Saturday, 1 January 2022

Next week you'll all be mush!


 Well, 2022 has arrived without incident - although it is unseasonably warm - and in my desperation to post something in order to drag my Sideboard out of 2021, may I present the dawn of 2022 from here in Overstrand:

☙❧

 The relative warmth of the past few weeks has meant that some things in the garden are lingering longer than they ought, while others - like the cherry tree below - have decided it's Spring already and burst into bloom.


The 'Mind-your-own-business' (Soleirolia soleirolii) on the edge of the pond is doing well.

The common jasmine (Jasmine officinale) is covered in flower buds now and has, in fact, been producing the odd spray of flowers since early Autumn.

The last of the Penstemon flowers

Calla/Arum lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) having its second wind now that almost everything around it has died down and it's getting some light.

This Hellebore is flowering pretty much right on time (perhaps a week or two early)

Having been mercilessly hacked down to almost nothing about a month ago, this Cobaea scandens is making another go at covering the south wall of the house (and everything else, including the Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) at bottom right)

The new shoots such as this one on a Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata) will almost certainly die off next week when the temperature returns to normal.

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) 'Royal Bride' has been going strong since Summer.

 And, last but not least, this avocado sprouted at the beginning of December having been suspended over a jar of water on the kitchen windowsill since late Spring!  It is now in my en suite along with various other botanical sundries.

☙❧

 In other news, Ms Scarlet is finally hosting the

Freakin' Green Elf Shorts Caption Competition!

 Make sure you pop over to her place and leave a cunningly concocted caption for your chance to win The 'Shorts and hold a caption competition of your own.  Fame!  Prestige!  Power!  It will all be yours with those detestable polyestables caressing your nether regions.

 If you have no idea what I'm going on about - where have you been?! - please take a look at Rimpy's Continuing History of the Freakin' Green Elf Shorts (continued from The Very Mistress's Definitive History of The Freakin' Green Elf Shorts).

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33 comments:

  1. The Mistress01 January, 2022 18:11

    Cherry blossoms and elf shorts? It's all kicking off!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon01 January, 2022 18:39

    Spring's showing signs of kicking-off here, too - new shoots on the phlox and Verbena bonariensis are emerging already, and the snowdrops and dwarf irises are up - but as we know, this is Britain, and freezing Siberian hell doesn't usually arrive until February (when we hope to be in Spain anyhow, fingers crossed).

    Cobaea is remarkably hardy, but I am most surprised to see life in a Thunbergia at this time of year. Ours is rapidly turning to the consistency of seaweed, particularly the lower leaves, and it will soon be time to grub it out of the pot and bin it, ready to start all over with new seeds...

    Beautiful though it is, a trip to the beach holds few attractions for me at this time of year.

    Jx

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Inexplicable DeVice01 January, 2022 21:47

      I'm hoping that, after last year, the "freezing Siberian hell" gets diverted north and gives us a miss this year. The Arctic Circle could do with a bit of cold.

      The Thunbergia surprised me too. I was all set to bin them, but maybe (with a little help from the red greenhouse) they might just make it?

      Yesterday lunchtime, I stripped down to my t-shirt for my beach walk (and jeans, of course) as it was so warm!

      Delete
  3. dinahmow02 January, 2022 03:38

    Hah! A Thunbergia cutting that sat in a bucket of water for yonks (yes YONKS, I say!) finally showed a couple of pale green shoots....and then cam The Great Storm. Bucket overflowed and much mopping-up was done in various areas, including the neighbour's place where we've been entrusted with the taking of care. And you lot think I'm a slack blogger?
    Well yes, I am,but I can always use tropical weather as my excuse!I have pikchers of my Golden Penda to show you. After I've had a lie-down...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Inexplicable DeVice02 January, 2022 09:06

      Oh, dear... Perhaps an aquatic garden may be in order?

      A golden panda? Even rarer than the real things!

      Delete
  4. Ms Scarlet02 January, 2022 07:49

    New Year - New Header!!! And phew - Aidan Turner is still in residence.
    Yes, I am hosting a competition that only one person wants to win!!!
    Sx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ms Scarlet02 January, 2022 07:51

      P.S I am already mush-like.
      Sx

      Delete
    2. Inexplicable DeVice02 January, 2022 09:13

      I feel the same after the Christmas indulgences - a mushy blob. I've just got two rather large bars of chocolate covered marzipan and half a Christmas pudding (and vat of double cream) to eat before getting back to normal food and, hopefully, demushifying.
      (I changed the header as the previous Ferrero Rocher one wasn't helping with the mushiness)

      It's still very early days in the FGES Compo - and the New Year. I'm sure once everyone else is up and about, there will be a deluge of captions!

      Delete
    3. Ms Scarlet02 January, 2022 09:31

      What's sad is that nobody other than Rimpy seems to want the green velour horror in their life. Remember back in the day when people clamoured for them? Princess had the right idea when she pickled the original pair. I should have bottled them and hidden them somewhere.... then I could have written a very silly tale about the bottle of green...and I could have made a map.... and talked about Uranus and suchlike.
      Sx

      Delete
    4. Hound of Hecate02 January, 2022 10:20

      I don't want them but then I'm a dog so have an excuse. They are actually spreading in the blogosphere:

      http://eattheblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/firecracker-firecracker-boom-boom-boom.html?m=1

      Delete
    5. Inexplicable DeVice04 January, 2022 20:32

      It is quite sad, Ms Scarlet. I mean, what do people think will happen if they temporarily win and have to wear a pair of filthy, stain-covered, germ-ridden velour shorts?? I think they must be baulking at the postage costs.

      I would love to read about/try and find your bottled Shorts (I might even be persuaded to leave Norfolk and visit Devon in order to do so!). However, I notice that Mistress Maddie is now in the running, so you probably won't get to bottle them after all...

      And, Hound? I'm sure the Shorts would slip over your hind quarters. Just don't pull them up as high as Madam in those photos has!

      Delete
  5. Hound of Hecate02 January, 2022 10:19

    Without incident? Without incident? Betty White is DEAD and Tony Blair has a KNIGHThood. It's the aPOCalypse.
    Also I have never managed to get an avocado to sprout. Who did you sell your soul to again?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Inexplicable DeVice04 January, 2022 20:35

      I meant without incident here in my very local locale. Well, some more of the cliff fell down, but it's always doing that just for a bit of attention. Bloody drama queen!

      Oh, and about the avocado. I didn't sell my soul (I'm not that daft). No, I yoinked someone else's and sold that!

      Delete
    2. Hound of Hecate04 January, 2022 21:51

      You Tories get everywhere.

      Delete
  6. uptonking02 January, 2022 13:23

    So Very Jell. We have ice and snow... my car is an ice cube. My mum did that with an avocado. The Ex took care of it and it grew so large, we had to find a home for it. Same for an orange tree she grew from seed. Wishing you all the best in 2022.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Inexplicable DeVice04 January, 2022 20:39

      Just imagine the size of the G&T it could cool down!

      Your mum sounds a wiz with seeds and the like. Perhaps she could start another off for you - or give you some tips to do one yourself - ready for this year's Garden Photo Event (which I'm sure you'll be taking part in, in some form or other)?

      Delete
  7. Rimpy03 January, 2022 01:16

    Nice pictures, IDV. Now I can't look at your nature shots without peering closely to see if any tiny FGES have snuck in.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Inexplicable DeVice04 January, 2022 20:40

      Ha ha! Oops - sorry.
      I think you found all the baby FGES photos - at least, I can't recall any others?

      Delete
  8. ProximaBlue03 January, 2022 19:04

    I'm so jealous right now! Last night it sounded like I was living in a war zone! Alternating heavy rain, freezing rain, heavy snow and wind! Large branches crashing everywhere and now a foot of slush on the roads and walkways. School was cancelled but to the excitement of the kids and groaning for the parents. On the plus side, we didn't lose power at least.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Mistress03 January, 2022 19:24

      Have you experienced "freezing fog" Miss Proxima? We had freezing fog two days ago.

      Delete
    2. Inexplicable DeVice04 January, 2022 20:45

      Um... The temperature here might - might - drop to zero early Thursday morning before the sun comes up, if that helps? Oh, and the warmth is over now - daytime temps at about 4 or 5 before going back to the more usual 6 or 8 next week.
      It doesn't help, does it...

      Delete
    3. ProximaBlue06 January, 2022 04:04

      Yes, Mistress. We had freezing fog a few days ago. Fortunately, it was gone by midday.

      IDV, It's okay, I shall survive. I will always be jealous that you live within walking distance of a nice beach though, unless maybe someday I move to my own. It could happen.

      Delete
  9. Agnes Goldberg-DeWoofs03 January, 2022 20:37

    That is the way to greet the New Year. What a place to see it in.

    Happy New Year to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Inexplicable DeVice04 January, 2022 20:47

      It was quite a lovely sight, Ms Goldberg-DeWoofs. And we were fortunate that there wasn't total cloud cover.

      Happy New Year to you too!

      Delete
  10. Mistress Maddie05 January, 2022 04:41

    Can we just move the gincuzzi to one of those cliff tops before getting in it again??? Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Inexplicable DeVice09 January, 2022 11:56

      Well, perhaps not too close to the edge as they've got into the bad habit of collapsing...

      Delete
  11. Steve. Because 'Steve' is almost as nice a name as 'Paul'.07 January, 2022 04:50

    You'd be a Zone 8b-7a here in the U.S. Definitely. Am I jealous? Yes I am. Is it snowing here? Oh yes, along with sleet, blizzard conditions, and a silver that (ice fog.) It's been just ducky ducky ducky. But far more importantly: THE FGES are still spreading disease across Blogdom? How come nobody's written a letter? How is this sanitary? What is that smell? WHERE IS GOD???????

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Inexplicable DeVice09 January, 2022 11:59

      Ah. Well, you see God got a little too close to the 'Shorts and had to be strapped down and stretchered away. We're on our own now.

      Delete
  12. Steve. Because 'Steve' is almost as nice a name as 'Paul'.07 January, 2022 04:50

    ...silver thaw. Thaw, dammit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. dinahmow08 January, 2022 22:15

      Perhaps it's not an ice thaw, but decomposing FGES...

      Delete

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