Comparing pictures of different areas of our garden, there have been no significant changes since my January review. The gale-force winds and heavy rains continued for the first couple of weeks, which stripped the bougainvillaea of most of its leaves, and several succulents were pitted with what I can only assume were hailstones. The leaves of the hibiscus were also damaged. The 20th of the month saw a turn in the weather, with temperatures reaching 21 °C for a few days, no rain or strong winds, and even a couple of still balmy days, prompting a visit to the beach. As February draws to a close, I hope we were not lulled into believing Spring had arrived!
Despite the weather and a hectic social month, we did manage to complete a few jobs in the garden, but we are still struggling to eat the gardening elephant. And today I learned we will be losing our gardening elf (aka helper with muscle) from about mid-April. Maybe it’s just as well we have decided not to continue with the vegetable plot as it is just too much to manage after last year’s frustrating poor return on time, effort and investment.
FRONT ENTRANCE AREA
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TOP TERRACE
and around the corner
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I was surprised to see this passion fruit plant in flower
POOL AREA FROM TOP TERRACES
Considering the weather, Mr Piglet is doing a sterling job keeping the pool clean. He is out there every day removing the bougainvillaea leaves that have been blown off in the wind and into the pool. Leave them, and they stain the bottom of the pool.
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FRONT ROCKERY and POOL AREA
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RH SIDE GARDEN
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LH SIDE GARDEN
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REAR GARDEN
The oranges this year were too sour to eat. Hopefully, the next harvest (if the flowers aren’t blown off in the wind) will be sweeter. And, no, I don’t want to make marmalade because I try not to eat bread. Although the strawberry plnts are producing lots of strawberries they are inedible. I really must take a moment to remove all the flowers so the plants conserve their energy for growth. The birds are enjoying the nesperas. What are left I will attempt to make a chutney.
NEW PLANTS
We welcomed several new plants, including a Camelia!
That’s my gardening SIX for this Saturday, folks! Now I’m off to Jim’s blog to check out other Six on Saturday gardener
January Review:
Piglet in Portugal 
Do you have that charity garden visits practice we do over here, paying £ (for a certain charity) to enter people’s nice gardens in a particular area on particular day? If so, I am sure yours would be revisited a lot!
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I love that idea. I know we used to have it in the village we once lived in the UK. Not heard of anything here.
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You could start it Carole! :-D Nice annual social and fund raiser.
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What a glorious garden you have! I hope the weather mellows and any future hail skips on by :-)
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Thanks, Melisa :) I hope so, too.
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It is so wonderful to see your monthly reviews! So much happens in a month but it is harder to see when you’re there every day. I am always surprised when I look at photos of my allotment taken different months, there’s so many changes. I hope March is less windy for you.
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Hi Maria, , yes, it is surprising how much happens in a month. I think more so with vegetables. I look forwards to seeing your monthly review. When do you start gardening again?
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Your garden looks amazing to me–we still have snow in ours. I’m sorry to hear about the damage. I agree with some of the others that your landscaping and stone pathways and brick patios are fabulous!
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Hi Beth, I am possibly overcritical of my garden as I see it all the time so far to close to the coalface as us Brits say.
I am relieved at least we don’t have snow to contend with
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It all looks very colourful and tropical. I am very envious!
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Thank you, Jude. But you also can grow tropical plants in Cornwall, yes?
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In a sheltered spot, yes. Where I live, definitely not.
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Jude, I can’t post a comment on your site so I will leave it here: It’s been a long, wet winter this year. Here’s to hoping the worst has passed and Spring is just around the corner. What a wonderful selection of colour flowers you share this week, Jude.
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Thanks Carole, I’m not sure why you can’t comment, but WP can be fickle. More rain is expected this next week, but hopefully with a glimmer of sunshine too. I’m itching to get out to the Cornish gardens, but they have been badly damaged this winter, so a lot of them have restricted access.
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Hi Jude, I also have trouble commenting on Jo’s blog and can only do so via Reader but I couldn’t find your blog there. Strange
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I am struck how much the plants remind me of San Diego, where I grew up! I was surprised when I realized how few of the plants that make me think of California are not even from anywhere in the US. Still, they remind me of home. What a lovely setting even despite the wind storms you endured.
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Yep, I look at Tracy’s garden in the US and we grow the same type of plants. CActi, succulents and other tropicals.
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Your garden is so tropical, and beautiful! The aloe in full bloom is a stunner. Love that new camellia. My veg garden has shrunk over time, it’s so much effort like you said with little payoff. Probably just citrus and tomatoes this year?
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Hi Tracy, sadly, thanks to the wet weather the aloe didn’t last long. At least the birds had a good meal from the flowers.
Defo no tomatoes this year LoLWhile 2024 I had a bumper crop last year was a disaster. I might grow a tray of lettuce. I will see :)
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So stunning, Carole! Your yard looks like a beautiful park! This year, for the first time since we bought this place (in 2022), our orange tree has zero blossoms. Otherwise, the leaves look healthy. Usually by this time it’s loaded with blossoms and the tiny fruits are forming. Maybe it’s resting. We’ll see what next year brings.
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Thanks, Terry. At times, when the work feels overwhelming, I pause and look around and it makes it worthwhile. My orange tree never gave fruit for years Then when it did some harvests were sour and other times sweet. Hopefully yours is just resting
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Your garden is looking splendid. I really like the hard landscaping – the paving stone patterns and cobbles make it look really interesting.
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Thanks trowel, the cobbles are called calcada and is used for paving in all the samll towns and villages. I confess I do love it even if it does grow moss in the cracks
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Absolutely stunning, I am so jealous!
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Thank you :)
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What lovely flowers in your garden diary ! You don’t eat the nesperas? Or do you only pick up and eat the ones that are left? And I see the strawberries have grown quite a bit since last time…! yum
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Hi Fred, the Nesperas are hard work. Every little fruit has multiple large pips…in fact more pips than fruit. The birds have far more patience than me.
Unfortunately the strawberries are inedible.
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