Long Mizzle Garden

 Hello m' wishing ribbons,   My Cornish bird neighbour told me no one used to dare trespass on the old Enys Estate for fear of being shot. One cold December, whilst walking round the edge of the woods, heavily pregnant and skint, she pulled off a thick pine branch, seeing its potential as an alternate Christmas tree. This she attempted to drag back home, but would drop it each time she heard a car approaching.  When her midwife passed by chance and repeatedly insisted to give her a lift, she felt she had no option other than openly admit the woody heist. At this point, I can't remember whether the midwife helped with the smuggled operation or looked the other way. The former would make for a funnier story: the image of a midwife in old fashioned uniform and a heavily pregnant woman shadily bundling half a pine tree into a tiny car.  Luckily, these days the Enys Estate opens its gates and warmly welcomes us naughty commoner folk. The gardens are said to be the oldest ...

Hello October and hello you! Hope you are keeping well. I don't think we're ever too old to do a bit of autumn treasure hunting, do you? I still marvel at fir cones and conkers and I do love the occasional monkey swing in a tree (move aside kids!). Here I am, sensibly dressed in my back to school satchel, green flasher mac and sturdy boots at Enys Garden, Penryn. (p.s. that's not a scout tie, it's my homemade face mask) Just look at these jubilant Kniphofias, soaking up every last ray of sunshine, reflecting back the sun's happiness, face to face. Even the old handsome Enys house seemed to enjoy warming its stones, humming contentedly with the goings on of a socially distanced antiques fair inside.   Set away from the house, there are quieter, hidden spaces and a newly uncovered woodland glen. The joy of having a year's pass to a garden is seeing it change throughout the seasons and learning more about it with each visit. I have mentioned in a previous post her...

It is that time of year where we would normally be on a road trip to our neighboring county of Devon, to meet up with friends. Last year we stayed in a vintage caravan on a hidden farm in Devon and the kids absolutely loved it. We even got to visit RHS Rosemoor, which was wonderful for both my plant fix, but it also had brilliant children’s play areas.  With concerns over Covid, we've decided to stay at home this year. We are lucky that whilst avoiding the most popular beaches and tourist hotspots on a hot weekend such as this, there are still plenty of things to do. My dad gives me the report on how busy the Falmouth beaches are following his daily bike ride. The general verdict: "bloody packed".   Enter this weekend’s entertainment ....A fifteen year old, 3 man music festival tent! After a bit of huffing by Monsieur and myself, re-threading the pinged elastic on one of the poles, then re-threading it AGAIN (just as Monsieur was about to tie a knot in it, it sprung b...