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Wordless Wednesday: Metal Art Sculptures – Alvor, Portugal
COVID-19 Reflections – June 2020
Somehow we managed to survive the State of Emergency (SoE) and lockdown with our sanity and sense of humour still intact. The eerie silence in our local area was unnerving so when we heard voices in the road we were like meerkats trying to see who was walking by. Challenging times, yes, but it also... Continue Reading →
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UK Air Bridge to Portugal – is it a Bridge too Far?
I am dismayed to learn that Portugal is in negotiations with the UK to agree on an 'air bridge' by the end of June. I may be having a senior moment but why actively encourage British tourists to come to Portugal when we have all worked so hard to protect the health service and spent... Continue Reading →
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Wheels for Feet
The day finally dawned when Hubby accepted my disability and the fact that despite nearly one hundred sessions of physio over the past two years to help with reoccurring bouts of tendonitis, numerous sessions of acupuncture to help control the pain, and a meniscus op, he agreed to let me buy a wheelchair so I... Continue Reading →
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Wordless Wednesday: Would THIS make YOU Scream?
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I Want One!
WoW!! Well, not quite this big! Photograph taken during a recent visit to Quinta da Ataboeira garden centre in Guia. Considering the Pony Tail palm is slow growing, I wonder how old these specimens are?
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Weekly Smile: Blind Date
Reading Trent's Weekly Smile I am reminded it is often the little things in life that brings us the greatest happiness. On Sunday we went to one of our favourite restaurants in Lagos Marina for Sunday Roast. For those not in the know, Sunday roast is typically British: Roast pork, beef or lamb served with... Continue Reading →
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Why Grow Bulbs in Containers?
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 →
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Abracadabra! I’m a Rose, but Will I Survive in a Container?
... 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 →
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Fancy a snack? Take part in the Algarve Rota Do Petisco – 2018
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 →
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Creative Hobbies in Portugal – Mosaics
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 →
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Did You Hear Me Scream – SNAKE!!!!?
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 →
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Queen of the Night Orchid Cactus (Epiphyllum Oxypetalum)
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 →
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Creative Ideas: Upcycling Plastic Crates to a Garden Cloche
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 →
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‘Assisted’ Travel from Faro to Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport
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 →
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Growing Strawberries in January
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 →
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Fake Flowers on Cacti – What a Con. Buyer BEWARE!!!
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 →
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Paraiso Artesano – Pottery Shop, Vila do Bispo, Algarve
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 →
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Pachypodium Lamerei – Madagascar Cactus Palm
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 →
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Order or Out of Order?
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 →
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Piglet’s Plot: Problems With My Onions
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 →
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Why Are My Kumquat Leaves Yellow?
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 →
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Why does my Aloe Arborescens have black leaves?
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 →
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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 →
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An Organic Solution for Tomato Blight and Mildew
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 →
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Raised Vegetable Bed – Third Time Lucky!
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 →
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Is this a sign?
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 →
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Six Unusual Holiday Activities In The Algarve
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 →
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Growing Cucumbers in Pots
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 →
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Dogs on Blue Flag Beaches – Are You “For” or “Against”?
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 →
