Long Mizzle Garden

 Eh up our kid, Less gardening this weekend - I've been living it up large, feet up, head full of lurgy, watching the Glastonbury Music Festival highlights on t' tele. The band that opened up my first ever Glasto in 1997 were called The Shirehorses. This was radio DJs Mark and Lard's spoof band. Having listened to their ridiculous comedy sketches on BBC Radio 1's graveyard slot, holed up in my teenage garage, I was a big fan.  When Mark n' Lard moved to Radio 1's prime time slot, they refused to relocate from their Manchester base (the rest of Radio 1 broadcast from London) and they would often play the spoons or kazoo over any tune they disapproved of (compulsory playlists you see). They particularly seemed to take offense to a band called Savage Garden, which they called 'Cabbage Garden'. They claimed every band around at the time had nicked their sound. In my early 20s I got to meet them in person as a friend of mine from the BBC technology trainee sc...

 Hello m' mid Mayers, Just a quickie from me today.... How people choose to spend their free time always fascinates me. I think that's why I enjoy reading blogs so much - they are full of personal passion and interest. This month I  discovered one work colleague used to head a 'supernatural investigation club' - he has some hilarious and hair raising stories (more on that some other time).  Another colleague has converted the lower part of his garage into a blacksmith's forge, where he makes weaponry for his cosplay weekends. It gets better - the upper part of his garage looks like a medieval tavern. This is where he and his beardy friends gather under flickering candles to drink mead, eat stew from wooden bowls and play the Dungeons and Dragon's board game! It is said that the UK is a nation of gardeners. I suppose we have a good amount of rainfall and enough sun to make it a plausible pursuit. But what to do when the snow endlessly falls? Last week, I stumble...

 Hello m' sparkly spiky crystals, Do you remember those mixed cacti seed I sowed all the way back in March here ? And the punt I took on that ginger tuber from Wilkos? ( Vix , is mine as big as yours?)  Well I thought it was about time for an update.... Rain, rain, rain, that's all we've had in recent days. Jacked up on coffee and cabin fever, I took myself off to the greenhouse for some pot therapy. I don't think I've shown you my Happy Potter for a while now - The 'De Cayenne' chilli peppers, grown from seed, have just started to flower. The ones on the top shelf are unfortunately a bit sun scorched. Just goes to show they like it hot, but not too hot! Tucked behind them is the edible Ginger plant and a couple of Cape Gooseberries (those weird orange, paper husked fruits as seen served by Masterchef's most pretentious contestants). The sole cherry tomato plant has been producing lovely sweet fruits for one month now.  'Moneymaker' I'm not...

Hello m' hearties, As I sat here tonight, half watching Neighbours (my guilty pleasure), the ridiculous story line, involving questionable fungi, reminded me I had better do my weekly correspondence. It has been a long, exhausting week, full of work and homeschooling, so please forgive me if I simply bombard you with pictures and nonsense. I aim on having a proper blog reading catch up this weekend. Last weekend I jinxed the weather by saying out loud I hoped the sun would stick around. It rained solid all weekend. There was nothing to be done, but sit indoors with the artificial lights on, and get the watercolour paints out for Round 2.  Sketch done, paint mixed and ready to go! I am slowly discovering that preparation is the key. More water, less paint, more tea, less biscuits... The trick I am told is knowing when to stop. Quick, lock it away before I royally mess it up! A second attempt at the Moth Orchid. "Loosey goosey, loosey goosey" as the old Taekwondo Seinsei  s...