Dicksonia antarctica

 

So  the next job ...is to tidy up this area .  Tree Fern - Dicksonia antarctica  

Unlike most of the advice that is given out there , I like the sumptuous skirt of the old leaves and I have the luxury of having the space to stand at some distance and look back across the garden to enjoy the shape of it as a whole .

So I don't usually take off the old leaves on this particular Tree Fern .

Some years it looks better than others . It gives some protection from the cold in the Winter too . 

We are quite a bit milder here on the Lizard than other places in Cornwall . We are a lot further South .

If we were to get a snow forecast or if it was forecast to be particularly cold , then I will throw an old sack into the crown , or sometimes just fold the old leaves over the crown . Often uncovering it again next morning . 

                   ⛈️⚡We do get some pretty scary wild storms though ! ⚡⛈️

The main reason I 'm being so drastic with it today is , we are going to have a new boiler , you can just see the old one behind the Tree Fern , and this will give the men a bit more space and light so they can see what they're doing and not keep getting bonked on the head by those long leaves around the back .

The Tree Fern is now at a good height and we have our view through the windows once again ! It was only a tiddler in a five inch pot when I first bought it twenty years ago . In the right place , they grow fast !

As I lop the old fronds down I can see several young ferns around it's base . I wonder if these might be  Dicksonia antarctica babies .  

The Tree Fern fronds have been keeping my old Gunnera manicata  cool and damp during this hot weather .

           Gunnera manicata looking stunningly beautiful .

Ivy .....sigh .....  I'll slowly work away on that  . No worries  🌿🌿🌿

The postman came with a little brown box for me  . Beautifully and safely packed  !

From Gray of velboyz -Westen Mill on Ebay uk who has a wonderful cactus shop 🌵

                                                         Echinocereus sheerii

Very happy with this generous sized cactus , which I have been after for some time . 

Going to have pink flowers 🪷I didn't have any cactus compost left so had to take some out of Barney the Dog Tail Cactus's pot  🐶.

So that took most of the morning and then my Granddaughter came for a sleep over . 

I haven't done any embroidery or needlework for almost a year ,  mainly due to noise  . If you follow my "Cornish Needlework Basket Blog " then you will see this and maybe wondered where I'd gone . 

I need absolute peace and quiet to do my more special embroidery .... I can't work when there is so much noise .

So it was nice and quiet and we enjoyed a couple of hours to sit in the Summer house and do some sewing together .

Such precious time together .

                        🪻🪻Making a little Lavender bag 🪻🪻

We learned Basting stitch , and revised Running stitch and Back stitch , which she already knew how to do and is very good at it !

                    I picked some lavender from the garden .

 She turned the right side out and made neat corners , we found a pretty strip of cotton material to simply tie into a bow , around the top .

                               She did a great job ! 

   

                                                          🪻🩷 🪻 

                                                             

                    💐   Then she did some lovely flower arranging for me 💐

                           Some pretty flowers for the table 💐

                        Did some drawing with me at the table .                                  

       Then we had our walk along the cliffs , where we met our friend with her little dog ...and stopped and enjoyed a chat .

It was a beautiful sunset , but we didn't stop to watch it go completely down as we still had one more mission .

To go to the park to play on the Zip -wire thing . 🤗🥳🎉

Then home and off up into the meadow to watch the rabbits in the dusk . 🐇🐇🐰🌖

Then we did some more some drawing at the table with my special colouring pencils .

Then , and then ,and then finally to bed !   🛌🏻😴💤💤💤💤 

Plans for tomorrow - I am going to take out most of the Tomato Cucumber and Sweet Pepper plants .

Start bringing my cacti back into the greenhouse .

     Wishing you all a wonderful weekend !  Make it a great one !

                                             🌿☀️🌿

                                 Love and hugs  Debbie  💐 x