A Creative Spirit in Portugal
Planting Daffodils and Narcissus brings back memories of gardening in the UK and the arrival of Spring. William Wordsworth's poem captures the moment perfectly. I wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o’er Vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden Daffodils; Beside the Lake, beneath... Continue Reading →
... That's the million dollar question. I've never had any inclination to grow roses until an unusual striped variety growing in a friend's garden, caught my attention. It was love at first sight and I wanted one! A woman on a mission I went in search of this mystery rose. Armed with a picture of... Continue Reading →
The Rota Petisco (Tapas/snack route) starts on the 4th October through to the 4th of November. There are 277 participating establishments along the Algarve. So wherever you are located (from Odeceixe in the west to Odeleite in the east) you have no excuse not to participate. Each establishment will have a set snack + drink... Continue Reading →
Have you ever felt grounded in the daily groove like a bicycle trying to escape from a deep tyre rut on an unmade road? The rut of random puddles and hidden potholes sucks you in and throws you off balance. You keep pedaling but to no avail. You are the tyre stuck in the rut.... Continue Reading →
I am usually not too squeamish when it comes to insects, but snakes... ewww... Natrix_natrix_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg Last week, I was walking in the garden at the side of the house when a snake, about 1.5m long, slithered onto the path in front of me. I froze in terror as it reared up and then zig-zagged towards... Continue Reading →
About eighteen months ago I was given a small, insignificant looking cactus. I had no idea of its name until I stumbled across a facebook discussion group for 'cacti and succulent' enthusiasts. One of the members had posted a photograph of the plant (no flowers) and was trying to identify. I immediately had an 'aha'... Continue Reading →
Upcycling vs. Recycling For some reason I'd always assumed (ass-U-me) that anything we 'reused', rather than throw in the garbage, was recycling; apparently not. Upcycling is reusing an item, such as the plastic crate pictured below, and creatively using it for something else. While recycling is taking items made of plastic, metal, paper etc. to... Continue Reading →
Last September I injured my knee, so after months of pain I finally consulted with an orthopedic specialist who organised an MRI scan and X-ray. The diagnosis: I had a ruptured meniscus, tendonitis, arthritis and a crack in my knee bone. Ouch! I consoled myself with the fact there are people far worse than myself... Continue Reading →
In the Western Algarve growing strawberries in January is relatively easy. Dare I say we do not have ground frost and temperatures can reach a high of 18c during the day and from between 2C to 12C at night. I have found the best method of growing strawberries during the winter months is in containers... Continue Reading →
One of my pet peeves is the straw flowers they add to cacti. Not only is it cruel to stick a sharp stick into the flesh of the cacti it is misleading to the unsuspecting buyer. This is one of the first cacti I purchased and I was not aware such a practice existed. It... Continue Reading →
When you drive from Lagos along the N125 towards Sagres after about 20 kms you will discover the most amazing and probably one of the best selections of pottery on the Algarve. It is the second pottery shop on the left-hand side just before Vila Do Bispo. You can't miss it It's easily recognizable as the... Continue Reading →
I have a delightful new addition to my cacti/succulent family. It was a present from some dear friends who attended the Mediterranean Garden Show in the Eastern Algarve. They know I love quirky, so they bought me quirky. Thank you *big smilie face* After thanking them for the gift I asked them for the name... Continue Reading →
My passion for gardening has now extended to include collecting succulents and cacti so every time I visit a garden centre my first port of call is the succulent and cacti bays. So far choice has been limited as most garden centres and shops sell nigh on the same plants. If anyone knows any specialist... Continue Reading →
You name it, my fruit and vegetables probably have caught/will catch it. I was a sickly child and my fruit and veg seem to be following in the family tradition. With this in mind I literally love my plants to death, or so I've been told. In December I added rotted horse manure to the plot,... Continue Reading →
After making some Kumquat marmalade which was absolutely delicious, I decided to grow my own Kumquat tree. Kumquats are expensive here in Portugal so planting my own tree seemed the logical step says she, who kills most things including fig trees which are meant to be indestructible. Fingers firmly crossed I planted a healthy tree... Continue Reading →
Is there a cure? About a year ago I noticed my Aloe Arborescens were covered in dappled black marks. After a few months the leaves turned black, shriveled and died. There is an old adage: Don't put off till tomorrow what you should do today. Unfortunately, I never acted immediately and when I did seek... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress photo challenge is curve. Initially I was drawn to architectural curves and the many photos I'd taken of archways and bridges. But how boring... so seeking inspiration I looked in the mirror and thought of 'bodily 'curve's' and the sculptures of Karl Heinz Stock displayed in the extensive grounds... Continue Reading →
I am absolutely convinced that gardening in my patch of Portugal is beyond a challenge, or labour of love. Case in point: I'd no sooner tidied the patch and planted up all the vegetable plugs I'd bought from the market when I noticed brown spots on the leaves. Sigh ... There is NEVER a dull moment!... Continue Reading →
There is a popular phrase: Third time lucky. And as this is my third attempt to grow vegetables in my ill-fated raised vegetable bed due, to problems with hedge roots, let's hope it's true and I am lucky! Just to backtrack to my previous post, Gardening IS a Labour of Love!, there were various options.... Continue Reading →
This week's theme for the Weekly Photo Challengeis Wall. Armed with my camera - or should I say new iPad - I've been on a mission all week to find a sign that I could relate to. Now, as a self-confessed foodie this sign grabbed my attention. Not because it was bright and garish and... Continue Reading →
The Algarve, is not only blessed with over sixty blue flag beaches, numerous golf courses, vibrant nightlife, glorious weather but also a host of other activities visitors to the area may not always be aware of. When booking hotels and flights for your trip to the Algarve, there are several helpful websites, such as First... Continue Reading →
One of my many 'container' gardening successes is growing cucumbers in pots. Rather than plant seeds and wait weeks for them to germinate I buy the seedling plugs from local markets. The only downside is that there are no "fancy" varieties to choose from, or perhaps I should view that as an upside because the... Continue Reading →
As the ongoing debate concerning dogs on blue flags beaches rumbles on, each party vehemently defending their point of view, I wonder who is right. "My dogs loves playing in the sand." "Your dog craps in the sand and then kids build sand castles." "But I clear it up" "You are one of the few.... Continue Reading →
It's now September and here's me wittering on about my garden activities in July. I'm so far behind with this year's "Vegetable Diary" I was almost tempted to abandon the idea. However, as I have all the notes and photographic evidence I thought it would still prove useful to other Algarve gardeners and a reminder... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Photo Challenge is "Unusual". This is an unusual photograph of a piglet's ear. Yes, you read correctly, and what's more, I was about to eat it! Lunching with some friends I reluctantly ordered Leitão assado à Bairrada (suckling pig). "Okay, no pig deal," I thought as squirmed in my... Continue Reading →
This year I’m keeping a photographic diary of my humble vegetable garden; what’s growing when, where and how well. Yes, I know it's August and I'm writing about July June, but with recent trips to the UK and France I am way, WAY behind on my blogging activities. I took all the photographs, so at... Continue Reading →
If you enjoy writing and are looking for a 'creative' weekend away in a beautiful location, why not check out Anne Ayler's creative writing course? Read more about my personal experience of last year's course here. In October 2013 the third “Write Now! in Portugal!” creative writing course will be held at the Holiday Inn... Continue Reading →
This year I’m keeping a photographic diary of my humble vegetable garden; what’s growing when, where and how well. Despite being away for nearly two weeks I'm pleased to say my friends did a sterling job looking after all my fruit and vegetables. Everything was just as I'd left it(alive), but almost twice the size!... Continue Reading →
Jenny recently contacted "Piglet in Portugal" (unaware she knew me through her monthly writing group), to ask if I would help promote her e-book through my blog. What a small world! Naturally I was delighted to help. Jenny's book presents a great opportunity to learn even more about Portugal, past and present. Her book Firewater,... Continue Reading →
This year I'm keeping a photographic diary of my humble vegetable garden. In theory, if I take photographs on the 19th of each month they will offer a direct comparison as to what’s growing when, where and how well. The purpose of the exercise is to provide a record for next year so I can... Continue Reading →
Since moving to Portugal one of my favorite meals, when we eat out, is a fish stew (Caldeirada) but the type which is cooked and served in a copper dish called a Cataplana. As you can see from my photograph the dish has two hinged clam-like shells which are clamped tightly together during cooking. Researching... Continue Reading →
This year I plan to photograph the plants in my humble vegetable garden on the 19th of each month. This will give me a better idea of what's growing when, and how well. Hopefully, it will act as a record for next year and I can learn from my successes and failures. The broad beans... Continue Reading →
Waiting to be served at our local butchers for "home-made" beef, and hopefully horse-free, burgers gave us the opportunity to study the array of "unmentionable" delicacies on sale. The dubious identity of which even made Mr. Piglet's toes curl in horror. However, our debate is quickly forgotten when I whip out my camera and start... Continue Reading →
Better late than never! I don't know whether the excitement of our imminent trip to the UK for several weeks was sapping my enthusiasm, or just the December blues due to the long dark evenings, but I really had to dig deep (pardon the pun) to motivate myself to work in the garden. I'm not... Continue Reading →
On the 15th of each month bloggers from all over the world take part in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day organised by May Dream Gardens. What is blooming in your garden? In the UK gardening in January like the weather, was depressing.. However, here in the Algarve I'm amazed there are so many plants, shrubs and... Continue Reading →
The situation regarding the invasive Red Palm weevil will never be resolved in Portugal (in my humble opinion) due in part to the apathy and laziness of the few. No action was taken when it first arrived in our area two years ago by some property owners as infested trees on their land were left... Continue Reading →
Firstly, a belated happy New Year to my followers and a big thank you for all your comments and support during 2012. I've just returned from a family Christmas and New Year in England to discover Santa and his little Elves have left me a wonderful surprise in my absence! For those who have followed... Continue Reading →
My passion for gardening has taken a back seat during November due to my trip to France, illness and of course the National Novel Writing 30 day challenge. However, much to my surprise everything, bar the cucumbers growing in pots, survived despite being unloved and neglected. Temperatures in the day hovered around 18C and 12C... Continue Reading →
I usually always wear gloves when I'm gardening because of all the little beasties lurking in the soil or on the leaves of my plants. Guess what? On this occasion I got sloppy and I put my naked hands into my strawberry bed to do some weeding. I saw something lurking among the dead leaves... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago I broke one of my back molars on some crusty Portuguese bread. For the uninitiated the crusts are rock hard so lethal if you have crowns, false teeth or indeed any other form of dentistry! Despite my aversion to dentists, the noise of the drill and that enormous needle they inject... Continue Reading →
