Sunday 24th March 2024 - Cutting Back, Slugs and Cliff Path Closed

All went to plan on Wednesday, and I cut back our tassel bush.  I debated whether to use the hand shears or our small hedge cutter.  I opted for the hedge cutter, not only was this easier but also enabled me to give the bush a better shape.  Hopefully this has given Peter a better access to take the lawnmower down the side path, if not I will give it another trim.  On Thursday I went on a slug hunt, lifting leaves of primroses, where they love to hide out, and peering into and under low growing plants, another of the slugs’ favourite places.  I counted over one hundred and thirty.  Bit between my teeth, I was out again on Friday and cleared thirty-one, yesterday eighteen and today twenty-three.  Regular followers of my blog will know, over the past years, we’ve had a big slug problem, akin to a plague.  We have three types, leopard skins which prefer the greenhouse, small blacks, not so many of these, and the Spanish slugs which are orange and cause the most damage.  We will probably see more slugs when Peter has tender plants and seedlings on his vegetable plot.  One thing for sure is……the battle is on!

Yesterday morning we walked along the High Street and then took the path which leads down the side of Cliffside House (designed by architect Edward Boardman built for the Colman’s family, of mustard fame, also owned by one of the Van Mopps known as diamond merchants, before becoming a convent with a school and then a private house).  This path takes you out onto the cliff tops where, if you are careful and don’t stray too close to the edge, you can look down to promenade and beach huts.  Further along there are steps down to the promenade, before the path leads to the back of the Sea Marge.  Last year, all but a short hedge was ripped out and this area behind the hotel was seeded with grass.  The hedgerows used to be a great place for blackberry picking but sadly no more.  Notices were put up stating the path was closed due to the seeding.  The seed has germinated and the grass has now grown but the path remains closed, leaving walkers with no other choice but to pass through the new hedging by the new cabins and across the Sea Marge lawns to rejoin the path or short cut across to the hotel’s car park.  Looking further yesterday, rejoining the path is no longer an option; at the end of the seeded area there has been a cliff fall leaving about six inches of the path remaining.

Today’s photo was taken from the path we walked yesterday of two clumps of daffodils perched on the cliff top.