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 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) ...

 Hello m' berry pies, Sundays are for lie ins with tea and books, breakfast croissants, garden pottering, maybe a bit of painting. Here is the sound of a Sunday morning at Long Mizzle, courtesy of the local church bell ringers [video] - Picking flowers to dry - Helichrysum (above) and Statice (below).     From the greenhouse you can watch the lagging tomatoes slowly ripen.   This year's Braeburn apple harvest... thirty of 'em! Some destined for a pie.   If we are feeling adventurous... some blackberry picking, using an old wooden walking stick to hook and reach the high branches. The best ones are always out of reach! In old British folklore, we are told not to pick blackberries after Old Michaelmas Day (10th October), as the devil promptly pisses on them. I am pretty sure I have eaten pissed on berries in the past. It did not result in instant death, but it did simultaneously give me the squits AND make me a better guitarist. Saturday afternoons are for heavier...

 Hello m' misty pots,   It has been a peculiar week. One night the cold sea mist silently crept in. By morning, the church tower stood steady, silhouetted. Beyond the unseeing tree line, the outside world ceased to exist. A thick white veil, a sleepwalking bride..the garden was all that was. Then there was the dreaded Track and Trace phone ping 'you need to self-isolate', and the follow up phone call "you do not need to self-isolate", much confusion and a set of negative PCR tests. The mist started to clear. Phew!   Pots are simple. They make sense. They are great to talk to whilst drinking morning coffee and dunking biscuits.    You would not believe the things a pot will tell you at 11pm at night, after a douse of bathwater. Their language is plain filthy! Achillea 'Cerise Queen' and Cornflower 'Black Ball' (Centaurea cyanus)     The shallowest part of the pit (old pond). Only sea thrift seem to thrive here. Above: The dahlia bed During our faux ...