Can you see what I can see ? Lets take the lid off and have a closer look .
Yes ! My Rainbow Mini Bell Sweet Peppers are germinating ! I,m so happy !
Yes ! My Rainbow Mini Bell Sweet Peppers are germinating ! I,m so happy !
The Camellia is flowering beautifully now .
I took the cover off the Agave and wiped away a few rain drops to prevent the leaves from being scorched by the sun .
I noticed these interesting golden fungi growing on the old wooden spade .
I went in for a closer look . You can click on my pictures to go in a bit closer too.
Somewhat irritated by this !
This afternoon I am going to dig the poor plant out , pot it up and bring it into the porch , see if I can revive it . This was a lovely Osteospermum . If it recovers , I will plant it out into a flower bed . They survive just fine in the ground . This was really badly blasted by the cruel East wind the other day,because it was in a tub out in an open area of the garden . The fleece covering should have protected it , but the fleece fabric disintegrated , sort of crumbled away and it all then ripped apart in the wind . So that is my job for this afternoon .
As I walked up to the greenhouse , I could see the young Buzzard who has taken to sitting in our meadow . I tried to creep ever so quietly up the path , to get a good picture of him , but he is now older ,wiser and very ,very aware . His sharp eye caught sight of my shadow and he was off and away !Last year he was just an inquisitive baby and quite happy to sit in this tree looking down on me just a few feet below!
I noticed the catkins coming into flower on the Alder tree . I am so happy to have this tree in my garden . So pretty with both it's long catkins and tiny Alder-cones.
My Winter veggies are looking great . I like to have this living larder .
The Garlic is looking good !
And back indoors , on the windowsill , the leeks are really growing away !
Here on the study windowsill , my little Leeks seeds are making good progress , more and more are popping up now . I will probably take these up to the solar shed in a couple of days , where they can slowly get their roots down .
Leeks are so easy to grow and they stand well through the cold winter weather . They make a pleasant change from onions ,with a deliciously mild and mellow taste . I'll be sowing lots more up in the shed and also in pots outside in a few weeks time .
Off out into the garden again and there are a couple of things I need to check on .
What's in the box ? lol ! Well ,while the weather was freezing cold and blowing a gale with the odd few snow flurries over the last few days , I decided to cover the young Agave on our front Cornish hedge with a cardboard box .
So now the weather has changed from cold and dry to warm and wet . I lay in my bed listening to the rain and began thinking that the box was going to fast turn to mush and the heavy rock that I had placed on top to hold it against the wind , was now in great danger of collapsing onto the poor Agave underneath !
I rushed out to take it off and actually I think if I can dry out the box, then I will be able to use it again if Winter returns to Mullion .
I planted it into the Cornish hedge a couple of years ago . It has survived two winters . It is not going to be very happy in this heavy rain but it has very sharp drainage here amongst the rocks .
I have more Agave babies waiting in the wings , if it doesn't make it . Fingers crossed .
Next , to check on my Sweet-peas . Sown end of November .
I stood on tippy-toes to try and take a photo of the Sweet-peas all now about three or four inches tall now ., but my camera did not like being turned pointing straight down from above and refused to take the picture every time I pressed the button . So this was the best I could do to show you through the fleece . And all is well !
Next , on we go , up to the greenhouse again .
The wind was blowing so hard that I had a job getting in . I had to hold onto the door handle ,while undoing the windbreak mesh across the inside , get the key into the other side of the keyhole and lock it from the inside again , because the door doesn't stay shut otherwise !
Once in , I am worrying a bit about the leaking roof . Not a very good picture , but the floor is very wet now . I must see if I can find another bucket to catch the rain coming in .
Everything is a little scruffy . Winter scruffiness !
I can open the side windows too but not the roof windows as they have been nailed down , or they would have blown off in the gales . One of them is crooked and so I have an old washing up bowl underneath it to catch the rain .
I have some cuttings rooting away in it !
As I walk back down to the cottage , I spy a patch of snowdrops that have opened up their petals .These are in a very sheltered place in the back garden .
Don't forget to wrap your outside tap !
I had promised to take you with us on our walk up the lane to see the Snowdrops again . They were only just beginning to push up on our last visit .
Well , It seems that the cruel and bitterly cold Easterly winds has held them back , they are still not fully out .
The weather has changed , it is slightly milder and the wind is now coming from the west . Over night and this morning we are having torrential rain . The tiles on the roof were clattering , no damage though .
So we'll have to come back another day to see the Snowdrops fully open .
Meanwhile up in the greenhouse , everything is under sheets of newspaper, fleece and blankets .The floor is very wet , since there are a few slightly slipped panes of glass . I think everything will be alright though. I had forgotten about the two most precious plants Veltheimia bracteata and the Marlothistella ,which I had meant to bring indoors last time I came up here to cover everything up and light the candles in the lantern .I waited for the wind to ease up , then quickly scooped them up and dashed back to the cottage .I have put them on the table in the porch .They can stay in there for a couple of days , to slowly acclimatise .
Then I will bring the Veltheimia in , so that I can enjoy watching her come into flower on my kitchen windowsill . I grew this from seed . It gives me such a thrill to see it in flower !
I have some more seeds saved from last year's flower . I really must try and remember to sow them up soon .
Marlothistella uniondalensis , her flowers just beginning to go over , was not very happy under sheets of newspapers in the greenhouse . She will now will be much happier in the porch .
My lovely Cyclamen by the back doorstep , had been looking so gorgeous a few days ago , was now been completely flattened by the wind . I am so cross with myself for not moving it to a safer place .
I brought it into the porch . It is picking up already and I can see some more buds coming .
So the Winter freeze appears to be over and we are back to normal ....rain , drifting sea mizzle and fog again !