Sweet Peas and Tarantulas !

 Such a beautiful morning of sunshine and showers . We decided it was a walk across the cliffs kind of a morning .

There's the Marconi Monument and you can  just see St Michael's Mount in the distance .

Other side of the rainbow ...I couldn't get it all in !

There were a few spit spots of rain , but fortunately for us , those black clouds were blowing the other way .

However we made our walk a brisk one today as there were more squalls coming in . 

This one was fast approaching !

We had our waterproofs on . We'd have been o.k. We don't mind a bit of rain .

We saw the Kestrel again , but no Choughs today .

When we got back home the sun was shining and it felt quite warm . I decided to give my Tarantula Fern a drink . It had become a bit dry hanging in the porch. The porch faces South and it can get quite hot in there . This birdbath is the perfect place for it to revive .

           It's proper name is Davallia tyermannii /Humata tyamannii 

It has these long furry rhizome's that creep and hang over the edge of the pot  looking for all the world like the legs of a Tarantula or Bird Eating Spider waiting to pounce from out of the undergrowth .

                                           Eeek !

   Robin is not happy about it !

 Hey ! It's time to sow Sweet Peas ! ( note - we are in Cornwall as far South as you can be in England .It works for me here ! I did once grow some fabulous Sweet Peas through a Privet Hedge in Kent , where it does get considerably colder , but I have no guarantees . ) 

Anyway .Yes ! What I wanted to say was , that it is time to sow some Sweet Pea seeds .

If you have never done it this way , get yourself a little packet of Sweet Pea seeds , just a cheap little packet of seeds and have a go ! 

 I like to make a note of when I do this and which variety . 

There are some really beautiful varieties to choose from . This is what I am growing this time .

The "Spencer Mix " should be a good fragrant one and the "Royal Family Mix " I think are a good colourful mix .

I pulled out the African Marigolds which were still flowering and a couple of Dahlias from this tub .

The African Marigolds I have potted up and are in the greenhouse to enjoy them for a bit longer .

 The Dahlias have gone into their undercover storage place for the Winter 

 I put a layer of spent compost (from the tomatoes) over the top , sprinkled over the Sweet Pea seeds and another layer of compost . 

I used six of my now very tatty bamboo canes to make a wigwam .

Watered them in , although there is more rain coming too .

Found a piece of fleece to wrap around it all and lashed it all around with string . 

When the Sweet Peas come up they are in more danger of the wind snapping them than of the cold , so I make sure that the fleece is really well tied on and I will keep checking on that as we go through the Winter .

I do this every year . It works for me . 

Hopefully they will be germinating by Christmas .

A few inches tall by the middle of January .

By next April I will be thinking of taking off the fleece .

It is just so nice to have Sweet Peas growing away over the Winter . I think they grow stronger when grown this way .

It is something joyful and fragrant to look forward to . 

We'll sow another lot in the Spring , but I don't think they are quite so good as the Autumn sown ones and ....

 I'll be busy sowing vegetables by then .