STILL AWAITING SPRING IN CENTRAL PORTUGAL

31^st January 2014     Central Portugal

Still raining and cold but things are definitely stirring.’ Camellias’ ( Camellia Japonica) just about to have their moment of glory, these are direct a very close relations to the ‘Tea’ (Camellia Sinensis) bushes that produce the ‘elixir of life’- with or without milk or lemon - for many. Main problem with flowering Camellia, which come in a wide range of single and bi-coloured, from white to dark claret, is rain. When they get wet they go brown very quickly. They look awful and the flowers drop.  

 

Very mature Camellia in Portugal

 When they were first brought to England, from China and Japan in the eighteenth century(first grown in Europe Thorndon Hall, Essex,1739) they were grown inside an ‘Orangery’.  Most country houses of any note had one.  If not, you did not grow the then ‘Plant of the Moment’, and really were the wrong side of ‘Fashion’. 

 

Just a baby, but will grow rapidly in the Poruguese climate

Now that was nearly three hundred years ago and the trend of garden ‘Fashion’ still prevails. How many of us grow the latest dreadful creation of the ‘Chelsea’ garden nurseries to enjoy the short lived attention of the ‘Garden Glitterati’ and abandon the beauty of ‘time formed’ excellence.   Remember ‘Dahlias’ in all their glory – so out of fashion these days.  Heathers (Erica) – no garden of the ‘sixties’ could survive without the blanket of moorland colour , rich pinks and purples, interspaced with the ‘delusional’ plant breeders, totally unnatural, yellows, greens and blues. Delphiniums(Larkspur) those majestic spires, up to 2 metres tall, of  multi-hued ‘Pacific Hybrids’(bred in California of course) in their blues, pinks and purples would seem, generally, to have packed their trunks and gone home.

However all is not lost, if you look carefully in the small, and often abandon, village gardens of the Portuguese Beira Mountains there are often  ‘amazing  sights’  to behold. ‘ Red hot Pokers’(Kniphofia) hidden in sunny, south facing corners, vibrant green foliage, erect stems turning from dark green to bright yellow and topped by the glory of flaming and molten scarlet, a ‘Victorian Iron Masters’ dream plant.

 ‘Begonias’ in all their guises, from the small flowered, low growing bedding variety, much loved by ‘cemetery’ gardeners for their borders, through the cascades of multi-coloured  trailing plants, to the ‘Dinner Plate’ sized blooms of the nineteenth century ‘Tropical Conservatory’ where they were nurtured by a small army of skilled gardeners.

 

Two lovely big blousey begonias

Maybe many of these historic gems are now in the shade because of the work and skill required to enjoy their natural beauty.  This is no excuse if you really want to call yourself a ‘Gardener’, so get out there, look for the obscure and now unloved plants of the past and ‘Do Something’ about it now.

Is that the Garden Bell ringing, Head Gardener wants me, must dash, see you soon – 

Stuart.

AFTER THE RAINS - WHAT'S HAPPENING

22 January 2014.  Central Portugal

Still wet, rained every day since 18^th December 2013;  however, according to my four weather ‘Forecasters’ on the ‘web’, there may be sun at the end of the tunnel. Not much happening in the ‘Veg’ patch - winter lettuce and radish doing well, ‘chilli’s’ have finally turned red on the ‘Bartlett Bonnet’ plants;  herbs are having a fine old time but then they love the rain.  

 Oranges, Tangerines and Lemons are coming up for early morning picking and squeezing.  The hot dry summer has sweetened and ensured less, though larger, fruit.

Just a small part of our orange crop

Limes are coming into flower early and there would seem to be signs of growth in the new Grapefruit tree. Now is the time to’ FEED’ and mulch fruit trees. Apricots coming into flower, keep frost away if possible.  Peach blossom will be out by late February. Have found that Peaches, Apricots and Plums in the valley bottom get caught by frost two out of three years but on the third year the crop is amazing.  (Patience is a virtue they say)

Orchids, in their many forms are keeping my attention just now. Difficult to believe that it is possible to grow such fantastic blooms on my terrace. Cymbidiums are the easiest to grow and flower each year, (tolerant to cold, down to 5 degrees C.), take little care or attention when dormant in the summer and produce the most wonderful varied colourful sprays of up to twelve flowers in January.  ‘Moth Orchids’ (Phalanopsis) are also in full bloom just now -  not as easy to grow as Cymbidiums but very impressive and long lasting(Flowers last two to three months).Dendrobiums are just starting to bloom, a  bit more difficult than previous two mentioned , require minimum 15degrees C and moderate humidity to do their best.  Colours and shapes are amazing and often produce thirty or forty flowers per spike in ideal conditions. So on to the patio with all your Orchids in May until November, 12 hours sunshine each day for the summer and a light bright place until the flowers arrive.(if you want cheap orchid stock plants wait until April and every garden centre is ready to ‘Off load’ the previous unsold plants now without flowers, just waiting for you to work your magic for January’15 and take a chance on flower colour!).

 

a selection of our beautiful orchids

Must dash -  Chilli seeds to plant in propagator for early South American varieties. The rains stopped, maybe it’s the end of the ‘Monsoon’ season in Portugal, ‘Brollies’ away and spades out, let the new season commence, may your Pumpkins be bigger than ever this year.

Back soon, 

STUART. 

PS I may have spelled some of the names of orchids incorrectly - not my strong point!

2014 - LET'S GET STARTED!

4^th January 2014  

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS

Twenty two days of torrential rain kept the dust down over Christmas and New Year in the orchard and on the terraces of this little spot called “Shangri la”.

 

The Orchard on Christmas Day!

 Can’t dig, can’t plant, can’t strim; have put in order for seeds. Could this be the moment winter boredom sets in? NEVER. With umbrella up, ‘Wellie’s on feet, bucket in hand, ready for an expedition to the Kiwi vines (which have cropped excessively again this year). Now back in the dry and warmth, fortified by hot coffee and the ‘bouquet’ of cheap brandy, preparation of the ‘Kiwi’s’ begins. After consuming the first few, and deciding that is enough really, now is the time to start the preparation of the ‘sour mash’. Yes it’s ‘moonshine time’ again (perfectly legal in Portugal if less than 100litres made for personal use). Kiwi’s make and excellent basis fruit for fermentation as they produce such large quantities of fruit - even the New Zealanders' recipes dry up after ‘Jam’, 'Marmalade’, 'Chutney’ and cake.

just a few of our kiwi fruits

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Five Kilos of macerated KIWI flesh and five litres of water, a handful of sugar, in a big bowl, covered and left at around 18degrees C. for five to seven days will produce a fermentation ready for a little distillation  At  around 90% Alcohol best not sample, but rest assured no trace of Kiwi remains, just refined base spirit ready for mixing with minimum 50% water and the fruit flavour of your choice. With the masses of Lemons this year why not try ‘Limoncello’?  Cut up two kilos of Lemons, squeeze the juice from half and cover with One kilo of Sugar, put the un-squeezed lemon halves on top, add three litres of your diluted distillation, leave for a week prior to straining and filtration through a coffee paper. Bottle when clear then ask a neighbour in to try!  My wife swears that it works wonders on her sore throat!

Well that kept you busy for a bit! Good gracious it’s stopped raining, is that a bit of blue sky? No it’s the sun breaking through for the start of another wonderful year in my ‘Portuguese’ garden.  Must dash- loads to do, see you soon.

Stuart.

Orange season begins and will last through to March, we hope

Stop press - just picked the first of our oranges and squeezed to make a wonderful juice.  Plenty more where they came from.  We love the orange season.