Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of the night flowers
#WordlessWednesday – Epiphyllum Oxypetalum or Queen of the Night
Six on Saturday – Piglet’s Plot in July
We returned home from France to damp and humid weather. When I woke up the following day, this is the view I was greeted with. I initially cheered because I thought it was raining. Nope, we were enveloped in a cloud! Sea mist. We often experience this in July and August as we live so... Continue Reading →
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SoS – A Tour of My Garden in June
Another week and another Six on Saturday, although by the time I finish resizing and preparing all the photographs, it could well be Six on Sunday. The weather this week has been more mizzle and overcast than sunny. We've enjoyed the occasional shower of rain, but not enough to make a difference. 1. Bromelias Mr.... Continue Reading →
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SoS – June Harvest
For this week's Gardening Six on Saturday (SoS), I have chosen the fruits of my labour. A shout out to Mr. Piglet, who is now the main grafter while I supervise. A nod to our gardening host, Jim, over at Garden Ruminations. 1. Red Onions - June Harvest Finally, the red onions I planted in... Continue Reading →
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SoS: June – Gardening UPs and DOWNs and a Surprise!
This morning, I wandered around our garden looking for plants to feature in this week's Six on Saturday and with so many surprises, good and bad, I struggled to make a selection. I shamefully neglected my garden last week while we entertained family over on a week's holiday, and now I am playing catchup. It's... Continue Reading →
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SoS: Growing Fruit and Vegetables in Containers in May
For this week's Six on Saturday, I focus on some of the fruit and vegetables we grow in pots with varying degrees of success. Growing fruit and vegetables or indeed any plants in containers, creates various challenges, which include: Too much water or not enough: I use a moisture meter because often the top couple... Continue Reading →
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SoS – Flowering Shrubs in May
For this week's Six on Saturday (SoS) I've chosen six flowering shrubs. 1. Dodonaea Viscosa - Hop Bush I planted this Dodonaea hedge about twelve years ago to screen the pool area from the driveway. By last summer, it had only reached the heady heights of around 2-3 ft, and with the threat of eviction... Continue Reading →
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Garden Projects – How to Make a Birdhouse
Mr. Piglet wanted a new garden project, so I set him to work making a birdhouse. It's too late for this Spring, but the house will be ready for Autumn once the male birds start house hunting. I'd seen so many variations on YouTube I finally decided to use the dimensions on the http://www.rspb.co.uk https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-you-can-do/activities/build-a-birdbox... Continue Reading →
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SoS: Vegetables in May
For this week's Six on Saturday, I decided to focus on some of my motley selection of vegetables. Once again I have the same problem with yellowing leaves. Too much or not enough water or is it nutrients? 1. Tomatoes The Black Tula (beefsteak) tomatoes have finally started to grow. A fellow gardener in France... Continue Reading →
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SoS: My Garden in Bloom
For this week's Six on Saturday, I was going to write about vegetables, but when I strolled out into the garden to photograph my motley selection, I was struck by the array of flowers in bloom, basking in the May sunshine. Coleus Neochilus I love this plant! Apparently, it repels mosquitoes Coleus neochilus Coleus neochilus,... Continue Reading →
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SoS: Succulents – A Tour of My Garden
I am addicted to succulents and committed to creating a drought-tolerant garden, which is just as well because we will have a hosepipe ban this summer. The drought situation is critical, and restrictions are already in place in the Eastern Algarve. Let's just hope all the tourists who arrive in their hoards this summer refrain... Continue Reading →
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SoS: What’s Happening on Piglet’s Plot 23rd March?
This week has proved to be one of the busiest in the garden so far this year. I had (and still have) so much to do that I don't know where to start. I feel like I'm spinning on the spot. Everything needs my attention, and it needs it now, which often sees me start... Continue Reading →
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How to Make a Vertical Strawberry Planter
Vertical planters are a great way to grow a lot of fruit and veg in a limited space. The perfect solution for small suburban gardens and apartments with a small balcony. After checking out vertical strawberry planters for sale on Amazon and further research on YouTube, we decided to make our own. We'd bought the... Continue Reading →
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SoS: Seed Share – Seeds Glorious Seeds!
It's not been gardening weather this week. High winds, heavy rain, and squalls are not exactly conducive to going outside to the garden beyond making sure everything undercover is watered; the snails and caterpillars aren't harvesting my kale, spinach, and lettuce, and nothing has blown away. I am a fair-weather gardener. I am not moaning--we... Continue Reading →
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Western Algarve – Growing Vegetables in February
I like to keep a monthly diary of the fruit and veg I'm growing in my urban garden - successes and failures. It's worth noting the temperature in the Western Algarve is cooler than East and Central. While we do not experience ground frosts, many inland areas do. We seem to have our own microclimate.... Continue Reading →
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SoS: Flowers in March
This week, while I've been busy in my vegetable garden, I decided to focus on flowers for my Six on Saturday gardening update. One carrot looks the same as the next, as does spinach and kale, yes? We've had a mixed bag of temperatures ranging from 6C at night to 18C during the day. Sun... Continue Reading →
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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... Continue Reading →
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SoS: Mystery Agave Problem, Plastic Food Trays and Garden Projects
This week's Six on Saturday's gardening endeavours have once again been set against a backdrop of intermittent showers, sun and strong winds. I'm not complaining. We desperately need the rain. The only downside is the mosquitoes that are always so delighted to see me when I venture out into the garden. The daily temperatures have... Continue Reading →
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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... Continue Reading →
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SOS: Piglet’s Plot -January 2023 – Fruit and Vegetables
Weather in January We have had a mixed bag of weather this January. Everything from Southerly winds, Atlantic storms, heavy rain, night temperatures just above freezing to temperatures around 20C and brilliant sunshine. We have our own micro-climate by the sea. A few miles inland in the valley is much colder so what grows well... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 