This year, I decided to create a mid-month overview of my garden. What’s happening now so I can look back and compare how the garden changes month by month over the year. Why not join me and keep a blog diary?
Gardening on the West Coast of Portugal can be challenging due to salt winds and high humidity. In January, night temperatures range from 2 °C to 14 °C, and daytime temperatures range from 9 °C to around 20°C in sheltered sunny areas. AND, the weather can change by the hour as the clouds roll in from the sea, as you can see from the photographs.
All the irrigation systems are off at the moment as we are drowning in rain … let’s hope the reservoirs (baragems) are filling up in preparation for the summer’s drought.
Top Terrace: View of the top terrace from the pool area. At this time of the year, the sun is low in the sky so the whole terrace enjoys the sun most of the day. Even the plants on the back walls.
Front Rockery closeups. Last year, I planted lots of succulents in this area, but sadly, most struggled or died. Maybe wrong plants, as it’s in the full sun all day. I’ve realised garden centres are often economical with the truth when you ask if a particular succulent or cactus tolerates full sun. I plan to replant this area so the plants of time to establish.
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The rockery area below is being overrun by an invasive weed. I need to find a product you can apply to the leaves that kills the roots without hurting the other plants. Any ideas?
Pool area from the top terrace
Pool waterfall: The rockery area still needs attention. I am looking for a plant that will grow without full sun in summer and shade in winter.
This area by the pool is in shade most of the winter
Top Terrace: the pots need weeding and a complete overhaul
I am surprised to see the bougainvillaea in flower!
RH Side Garden: This area is a tangle of weeds, and all the plants need attention
LH SIDE GARDEN
Front Entrance Garden: This area needs weeding, and the dead leaves need to be raked up
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Back Rockery: This area is in desperate need of an overhaul and rearrangement of the rocks. Maybe a garden feature, as the plants struggle to grow
Back Patio: The north-facing seating area enjoys no sun during the winter months. Nothing much I can do with this area other than tame the Oleander and look after the Strelitzia plants. There is also an hibiscus planted directly in the soil, which is trying to decide if it wants to live, and some Cannas in a large pot, which need tending.
Vegetable Area: This year, I only plan to tend the vertical strawberry planter. Last year, we wasted too much water on failed crops, and they cost me more to grow than to buy. Mr Piglet said the veg we did manage to harvest was gold-plated.
Herb Garden: The vegetable garden is now overrun with Brazilian buttercups. I will leave them to flower as the bees love them and did them up at a later date. I am going to grow mint in this bed as I can’t seem to grow it in pots.
Fruit trees: The orange tree is still producing, but it needs a drastic overhaul as it has turned rather woody.
The medlar tree, or Loquat as it is sometimes called, has just started to produce this season’s fruit.
Look out for my next garden roundup Mid Feb!
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Piglet in Portugal 
What a wonderful garden. This was a pleasure to witness. How I would love to do water aerobics in a pool like that whilst taking in all the delightful scenery. Well done Carole, it is such a credit to you :-)
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Thank you, Lana. The garden gives me pleasure
the closest I cam to water aerobic in the pool was attempting to get on and off my lilo!
Joking aside, when I am floating on my lilo I close my eyes and shut out the world.
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Your place is amazing!!! From the look of your photos you are on top of the game. My garden is under a very thick blanket of snow right now.
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Thanks Maria, the camera lies. LoL you can’t see the weeds
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If you can’t see them they don’t exist ;)
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You are mentioning all the work to be done, and when I see your photos – I think, ahhh that looks like a wonderful paradise! I’m with you, I’m cutting down on produce this year. I will do ONE tomato plant. I love the structure of your Dracaena Draco, dragon tree. I’m surprised that the weather gets that cold, I didn’t realize that.
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Hi Tracy, … hmmm one tomato plant sounds tempting. If I don’t have one I’d miss the joys of tomato blight LoL
The Dracaena loses a lot of leaves in summer and I can’t figure out why.
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I’m with Terry in her admiration of your yard (a U.S. term for garden.) This certainly deserves a Maine “Wowsah!” But a lot of work, I’m sure.
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Thanks, Laurie. Yes, it is a lot of work but pleasurable work. Except the veg garden which has become overrun with roots from the hedge.
Thanks for the MAine ‘Wowsah’ it sounds like an award LoL if it’s not then it should be.
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The Wowsah award would be fun.
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I find it funny Americans call gardens “yards”. If we said “yard” here, people would think we were referring to some slabbed over area with next to nothing going on!
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It is funny, isn’t it? And we have backyards and front yards. The backyard is where most Americans hang out in the summer. When I first started blogging, it took me a while to realize that when my friends across the pond wrote “garden,” they meant their yards, not just the beds where flowers and vegetables grow, which is what “garden” means over here.
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“Not just the beds where flowers and vegetables grow, which is what “garden” means over here”
I see what you mean I would also call these garden beds … or vegetable beds or vegetable plots
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Wow, Carole! What a place you have there. My brain cramps thinking about all of the work. Are there gardeners for hire who would work at a reasonable rate? Even just to get the major weeding and pruning done. It’s beautiful though. You have an at-home paradise happening.
I too am surprised at your cool winter temps. We get a bit of that here in South Texas, but only for a day or two here and there and unlike you, our winters are generally the drought times. Our orange tree has gone completely dormant this year (not a single blossom, where it’s usually loaded with blossoms by now) – likely because of the unusual large amounts of rain last summer – or maybe it’s having a rest year to regroup.
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Hi Terry, haha … my brain also cramps thinking about the garden but I confess it does bring me peace. We do have a guy come and cut the hedges now but that’s it. We enjoy the rest ourselves. but at the moment it won’t stop raining and every time we sweep the terrace it is covered with leaves and debris courtesy of the wind.
Strange your orange tree has gone dormant this year. Maybe it does need a rest.
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Interesting – was not aware Portugal’s winters were quite as mild. I am 100kms S of Sydney and our July (same as your January) temps are 2-4C cooler than yours. Less than 0C in the morning happens but 3-4 times a year but daytimes go up 14-16C usually. Homegrown vegetables will always be more expensive all costs taken into account, but the freshness and lack of chemicals used do kind’of make up for that – perhaps some like baby tomatoes and herbs might still be worthwhile? I grow dozens of herbs in pots on my patio – am laughing as both my mints > ordinary and Vietnamese, grow so fast they push all the others out of the way:) !
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Hi Eha, weather in Portugal varies considerably. Further north they have blizzards and snow at the moment and we have rain and relatively mild temperatures. 7km from us down in the valley they have minus temperatures at night. Our house is nestled near the cliffs so we have our own micro climate.
I love homegrown veg but the energy expended is not worth the heartbreak of failed crops. We have a local farmers market on a Saturday morning where we can buy organic fruit and veg so we are lucky. Will expand my herbs.
I am envious of your mint growing in pots. I wonder why all three pots of mine are failing? What is your secret
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