Long Mizzle Garden

Just a quick one today m' crystal gazers, Following my recent illegal island grab*  (see here ), and another couple of camping trips, I temporarily landed back at my beloved Longmizzle just in time for autumn.  The garden feels neglected and confused. The Rhododendron is in flower and my poor pumpkins have split due to a September heatwave. *I was forceably removed by the authorities that be. In other weird phenomena news... During the heatwave we saw hundreds of Crystal Jellyfish washed up at Coverack Cove. A rare site to see in the UK, they glow in the dark and aimlessly float with the warm tides.  Crystal Jellyfish - Coverack Cove, Cornwall (9th September 2023) There was a strange static energy hovering in the air. That night an almighty electrical storm struck, with forked lightening and the loudest thunder I have ever encountered. The earth beneath the tent shook. By morning, rather than feeling tired through lack of sleep, I felt super charged by jump leads.  ...

 Hello m' peggies, Propagation stations are go! I'm plotting for car boot sale domination next spring. I shall sell plants to feed my plant addiction AND hard biscuit fund. Well, action is necessary seeing as there's an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis and a beyond bobbins government crisis! This is why I've been working extra hours. Working like a dog and sleeping like a log.       The pink river lilies burst forth on Monday -  (Hesperanta coccinea)  This fantastic book is on loan from the library. I'm not ready to give back yet - The window ledges are fast turning into aqua propagation stations -     Miss Amarylis (Hippeastrum) is having her second bloom of the year, out on the top patio table - Her little bulb offsets sit in pots beside her - At this time of year , the Aoniums start putting on some serious muscle. Here's some Tree Aenoium stems, with adventitious roots already developing. They will readily strike when placed in a pot...

 Hello m' stormy teacups, Seems like I've been working too hard lately. As my old kindly boss used to say each day at elevenses "Let's get our priorities right and put the kettle on" ...and get out into the garden! (I added that last bit) Long Mizzle is recovering from Storm Aurore. She whipped up the English Channel with a reported tornado and 60 mph winds. At one point, the Trachycarpus Palm was bent right over, the leaves almost touching the ground. A tree surgeon friend of ours tells us these were some of the only trees to survive the hurricane of 1987 (the one Michael Fish famously dismissed), on the estate he manages in Sussex. The lower leaves get incredibly scraggly looking, so I trimmed them off. Soon our ladder will be too short to manage this though.  Spot the new addition to the upper terrace? Give us the netball and move aside kids, watch and learn!   We were lucky -  the only damage really was some battered sunflowers and one toppled Aeonium pot. ...