is going well. If the weather co-operates, gardening is on my 'to do' list too.
Best wishes
Ellie
Thanks Ellie :) Weather's turned all vicious down here today! Hope it's better for your to do list xXx
Deleteglad you found the alpine seeds!
ReplyDeletewish you luck with them - and with the garlic and the veggies..... your garden looks picture perfect - esp. the compost heap :-D
i too have a week spot for amateur radio communication. this hobby saved some actual lifes over the years - very interesting history......
happy spring my dear! xxxxx
Thank you Beate :) You have rail engineers' spirit, so it does not surprise me that you are into radio communication. I bet it comes in handy in the vast forest too. Springy chics to you xXx
DeleteHappy you found the seeds Lulu. I get so annoyed at myself whenever I lose something. I'm forever tidying up, putting things in safe places and then forgetting where those safe places are. I'm like a squirrel in that respect!
ReplyDeleteI'm also crossing my fingers that you are rewarded with plentiful gigantic garlic bulbs!
I shall set aside some time to watch your videos - my attention was piqued at your radio rig/license idea. A post apocalyptic world feels like a very real prospect these days. xxx
Thanks squirrel Claire! I haven't tried elephant garlic before so it should be interesting. Last night the eldest tot & I re-watched Dustin in Stranger Things rigging up his ham radio & accompanying walkie talkies :) xXx
DeleteOh it is so annoying when you 'know' that you had something and you 'know' that they are safely 'somewhere' but ... WHERE?!? then when you do find them ... either there is a dawning recollection of 'oh yes, I remember now duh' or (this is me more and more these days...) 'what the hell are they doing here? I still don't remember that!' 🙄🤪😁
ReplyDeleteOh safe places are too safe sometimes! It is amazing I ever find anything in some of our cupboards really :0 xXx
DeleteStrange how such things as seeds can keep disappearing. I'm always missing something or other! My gosh it's blowing a gale at the moment, the trees are dancing. All good wishes.
ReplyDeleteI think it's those Cornish piskies Mike ;) It was quite a storm that passed over in the week wasn't it. Hope you are well xXx
DeleteIts so annoying when you misplace something, especially when you "put it in a safe place"! Of course you could keep a little notebook where you record where these items have been left; you'd need to know where the notebook is so best to put it in a safe place! 😯
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed having a look around your garden, you're way ahead of mine. I did some seed sowing a few days ago, some toms for growing outdoor and Zinnias for my tubs. I also enjoyed the two videos, as a retired BT Telephone I found the Marconi museum fascinating.
Enjoy the weekend, our weather here is dire but better soon. 😊 🐕
Glad you like the Marconi video David :) Well done on getting the tomatoes sown, I'm still yet to do that. The littlest one sowed some Zinnias for me during the week. I hope the weather has improved for you. We had the storm pass over at the start of the week, but it has been a lovely sunny day today xXx
DeleteOf course, I'm not a telephone!.....I WAS a telephone engineer! DOH... 😆
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification David! I didn't know being a telephone could be a career ;) :) :)
Delete