A Creative Spirit
Over the last few weeks, we've experienced southerly gale-force winds and storms that have wreaked havoc in the garden ... but compared to some, we consider ourselves lucky to have escaped with minimal damage. My Six on Saturday morphed into ... The winds stripped the Bougainvillea of the wonderful display of autumn flowers (bracts) most... Continue Reading →
At last—it’s September and sanity slowly returns. When we first came here, the Western Algarve was still undiscovered and far removed from the well-worn tourist hotspots further east. Now, summers are chaos. The great migration is ending at last: kids back to school, and the zillions of sunburned, flip-flop–wearing visitors have packed up their inflatable... Continue Reading →
No, not ours, at least. It is a creative space and an extension of our hobbies. Even our swimming pool is not the conventional, tiled, oblong or kidney-shaped pool plopped in the garden, surrounded by tiles and a manicured lawn. We tried to create a sunken oasis with a waterfall. Waterfall and Rockery * I... 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 →
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 →
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 →
At times, I want to throw up my hands in despair. Gardening is a constant challenge. If it's not munchers eating my succulents, Kale or cannas, it's sickly plants demanding my attention, roots breaking through a wall to access the raised vegetable area, and then there's lichen. Poorly Orchid - I ignored this outdoor orchid... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food. Last week, we celebrated our wedding anniversary at Dos Artistos in Lagos. On learning we were celebrating a special occasion, the restaurant added an extra special touch to the presentation of our creme brulee dessert. How sweet! * On Thursday, another trip to Lagos to see the Algarve Jazz Orchestra at... Continue Reading →
I spotted these Sea Daffodils (Pancratium maritimum L.) growing in the dunes beside the boardwalk entrance to Praia de Monte Clerigo. Thankfully, they are away from the footfall traffic, so providing they are left to grow in peace, the seed bulbs should fully develop, and they will reproduce. Map citation: A.Carapeto, F.Clamote, P.V.A.Raújo, P.Beja, D.Frade,... Continue Reading →
Another Wild Wednesday. This week, I feature the Daphne Gnidium L. - Flax-Leaved Daphne. Photographs taken in the the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina end of July and early August. The evergreen shrub grows between 1.5-2 metres tall. All parts of the shrub are poisonous. The flowers eventually turn to red berries... Continue Reading →
I love the Helichrysum Italicum, or as I sometimes refer to it, the 'curry plant', because of its curry-scented leaves. According to Wikipedia, other common names include Italian strawflower and immortelle. It grows on rocky or sandy ground and can reach up to 60cm high. After picking, the yellow flowers retain their colour and can... Continue Reading →
For this week's Gardening Six on Saturday (SoS), I have chosen the fruits of my labour. A shout out to Mr. Piglet, who is now the main grafter while I supervise. A nod to our gardening host, Jim, over at Garden Ruminations. 1. Red Onions - June Harvest Finally, the red onions I planted in... Continue Reading →
For this week's Wild Wednesday in the Western Algarve I offer wild yellow lupins. These can usually be seen between March and August. Como citar este mapa F.Clamote, J.D.Almeida, A.Carapeto, P.V.Araújo, P.Beja, M.J.Correia, J.Lourenço, M.Porto, et al. (2024). Lupinus luteus L. - mapa de distribuição. Flora-On: Flora de Portugal Interactiva, Sociedade Portuguesa de Botânica. http://www.flora-on.pt/#wLupinus+luteus.... Continue Reading →
For this week's Six on Saturday, I focus on some of the fruit and vegetables we grow in pots with varying degrees of success. Growing fruit and vegetables or indeed any plants in containers, creates various challenges, which include: Too much water or not enough: I use a moisture meter because often the top couple... Continue Reading →
Another week and another Six on Saturday update. Seriously. I seem to spend every spare moment when I'm not writing in my garden, and just as I begin to relax, yet another plant demands my attention. Weather: We've had a mixed bag of weather this week. A couple of days of hot weather at the... Continue Reading →
The weather here continues to be warm and dry. Daytime temperatures range from 16C to 26C. We've had some rain but not enough to impact the drought situation so I continue to recycle as much grey water as possible. It's tough. I spent today feeding and watering all the plants using a watering can, writing... Continue Reading →
It's been hard to smile this week as I've had a raging toothache and ended up in A E for an emergency dentist appointment. Long story ... I'm now on strong antibiotics to try and calm the infection. SMILE= I think the infection is almost gone. I hope to announce a BIG smile next week... Continue Reading →
For this Week's SoS (Six on Saturday) I 'dug deep' and selected some of my more unusual specimens. I grow most of my plants in pots as they are easier to manage - especially plants that need to be moved to a more sheltered position in the winter. Thankfully, it's been much cooler this week... Continue Reading →
We are only halfway through July in the Western Algarve and already my vegetables have frizzled in the extreme temperatures and hot Southernly winds. With temperatures topping just under 40C and the serious threat of drought it's time to start gradually winding down and covering exposed soil until the autumn. It's been a while since... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 