Weatherwise, we have had a glorious sunny week! Yes, the temperatures have dipped as low as 9 °C at night but with highs of 19c/20C most days in sheltered areas, the plants and wildlife are beginning to thrive Yes, we have had a few hours of rain, but mostly at night, so I am quietly optimistic that Spring has finally sprung!
While we have been busy in the garden, I have been mindful to eat the gardening elephant in small, manageable chunks.
Repotting the Banana Tree
It was quite a task, but somehow using the brain v braun theory, we managed to repot and reposition the larger pot in a more sheltered location beside the bougainvillaea hedge. I used a combination of compost, sandy garden soil, and processed manure to top up the larger pot. Fingers crossed. I find the normal multipurpose compost we have here dries out too quickly and does not hold the moisture in the summer. The combination of all three elements should offer a better solution.
Repotting the Geranium or not
I had planned to take cuttings, but as they looked infected and the new plants are only a few euros, I decided to cut my losses.
Brown Plant Tips – ‘Cut or NOT to Cut’, that is the question
Several of my plants, including my large Dracaena fragrans, have unsightly brown tips on the leaves. Do you remove them?
Using a pair of scissors, I removed all the unsightly brown leaf tips on this spider plant.
Hydrangea
One hydrangea that looked dead a few weeks ago has not only sprouted leaves but is also producing flowers!
Front Rockery
The Osteospurmum and pink succulent flowers (whose name escapes me) have really brought this area to life!
*
More Flowers in March – Bee Garden
Last autumn I dumped all my pots containing freeisha bulbs on my only soil bed. It was meant to be my herb garden, but the herbs were not really interested in taking root. The garden bed is also overrun with the Oxalis pes-caprae . I’ve tried to dig it up but it seems impossible. I have now renamed this my ‘bee garden’
creating a bee garden
Well, folks, that’s my gardening six for this Saturday. My thanks to Jim for hosting the gardening meme.
Related Posts:
Piglet in Portugal 
Your garden is inspiring! I love seeing all the blooms :) And I am happy to hear that you finally got to enjoy some pleasant weather after all the storms you endured this winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Maria. Yes, the blooms are/were lovely. Sadly the rain has returned with a vengence this week and many are now flattened :(
LikeLike
the gardening elephant — I never remember to take it in small batches! I always try to eat it whole. Love the flowers in that rock garden area. What a lovely burst of colour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Bernie, I’ve now started doing two jobs at once to vary. Planting and repotting at the bench, which requires no effort, are interspersed with weeding. Hope you are feeling better?
LikeLike
What a joy to see so much color, even if some tips are dry! I do not usually bother, but I have some leaves on a peace lily that suffered a rough repot, I may just take the whole leaf, as it has gotten a lot of new growth. I don’t bother in the yard, but houseplants, yeah I do. No idea id it is “the right thing to do” but it has never caused plant loss.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, yep the colour is a joy and it is really beginning to feel like Spring. Dry tips seem to be a mixed bag in feedback the web. We will see.
LikeLike
The flowers are lovely! The osteospermums are perfect in the rockery. Rain at night is the best. I have that awful oxalis, too. The mix you used for your banana sounds just right, it looks like it’s already pushing out leaves.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks, Tracy. It’s strange because I never planted the osteospermums in the rockery they self-seed from elsewhere in the garden. That or a gift from the birds. Here’s to hoping the banan tree survives.
LikeLike
I can’t grow a thing, but when I don’t get in the way, nature takes care of me…I love when spring unfolds so much beauty in such small packages!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi John, Spring is the best time of year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We had a fake spring here in New York: up to 70 degrees then down to 30! We also live in LA where it’s always spring year round!
LikeLike
beautiful, beautiful! In Maine, spring is still a dream.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But you are still enjoying the snow which has its own beauty when viewed from inside the house :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Osteos are wonderful in the rockery spot !
LikeLiked by 1 person
They certainly are Fred, and they spread like weeds here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice, and thanks for the great tips and progress report! The bee garden is lovely. We are about to have a snowstorm and overnight lows around 8F/-13C for a couple of nights. That wouldn’t be so bad, except that many plants are budding and about to bloom here. We’ll see the damage when spring weather hits again next Thursday. Craziness. Thanks for sharing the beauty of your gardens. <3
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh no! What a shame. Hopefully, some of them will survive. -13C is way too cold for me yet alone plants.
LikeLike
Lovely, Carole! I always look forward to your gardening posts. Next weekend, I’m attending a big annual horticultural show here in South Texas. It’ll be my first time. I’ll definitely be looking for plants that you grow there, as I think we have similar subtropical climates.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Terry. IT’s amazing looking back at my gardening posts from previous years how much my garden has changed. I missed the big one in the Algarve last oct as I got food posioning and we had to cut our trip short.
Have a wonderful time. You might be able to start a small cacti garden?
LikeLiked by 1 person