Trunky bits

 Hello m' trunky dunkies,


Time for a quick bloggy? After an early morning sea swim (yes I am now one of those holier than thou 'wild swimming' converts!), I felt all energized, so decided to tackle the scraggly vege bed that has lay soggy and storm ravaged all winter. 

My first bit of gardening this year...

Before -

After -

Fruit & vege wise, I hope to be growing more perennials this year. 

There are two main reasons for this: an increasing shortage of time and water.

 
 

The tulip bulbs were finally planted in the blue tubs. This is usually something I try to do in November.

From the slim picking dregs in the garden centre: Parrot prince, Hugs & Kisses, Copper Image
 
Very colour coordinated darling. My laundry pile simply can't wait.

The elephant is on the move, looking for its own special watering hole. 

Time to stop for a cup of tea and to admire the camilias. My hard trim last spring seems to have encouraged proliferous proliferations. Since taking this pitcure, the purple sprouting brocoli is now ready for picking. 

 

For flowering so nicely, I treated the red camelia to a mulch of chopped up Christmas tree.

I don't understand why people beg for the council to pick these up when the needles can be so good for acid loving plants.

For Mumrah's birthday card: 

A spontaneous experimentation in watercolour and ink on blank postcard.

 Inspired by the moment during a cold winter sea swim when the sun exploded from the darkening sky and scattered the morning colours all over the water, blowing my little bobbin head. (I told you I am now part of the nutter brigade!)-


I hope to be back with more gossip soon.

How are you keeping?

Lulu xXx

 

Thank you for visiting!

Most recent posts can be found here -

https://longmizzle.blogspot.com/

YouTubeyness here - Long Mizzle Garden on You Tube

 








Comments

  1. bahnwärterin13 February 2024 at 00:18

    i´m green with envy - morning swim in the ocean!! LOOOVE!
    (our river has high water since december - much to dangerous to swim in, even i would´t need a car to go)
    and your camilias!! beautiful! so much blooms and perfect shape....... the many palm-like plants are the tree ecchium? impressiv too.
    very neat veggi bed now - but help me with "perennial veg"?!
    gorgeous sunrise watercolour!
    it´s so very good to hear from you - dear lulu!
    xxxxx

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    Replies
    1. Lulu24 February 2024 at 10:21

      Hello Beate, thank you and good to hear from you too :) Yes the palm-like plants are self-seeded tree echiums. They grow like weeds here! Perennial vegetables that come back year after year - I have put latin names too as I realise these are probably called something entirely different in Germany: Jerusalem Artichokes (Helianthus tuberousus), Tree Spinach (Chenopodium gigatum), Eygyptian Walking Onions (Allium x prolierum). Catch you over on your bloggy soon xXx

      Delete
    2. bahnwärterin25 February 2024 at 04:35

      thank you for the veggie names!! will look them up if they thrive in our northern continental climate ...... xxx

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  2. Winter Peach Photography13 February 2024 at 00:56

    I too am green with envy. What could be better than a morning swim in the ocean? It's clearly extremely beneficial too, inspiring such an amazing piece of art - I bet your mum was thrilled!
    The veg patch looks beautifully neat, tidy and ready to explode with vegetables! Wishing you a bumper harvest!
    I'm a bit less visible on Blogland too lately, but it is lovely to hear from you! xxx

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    Replies
    1. Lulu24 February 2024 at 10:24

      Thank you Claire :) Ol' mumrah always enjoys a handmade card as opposed to a shop bought one any day. Life has been a bit hectic lately. The swims are heard earned 'me' time! Hope you are doing well. I'll be over soon to nosey xXx

      Delete
  3. Vix13 February 2024 at 03:42

    I'd be with you on the morning sea swim, I bet that sets you up for the day good and proper! Have you invested in one of those Dryrobes yet and gone the full hog?
    Mumrah's card is beautiful, I bet she was thrilled to bits.
    Your garden looks fabulous, mine's a quagmire!
    Lovely see you up pop up again, Lulu! xxx

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    Replies
    1. Lulu24 February 2024 at 10:27

      Oh yes, you'd love the sea swimming Vix! I have a very basic towel and oversized hoodie setup at the moment but am very temped by the over priced specialist robes. Either that or I make my own, with a 'Wet Bob' logo ;) Hope to catch you on blogland very soon xXx

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  4. Ellie Foster13 February 2024 at 09:19

    Dear Lulu
    Congrats on the swimming - much respect for that (something I could never do!). I have just come in from potting on a cherry and an apple (both were infected with vine weevil larvae - ugh!) and it was raining. Mr F was very helpful as there is no way I could have got the trees out of their pots by myself without a trip to A & E next day! I have got to do three more roses... Your garden is looking lovely already and the camellias are the stars of the show (for now). I have camellias flowering too, which seems a bit early, but I am enjoying them.
    Happy gardening/painting etc. ( I am sure the card went down well)
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    Replies
    1. Lulu24 February 2024 at 10:33

      Thank you Ellie :) Well done on braving the vine weevil - horrible squidgy things!!! Sounds like you and Mr F both had a proper wrestle with the pots. I'm sure it will all be worth it. I have a pot bound cherry stella that I need to somehow get into the ground :0 I may be summoning the services of Monsiure for that. Happy gardening and crafting. Catch you very soon xXx

      Delete
  5. Polyester Princess13 February 2024 at 10:52

    Congratulations on the wild swimming! That must be truly invigorating once you've dipped your toes in and braved the cold. Congratulations on your gardening efforts too. Your camellias are looking splendid and I would have picked those Hugs & Kisses tulips for the name alone. Those tubs are going to fantastic!
    Loving the birthday card you made for your Mumrah and the inspiration behind it.
    Sending hugs and kisses xxx

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    Replies
    1. Lulu24 February 2024 at 10:35

      Thanks Ann :) The motivational post swimming sausage butty and hot coffee also boosts the mood too ;) The little tulips are pushing through already even though I planted them so late. Hope you and Jos are keeping well. I will hoping over the channel for some gossip very soon xXx

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  6. Elderberry-Rob13 February 2024 at 23:03

    Hello little Mermaid, I love your mum's birthday card, it's vibrant and very seasidey and I am a little jealous of your wild swimming , this also means you must have one of the few and far between 'clean and pleasant' beaches in the UK of which there aren't many. Your garden seems huge, the camelia are like trees and I think could be seen from the road (if I lived near you I would be nicking flowers as I scampered by), really beautiful. What's under the little glass clotches in the newly tidied area I wonder? oh, banana tree seedlings to feed the elephant! Betty

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    Replies
    1. Lulu24 February 2024 at 10:41

      Thanks Betty love :) We are very lucky with the local beaches but I'm with Surfers Against Sewage on trying to stop South West Water sporadically dumping in the sea! One likes to steal the vistas of my neighbours' gardens to make mine appear bigger. 'Borrowed landscape' is the reet posh terminolgy. Nout under the jam jars just yet. Catch you soon xXx

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  7. David Bennett16 February 2024 at 08:28

    Good to see your making a start on the garden, I did my first clearing up today. Cleethorpes is enjoying the heady hights of 14 degree C at the moment, unfortunately that also woke my tortoise up in the garage, about a month earlier than usual, so he's spending daytime in his garden house and I bring him into the house overnight.
    My Camelias wont be flowing until April/early May but yours look fine. You're brave to go for a dip in the sea, I wouldn't dare do that at Cleethorpes as we have "other things" floating about in the Humber Estuary!
    I looked on Google recently for a way to clean my badly stained teaspoons and watched a video on YouTube about using bicarbonate of soda and it worked like magic. It occurred to me that I recognised the lady's voice on it and I wondered if it was yourself? If not then she sounded very much like you.
    A lovely post from you Lulu, take care, David.

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    Replies
    1. Lulu24 February 2024 at 10:48

      Thank you David, great to hear from you. 14oc - Ooooh, break out the bermudua shorts! Your poor tortoise must be confused. I have to admit I never attempted a dip in the Humber but I did stick my toe in once at Withernsea. Although I would love to lay claim to making magic teapot tutorials on YouTube, it was alas not me! Probably my evil doppleganger. Hope you are keeping well. Looking forward to coming over to see some of your photography soon ... xXx

      Delete
  8. Cherie22 February 2024 at 07:37

    Brrrrr, give me a warm bath any day. I'll leave the wild swimming to braver soul's than me.

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    Replies
    1. Lulu24 February 2024 at 10:52

      We don't do baths in these parts Cherie. I'm thinking about holidaying up North East way just so I can have a bath every day! xXx

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    2. Cherie25 February 2024 at 00:57

      I bet you'd love Staithes. It's near Whitby.

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    3. Lulu10 March 2024 at 07:00

      Oh yes, I've seen it on t' tele & it looks beautiful!
      Thank you so much for the gorgeous pop up card & seeds Cherie :) :) xXx

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  9. Jules24 February 2024 at 22:11

    I've not yet braved wild swimming at this time of year, but my friend keeps trying to persuade me.
    I love the birthday card. X

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    Replies
    1. Lulu10 March 2024 at 07:02

      Thanks Jules, hope you are well :) You must join your friends, even more fun with a group! I go with my brother & sister in law and we have a right old giggle, plus a motivational sausage butty afterwards ;) xXx

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  10. Mike Perry11 March 2024 at 05:15

    Gosh, wild swimming! I need a long walk along a beach before I can get into the sea - and that's on a sunny day of course. An enjoyable post as usual. Good wishes.

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  11. Kezzie20 March 2024 at 16:01

    Mumra's card is excellent! I used Christmas tree foliage for my blueberries last year- they enjoyed the mulch (I also used Rhubarb leaves cut up too!). Very happy our Christmas tree made it in for a second year-- we hope to keep and reuse it if we can! Good old Wilko's!
    I approve of the wild winter swimming- I honestly would give it ago if I lived closer!x

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