​St Michael's mount is a tidal island, 500 metres via cobbled causeway from the small village of Marazion..

From as far back as 495AD, tales tell of seafarers lured by mermaids onto the rocks, or guided to safety by an apparition of St Michael, the patron saint of fishermen, who appeared on the western side of the island to ward fishermen from certain peril.

St Michael's Mount may have been the site of a monastery from the 8th to the early 11th centuries. Edward the Confessor (ruled from 1042 -1066) gifted the site to the Benedictine order of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. They remained linked until the war in France by Henry V, when it was then given to the Convent of Syon (Middlesex) in 1424. 

In the 11th century it became a destination for pilgrims who were encouraged by indulgences granted by Pope Gregory. The earliest buildings on the summit, including the church, priory within the heart of the castle, date to the 12th century.I

Four miracles are refuted to have occurred here during 1262 and 1263 therefore increasing religious magnetism for pilgrimage.

St Michael's Mount has featured in significant historical events:

​In 1193 it was seized by Henry La Pomeray who disguised his men as pilgrims;

During the Wars of the Roses in 1473 the Mount was held by the Earl of Oxford;

​The first beacon was lit of the series that warned London of the approach of the Spanish Armada (1588).

During the Civil War (1642 -1651) Royalists valiantly held back the forces of Oliver Cromwell.

The Mount's cannons drove a Napoleonic ship to its capture on Marazion beach (1803 - 1805);

We are currently in SW Cornwall! Due to the generosity of a good friend we are doing some "indoor camping" in his empty house.  The 'cottage' - which comprises a main house and annexe - is due to be renovated extensively but all the main utilities and white goods are modern and working . In actual fact, it's a novelty for us to have a dishwasher and microwave! However, the only furniture is a dining table and chairs, so we are sleeping on air-beds and have camping chairs and suchlike. We brought pretty much everything - including the kettle - but still had to buy a colander today....crucial for pasta, rice and washing veg and salad.
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We have only been here 48 hours and already seem to have a routine. I think all that camping and/or staying at The Hut in Australia has taught us to settle in quickly, and easily. 

​We love it!

I'm pleased with my homegrown hollyhocks, and although they are fairly diminutive in height this year, I am sure they will be much more strident in a years' time. 

Which is more than can be said for one of the random plants in GH2.  The plant label purports that it is a Habanero Hot Pepper but it looks nothing like the images identified on the web.  MY plant seems to be something like a minature version of a sunflower - but with LOTS of flowers on a spreading bushy plant - as opposed to one tall one.  Hmmm... so nothing like sunflower then?!  Well, the actual budding flowers look tight, and yellow with lots of petals.  More research needed methinks,

I'm getting a little disenchanted with some of my crops this past few days. In the future I will forego French beans - there's little return for the time involved and the space they take up.  Also, the purple sprouting broccoli takes up so much space, as do red cabbages - which still seem to be all leaf and no actual head - as of yet.  It is quite possible that I am being somewhat impatient so have decided to wait it out for another couple of months.

In light of the above, I am currently in the process of creating a sowing and planting calendar... NEXT year it will be much more under control!

Stumbling across this beautiful delicate flower in bed No.3 (left) I had to send photos of it to various people to find out its identity. Sadly, this is common behaviour - I seem to have a propensity to introduce lots of plants and seedlings and then immediately forget what they are.  As Paul and I do our regular 'surveying the grounds' wanderings the conversation goes like this:

Paul:  "So, what's that yellow bushy flower?
Me:  "Hmmm...no idea. Could be a Gerbera... I know that Paul L gave me some..."
Paul:  "And what about that big purple one?"
Me:  "oh yes - I know this one... it's Echinancea.  Yep, definitely. [pause].  Well, actually it might be scabiosa, or possibly an aster, or cosmos..."
Paul:  "Oh OK.  What about the pink-and-cream delicate looking one?"
Me:  "Absolutely no idea.  Let's move on now...."

It also seems that despite writing up labels for seedlings, something completely different appears.  Currently in greenhouse No.2 there are a few plants that are identified as 'hot habanero peppers' but they all look completely different to each other!  So, I will just have to wait and see.what happens.

Why is it that I continually seem to think that I will also remember that, for example, all those pink pots contain ... zinnia... or are they Rudbeckia? or maybe Salvia...? Absolutely useless - and I never learn!!

I managed to reduce my 72 tomato plants to approximately 25, but there are now 20 red Marconi peppers enthusiastically guzzling water by the can-load.  It seems that it is best to keep them well-watered but not to let the roots get too wet, or to sit in damp conditions. Really - how can you tell -  I can't see through soil!? It's a minefield out there!

However, I can reassure you that my home-grown-and-from-my-own-seed delphiniums , hollyhocks and lupins are (or have been) bloomin' marvellous! AND I can identify these very easily!!

Oh - I have just realised I need to identify the mysterious bloom:  this is an Aquilegia.  It is an herbaceous perennial and also known as common columbine or Granny's Bonnets.  

According to the RHS:  

"Aquilegia vulgaris, the wild species, is usually blue, with nodding "bonnets", but many purple, mauve, pink and white colour variants have developed in gardens during its long history in cultivation".  

And breathe....