Long Mizzle Garden

 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. Sin...

 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 campers,  I awoke early Friday morning to the agonizing low groans and high pitched wails of Storm Eunice. Already she commanded the hills, as she stalked up and down the estuary. Peering out of the rattling, whistling windows, I could see plastic bags and plant pots dancing through the air. Uncertain seagulls seemed to be stranded up in the stratosphere. By 10am the strangest piece of  debris had arrived at the front gate - an erect tent.     The tent proceeded to jump over and perform a series of impressive flippy spinnerooney somersaults. As advised by the red/ amber weather warning for Cornwall, we stayed indoors... flash backs to the dreaded home schooling. The occasional sun was deceptive.  Toppled bamboo  Squiffy voodoo arch The weekend weather hasn't been any better really and cabin fever has well and truly kicked in! It is even still too wild for 'Drive by Watercolours' - How to do 'Drive by Watercolours' -  1) Pick a rainy day 2) ...

 Hold on February, I forgot to say hello! Camellia morning over Long Mizzle. Please cue the confetti cannons as I saunter in to the room nonchalantly in my silk housecoat... arms stretched out in a operatic way...THE EXAMS ARE OVER! I sat my last two RHS horticulture theory exams during the week at Duchy College Rosewarne. That's eight exams done and dusted, and I don't want to see another one any time soon! Time to be a lady of leisure, even just for one day. After a night of binge watching 'Canal Boat Diaries', along with copious amounts of tea, I bundled the kids off to school the next morning and waited for my folks to pick me up en route to Redruth town and Portreath for lunch. * Canal Boat Diaries on BBC iPlayer: Recommended for lovers of canal boats, locks, impossibly low and long tunnels, viaducts, aqueducts, Midland and industrial North adventures * Above: 'Tinners Hounds' made from boots found at Geevor Mine, by artist David Kemp. Redruth is a no ...

Bonjour mon petit jonquil! Got your cuppa? Let's go....Wow, what a difference one week makes. It really feels like spring has sprung. The question is, is it warm enough to sit bare bottomed on the soil yet?... certainly not, how dare you! The mornings are still a little frosty. Here's just one job I've been meaning to do all winter: sorting out the area by the playhouse. I wish I had taken a  'before' picture to go with my smug 'after' picture, as it was quite a mess! Nettles removed and bramble roots wrestled out, I laid weed membrane down and covered it with new bark shredding.   A landing area where the kids put their deck chairs, I have been instructed not to grow plants in this spot. This is where they natter to their friends at the bottom at the garden  (p.s. the friends sound made up, but they are indeed real). So, what to put there instead??? A wooden throne of course!!!   Voila! The Long Mizzle Throne, forged from seven pieces of fallen wood, co...