A Creative Spirit
Yesterday, some German friends who are keen gardeners came for dinner. Needless to say, the subject of my ailing vegetables was raised, and said guests were asked to inspect and pass judgment as to the cause. I gave them the list of suggestions already offered. The guy checked the pot drainage, watering, sunlight, leaves, etc.... Continue Reading →
Yellowing leaves: Too much water or not enough or lacking nutrients? I am useless when it comes to diagnosis. Last week, the Zucchini posed a major challenge when I was left with 29 shrivelled offerings. More on that in a few weeks. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who offered suggestions. For now, I am trying... Continue Reading →
Someone flicked a switch and we have wall-to-wall sunshine. Since we returned from England, the sun has shone daily, and it's HOT. Summer (dare I say) has arrived! But with temperatures rising to 30 °C, it is now too hot to work in the garden. Yeah, I know. We've had months of rain and cold... Continue Reading →
Any veg experts out there? I planted six Zucchini plants in large pots with quality soil, so it is not unreasonable to expect a bumper harvest. I had grand plans to make Zucchini and Tomato chutney, pickled Zucchini, etc. I rubbed my hands together in glee as every plant produced flowers and baby zucchini. I... Continue Reading →
Despite the unseasonable weather, our vegetables are putting their best foot forward, and the seed plugs I bought at the end of March continue to thrive. This week's six is an update on fruit and vegetable progress. https://pigletinportugal.com/2025/03/29/march-garden-diary-chores-and-challenges-seeds-or-vegetable-plugs/ Zucchini Growing in Containers The Zucchini plugs I bought at the monthly market at the end of... Continue Reading →
The weather continued much the same as the week before and the months before that. Cold, rain and windy interspersed with sunny intervals. The geraniums and pelargoniums continue to thrive although the pink and purple one above has now got a virus attacking the leaves. I´ve treated it. Fingers crossed it survives. The crown of... Continue Reading →
Last week, I shared an overview of the South garden and pool area in my post April Garden Diary – A Tour of My Garden (part 1). This week, I focus on the east, west and north gardens, which include a small terrace and vegetable area. We try to keep it tidy, but it is always... Continue Reading →
As we move into April, the unseasonal weather continues with heavy rain, squalls, high winds, showers, and periods of sunshine. Even when we wake up to sunshine and blue skies, there is no guarantee it won't be raining by lunchtime. Apart from a few days, it's been like this since the 2nd of January. Last... Continue Reading →
Looking back, this is the wettest January, February, and March I can remember, so we are way behind with our gardening endeavours. This week, we had a break in the weather. The rain stopped, and the sun shone. On Sunday, impatient because many of the seeds I'd planted at the beginning of March were slow... Continue Reading →
My six for this Saturday includes a random selection as I dodge the showers and mosquitoes. Rain, glorious rain. I never thought as a Brit I'd be praying and then celebrating the heavy downpours we've experienced recently. Designed to retain moisture with slow drainage, my raised vegetable beds are flooded, but that's okay. First Seed... Continue Reading →
Nothing much at the moment because I've not got my butt into gear. No, seriously. There are plenty of brassicas, onions, carrots, etc, for sale at the local monthly market, but after the drought last summer, I've decided to restrict what I grow. The caterpillar, slug and snail population only munch their way through any... Continue Reading →
For this week's Six on Saturday, I was torn between featuring my bedraggled vegetables or happy flowers. I chose the latter. We have enjoyed a mixed bag of weather, from strong winds to rain, thunderstorms, and night-time temperatures dropping to around 6C, far lower in the valley. Cyclamen I have been so delighted with the... Continue Reading →
For this week's Six on Saturday, I decided to focus on some plants growing in the bed on the east side of the house. The bed is a challenge because everything I attempt to grow has to compete with the thirsty roots of the melaleuca hedge. The hedge man also needs easy access to cut... Continue Reading →
Olá, fellow gardeners, let's raise a glass to a productive 2025. I'm ashamed to say Ineglected my vegetable area and garden during November and December, and now I am paying the price with an abundance of weeds. I also discovered a few surprises, such as a yellow pepper that we used in the Christmas Day... Continue Reading →
My six gardening pictures for this Saturday feature some of the plants flowering in my garden at the end of October, taken while dodging the showers. YaY! Rain, glorious rain. It seems one or more of my hibiscus plants are always in flower, and today was no exception. Flowering Hibiscus in October Flowering Hibiscus in... Continue Reading →
Another week has flown by, and thankfully, our garden job list is shrinking. With so many visitors and travels this summer we had neglected our garden. Bad move because the jobs just piled up. For Six on Saurday last week I created a Job List and set to work (Poor Mr. P. The first he... Continue Reading →
It's October, and with summer socialising, holidays, and houseguests behind us, it's time to knuckle down and undertake some serious work in the garden. Armed with a pen, clipboard, and critical eye, I made an extensive 'To Do' list. However, my enthusiasm soon ran out of steam. I'm sure you know the feeling when I... Continue Reading →
It doesn't seem possible that September is only a week away. Our vegetables grow weary from the continued sea mist which shrouds us in a cloud, and the sun plays peek-a-boo as the mist retreats only to return later. 1. Courgettes (Zuchinni) This is the last offering of courgettes. The leaves have white mould and... Continue Reading →
It doesn't seem possible that we're already halfway through August! Where does the time go? As I pause from my gardening chores to take a coffee break, I reflect on my Dipladenia, Hydrangea, and Pelargonium challenges, introduce the latest members of Piglet's plant family, and perform a happy dance at this year's bumper crop of... Continue Reading →
This week's Six on Saturday selection features a mixed six. This little 'Piggy' went to the market last Sunday to discover that the plant man selling the veggie plugs had not arrived. Some of his usual customers we see each month, like me, were also standing around feeling lost. What now? Blew a sigh. I... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 