A Creative Spirit in Portugal
It's been a long week and as I watch the cases of COVID-19 rise across the Algarve, I've now accepted we are likely to remain in lockdown until the end of the summer. To help me stay focussed I have moved from panic into survival mode and have decided that instead of growing the usual... Continue Reading →
In between writing this post, I am dodging the showers to take photographs. Yes, hopefully, the much-needed rain has finally arrived. March is one of my favourite months as most of my resident plants, cacti and shrubs flower before the heat of summer when colour and interest is mainly provided by the usual suspects such... Continue Reading →
What a week! I won't mention the dreaded C word as it has already taken over our lives. Thank God we have been enjoying wonderful weather with temperatures as high as the mid-twenties during the day and a minimum of 13C at night. Time to hunker down in the garden and tackle all the outstanding... Continue Reading →
Top of the list for my Six on Saturday this week is my Sickly Epiphyllum Oxypetalum. It's dying and I don't know why. Any advice gratefully received. This week we've had a mixture of weather including heavy rain (at night) with the night time temperature from a low of 3C to a high of 15C.... Continue Reading →
While I have taken a rest from writing about my garden and gardening in general due to visitors, my plants have laboured on left to the mercy under the watchful eye of the OH. The abundance of sea mist offered no compensation for the much-needed rain to deep water the shrubs and plants. Even the cacti... Continue Reading →
This time last week I was preparing my Six on Saturday when we lost our telephone line. We had a wildfire start quite close to us but thank God the wind sent the smoke, fire and ash in the other direction and across into the next valley. Thanks to the swift response of the Bombeiros... Continue Reading →
Although we've had some spits and spots of rain this week it was not enough to water the garden which is becoming crisper day-by-day. Our water is metered so it's always a good reminder to be frugal and use sparingly, or at least try and reuse shower and washing-up water. This week we set ourselves... Continue Reading →
My six for this Saturday focuses on unusual garden ideas such as alternative planters, pebble art I discovered in local gardens. I feel inspired to try some of these ideas! 1. Pebble Art Ladybirds 2. Pebble Art Animals 3. Rock Village ** 4. Boots Upcycled to Plant Containers What a great idea! Rummages through cupboards... Continue Reading →
I had planned a different six for this week, but as I wandered around the garden looking for suitable plants to feature I realised my Queen of the Night Orchid Cactus was about to flower. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this plant, they only flower at night and have the most magnificent flowers and... Continue Reading →
For my six this Saturday, I decided to focus on hibiscus growing in containers. For some reason, they thrive in our humid climate and reward us with beautiful flowers throughout the year. I do prune hard to contain growth and feed regularly which probably helps. Very occasionally (if the plant is distressed) I water with... Continue Reading →
My garden is plagued by pests and diseases. The latest victim is my beautiful Agave which is over twelve years old so I am hopping from foot-to-foot wondering what to do. When we are sick we go to the doctor, when animals are sick we take them to the vet... but where to go for... Continue Reading →
There's a lot happening in the garden at the moment so it is demanding a lot of care and attention. This week I did not know where to start for the Six on Saturday garden update, so I decided to show how some areas of the garden are evolving as we head from spring towards... Continue Reading →
This week I've been planting up pots to bring some much needed vibrant summer colour to the garden. Shrubs, cacti and succulents make a great low-maintenance backdrop, but the displays of annuals really make the garden pop with colour. I usually go to the garden centre and select a range of annuals but this year,... Continue Reading →
... okay, a thousand seedlings may be a slight exaggeration but as I survey all the seeds that have germinated so far: petunias, basil, nasturtium and curly parsley to name a few, I don't have enough pots to prick out. Another week and another Six on Saturday (SoS). It is difficult to select my six... Continue Reading →
Thankfully, the water butts are full to the brim as are all the plastic water bottles. It truly is April showers with brilliant sunshine one minute and heavy rain the next. I seriously would not recommend a holiday in Portugal in April if you want a tan as the weather is too unreliable and it... Continue Reading →
My gardening six this week focuses on a new project to extend one of our succulent gardens and identify ALL the succulents. Research seems more labour intensive than the physical aspect of digging, moving rocks and planting. Is anyone else confused by all the different names? 1. Succulent Garden - Work in Progress I originally... Continue Reading →
Another great week in the garden! We've had plenty of rain as well as warm sunny spells so seeds and vegetables are off to a good start. As I posted in 'My Garden in Bloom - February' I am amazed by the number of cacti and succulents in bloom and it looks as if this... Continue Reading →
We've had glorious weather again this week and the night time temperature has not fallen below 10C in our micro-climate. Unfortunately, we've had no rain so once again we rely on our temperamental irrigation system. 1. Upcycling Plastic in the Garden As I've been struggling to find plastic plant markers in the shops, I decided... Continue Reading →
My SoS (Six on Saturday) for this week is a bit of a mixed bag. I've been more active in the garden and we are more or less back on track planting vegetables, clearing weeds etc. I've yet to scratch the itch of walking around a garden centre so perhaps we can add that to... Continue Reading →
Where has this week gone already? It seems like only yesterday I was writing last week's SoS (Six on Saturday). My Six on Saturday this week focuses on vegetables. Temperatures at night still hover between 4C and 12C and daytime temperatures usually above 14C to as high as 20C. Probably higher if I measured the temp... Continue Reading →
WoW! My fellow gardeners in the UK are really suffering with the snow. I hope your gardens are okay and there are not too many plant casualties. My Six on Saturday this week is once again restricted... Determined not to miss a week this roving reporter did manage to hobble round on her crutches (not... Continue Reading →
Yes, I'm now convinced my garden is a war zone: Me against nature. There is not a week goes by without some new bug or disease attacking my plants. I also woke up to rain this morning the first proper rain since November. My gardening activities this week are once again directed from my garden... Continue Reading →
Last Monday the overnight temperature dropped to 3.5C and we had our first light frost on the roof of the car. However, while we were away at the hospital in Coimbra neighbours reported on Facebook that temperatures plummeted to -4C. This is the lowest (in our area) in over a decade so hopefully my plants... Continue Reading →
Gardening in Portugal may seem like a gardener's paradise but my plants are plagued by far more pests and diseases then they ever were in the UK. Or maybe it's just my garden and the bugs arrive to dine on my plants as they would at a Michelin star restaurant. My six on Saturday for this... Continue Reading →
I know the OH will run and hide when he reads this but a gal has to have a plan, and my restricted mobility has meant I have had plenty of thinking scheming time to formulate ideas into a concrete gardening 'plan of action' for 2019. So my #SixOnSaturday for this week are six gardening projects... Continue Reading →
My six for this Saturday will focus on succulents in flower this week. I have several more in bud but not in time to share on this post. Maybe they will hang on until January. 1. Cotyledon orbiculata Pig’s ears or Elk’s horn This is one of the few succulents I have planted directly in... Continue Reading →
So what what does my garden offer this week? With high humidity and salt winds a coastal garden in the Western Algarve presents its own challenges and this week has proved no exception. Strong winds, sun, heavy rain and temperature from 7C to 20C. Fortunately no snow or frost. On the plus side some amazing... Continue Reading →
My #sixonsaturday this week is to suggest six effective ways to upcycle plastic in your garden rather than disposing in the recycling bin, or trash. Come on fellow gardeners, get creative with plastic! 1. Recycling Water Water is a precious resource. When practical I recycle grey water from the house (washing machine, bath, showers etc)... Continue Reading →
Gardening is one of my passions so I am delighted to discover #sixonsaturday as a way to link up with fellow gardeners across the world. When I think of the various areas of our garden I try to plan them as different rooms or a transition from one room to the next. Each room has a... Continue Reading →
