SoS: 24-02-24 Gardening is Like a Full-Time Job!

Another week and another Six on Saturday update. Seriously. I seem to spend every spare moment when I’m not writing in my garden, and just as I begin to relax, yet another plant demands my attention.

Weather: We’ve had a mixed bag of weather this week. A couple of days of hot weather at the beginning of the week lulled us into believing that with temperatures in the low seventies, summer had arrived early. Thursday and Friday, we had sun, mizzle and heavy showers. Today, as I write this, the sky is black and we have more showers. Northern Portugal, Storm Louis has painted the world white! Snow! I hope it does not drift this far down.

1. Thinking Outside the Pot

This is the pretty hand-painted wall pot I bought from Porches Pottery last weekend. Thursday, I braved the mizzle of rain and went to a garden centre to choose a plant. Nearly forty minutes later, a grumpy Mr. Piglet, who had been waiting in the car, came to find me.

“Is that it? Just one plant?”

I think he was underwhelmed with my choice but then I made it based on our visit to the Patio Festival in Cordoba a few years ago. Geraniums. But I wanted mine to grow up rather than trail. I think the pot looks lonely by itself. I need a few more, yes?

Patio Festival at Cordoba in Spain

My original idea was not to plant directly in the pot, but thanks to a senior moment, I completely overlooked the fact the back of the pot is flat, thereby enabling it to hang snugly against the wall.

“Um…”

Then I had a lightbulb moment and used one of my vegetable sacks. When the plant dies or needs attention, I can quickly remove it without disturbing the pot. I also put some absorbent material at the bottom to stop, she says hopefully, water gushing out of the hole at the bottom and down the wall. We will see.

2. Bromelia – A New Addition to My Houseplant Family

I couldn’t resist it. We only popped into Lydls to buy some walnuts and also came out with an unusual plant.. At only €4.95, it was a bargain, and you can never have too many plants. Now I just need to figure out how to look after it.

3. Upcycled and Repurposed Chairs as Plant Stands

I’m always looking for old chairs or anything I can decorate and repurpose as plant stands. Plant stands give height to a display, and if you paint or decorate, also add extra interest or colour to shady corners. I used this chair in the garden for years, but the bottom of one of the legs eventually rotted and stood on a brick, so it was even. A couple of the seat slats had also rotted. Mr P decreed it was fit for the rubbish bin and wanted to throw it out. I was reluctant. Pondered (as I do). Lightbulb moment alert.

“Cut off the bottom of the legs so they are all even, replace the rotted slats on the seat with new wood, paint it, and I will cut some mosaic flowers from a broken mirror.”

Mr. P growled and grumbled, but two days later, he proudly presented the refurbished chair to which I added the mosaic mirror petals.

4. Garden Chores – Potting Bench

I’ve been putting this job off for months. As well as what you see here, I have about fifty muddy flower pots that need washing and sterilising. Now that I’ve cleared the area, I see the bench needs some minor repairs and treatment with wood stain. That will be a job for another day.

5. Remodelling the Rockery

This job is about nine years overdue.

After a lot of huffing, puffing and cussing, I managed to scrape back the stones, cut holes in the membrane and dig decent-sized holes for the new plants. All I need to do now is sweet-talk Mr. P into adding the new plants to the irrigation system. Although I chose succulents, they are still baby plants and will require regular watering throughout the summer until their roots become established.

6. Plot to Plate – Kale and Carrots

There’s nothing quite as rewarding as growing fruit and veg from seeds or plugs and then picking fresh before eating. My friend tells me carrots scream when you pull them. I think she’s mistaken. It was probably me when I was stung by a stinging nettle or when I pulled the top off the carrot and then had to dig it out with my fingers.

That’s a wrap for this week, folks. I hope you enjoyed it!

If you are a gardener, why not join Jim’s Six on Saturday to share your gardening joys and woes or if you are an armchair gardener and just prefer to enjoy coffee.

Postcards from Spain: Granada, Alicante, Valencia & Barcelona