SoS: Rain, Glorious Rain!

Six things that are happening in my garden this week. Hence Six on Saturday hosted by Jim.

Where has this week gone? It seems like only yesterday I was preparing last week’s Six on Saturday gardening post.

1. Drought in the Algarve

The heavens finally opened and we have been blessed with heavy rain for the last two days. And if my Ventusky weather app is accurate, the rain should continue through until Monday. Thanks to the continued drought our water bills will be hiked up from March 1st to encourage us to conserve water. So the rich won’t care, and they’ll continue to water their high-maintenance twee lawns with gallons of water while the rest of us are penalized for their extravagance. Great! I read somewhere some Camaras (local councils) are also going to impose water restrictions by 15%. I need to dig deeper and get accurate information straight from the horses mouth (so to speak).

2. Garden Lighting

We added some solar lights to add interest to different areas of the garden. More to follow as it was peeing with rain last night.

I use these solar spotlights to help give my garden a magical effect once darkness falls. Each solar panel services two spotlights.

I also have a spotlight on Buddha which looks really effective. I’ll add this later.

3. Table Display of Pansies (or are they violas?)

I’d like to find a terracotta or ceramic bowl I can decorate. The plastic looks a bit … bleh.

4. Freesias Growing in Pots

I grow all my Freesias in pots which I move onto the terrace once the buds appear. Once the flowers fade and the leaves start to die, I move them out of sight until next year.

I love their heady fragrance and always keep a pot by the front door and undercover. Unfortunately, we are experiencing strong Southerly winds at the moment, which are driving the rain under a normally sheltered location. This morning I managed to dodge the showers and pick some before they were ruined by the strong winds and rain.

5. My Dracaena is Dying, and I Don’t Know Why

For some reason, several leaves on my huge Dracaena plant are turning yellow, while others have brown tips. Too much water or not enough. I can’t decide. My water meter is not much help as it only monitors the first six inches of soil, but the roots could be waterlogged. Writing this I think my only option is to dig out some of the soil so I can prod deeper.

6. Growing Cucumbers From Seed

I planted my first batch of Marketmore cucumber seeds in my mini propagator tray this week.

That’s it for this week, my fellow gardeners. Thanks to our host, Jim, for hosting Six on Saturday.

Six on Saturday – 10-2-2024