A Creative Spirit
My Six this Saturday this week has proved quite a challenge. I had so much to write about but so little time. This morning we went to a fellow gardeners for a coffee, catch-up and a tour around his garden. It is amazing. So many projects and raised beds, covers, sheds, nooks and crannies. Gnome... Continue Reading →
For my Six on Saturday this week I have focused on our fruit trees which usually normally offer more challenges than fruit. Most people here have an abundance of produce from the popular almond trees, plums, apples, oranges, lemons, advocados, figs, olives etc,, but not us. Nope, we struggle and although I am reliabily informed:... Continue Reading →
My choices for Six on Saturday this week, focus once again on vegetables. I believe the hours spent nurturing all these plants help to keep me sane in the light of the daily challenges we face with COVID. Nature is a great healer and brings peace in these times of stress. Growing Leeks and Garlic... Continue Reading →
Growing Nabo in a Container Providing it doesn't look up at me from the plate, I try to keep an open mind when it comes to trying new food. However, Nabo is the most disgusting vegetable we have EVER tasted. When I ordered these seeds from a Portuguese seed company it was definitely one of... Continue Reading →
My Six on Saturday garden diary this week focuses on vegetables and herbs. This year I've grown the majority of plants from seed with a mixed degree of success and failure. The ants stole most of the seeds I planted directly in the ground and the ones that did survive in the cold frame, the... Continue Reading →
I'm not sure if it's just the garden centres in our area or has it become a more universally accepted practice to allow plants to sit in trays of water so the roots turn brown and start to rot? I bought several plants this week, including the Fuschias where once the pot was removed exposed... Continue Reading →
Deep in thought with my latest gardening challenges, thrips and leaf miners, I walked towards the garage to check the various potions I had in stock. As I passed the cars I sensed movement in the front garden bed. I froze; we suspect a rat has recently taken up residence in our garden as a... Continue Reading →
Wow, what a week! I've been gardening in a mask! It's the first time we've been advised of 'poor quality' air alerts. Not only did we enjoy the effect of the Saharan dust from Africa we were also subjected to our own local manmade dust storms. 'They' whoever 'they' maybe, are clearing all the local... Continue Reading →
It's been another busy and challenging week in the garden. We can't go anywhere, do anything or see anyone so the bugs, birds and plants have the pleasure of our undivided attention. 1. Beetroot Blues Only two seeds of the Hullahup beetroot I planted on Feb 22nd have finally germinated Over a month of twice... Continue Reading →
Either that or we have a phantom seed thief. I planted Hallahup beetroot seeds in the raised vegetable plot on the 22nd February and Lisbon spring onion seeds on 1st March. So far only three tiny beetroot leaves have germinated and no spring onions. I am suspicious because the spring onion seeds I planted on... Continue Reading →
I started writing my gardening post at seven this morning yet here we are nearly seven in the evening and I am only just finished. We have been extremely busy in the garden this week and the three raised veg beds are almost finished. I will create a separate post to review those later in... Continue Reading →
Another busy week in the garden. Sun, strong winds and showers kept me and the Gnome busy both inside and out. Lots more seeds planted and the cloches are full with pots of Hope and the construction of the raised vegetable beds are nearing completion. Over the weeks I have enjoyed photos shared by fellow... Continue Reading →
It's been a challenging week. Maybe I should have titled the post: Six Challenges One of the solar Pestbye cat scarers I bought through Amazon Germany and delivered last week has died already! I reported it but as they are having a high volume of traffic it may be some time before I get a... Continue Reading →
It has rained at some point every day this week, apart from Friday when the sky was blue and the sun shone with the heat of an English summer. Removing layers of jumpers I stripped down to a t-shirt. Starving mosquitoes, after weeks of rain, lost no opportunity in feasting on my bare arms as... Continue Reading →
This has not been a good week and to top it off all the photographs I took earlier this morning are still stuck in my gmail send box. Late this afternoon, I finally found a work around by sending the photos via Yahoo and they sent within mintues! So much for getting up early to... Continue Reading →
The temperatures this week are back to 'winter' normal so I can pack away my thermal underwear and stand down from fire duty. Remembering to feed the fire with logs all day to keep us warm, is a time-consuming and a labour of love. 1. Cats %&G&$$, CATS! - How Do You Deter Them? This... Continue Reading →
This week we were greeted with a rare and unexpected ground frost which took us by surprise. While it is common to have minus temperatures down in the valley, where we are upon the cliffs, not so much! We've just gone back into COVID lockdown but as we've become a pair of hermits it does... Continue Reading →
While daytime temperatures during the previous week were warm and sunny this week the sun has been replaced by mostly cloud and an icy wind driving temperatures down to as low as 9C. As well as the cold, we also have to contend with the humidity. Not the type of humidity usually associated with oppressive... Continue Reading →
It's been a while since I participated in Six on Saturday so with my 2020 personal challenges hopefully behind me I have decided to take up gardening with renewed enthusiasm and reconnect with my gardening blogging buddies! Raises spade to a 'Hopeful' New Year. Over the years I have been tempted to abandon my often... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 