ALL THE GARDEN SPRINGS TO LIFE

23^rd March 2014   Central Portugal

It only takes a few days of sunshine for most plants to stir from their winter slumber. Planted around twenty cuttings from the Fig tree prunings last October, each one has suddenly burst into leaf, so twenty new Fig trees from ‘natures’ bounty.

The white and yellow flowered Jasmine has also blossomed forth in the last days, the smell is amazing and mingles well with the heady bouquet of the multi-coloured Freesia flower sprays (grow the Freesia in pots for the best results, stops the mice from chomping through the bulbs on winter evenings).

Roses are growing and ‘budding’ most dramatically in the spring sunshine. Take the long shoots, on climbers and ramblers, down to a position parallel with the ground and tie-in. Each bud on the shoot will then produce a flowering shoot, increasing the blossom display substantially. If your rose is adjacent to a tree wind the long shoots around the trunk of the tree and watch the “magic” show created in May.

"Paul's Himalayan Musk" Rambling through an old apple tree 

The tomato seedlings are now out of the propagator and have “hardened off” in the cloche ready for transplanting.  Pleased to see the three Ukrainian varieties are looking very strong and should fruit abundantly later in the season.

Tomato seedlings well on their way

 Have only planted twelve varieties of tomato this year (it’s easy to get carried away with enormous choice of cultivars available) so intend to only plant four plants from each type (but what to do with the plants left over?).

Peppers and Chillis are looking splendid. All have four or six leaves and are ready for take-off (again these are limited to four plants per variety as there are fourteen different types in the cloche - must be good seed this time round).

Next on the list for ’seeding’ are Courgettes and Cucumbers, five days only in propagator as they will become “leggy” if left longer -  and then a week in the cloche prior to two weeks ‘hardening-off’, then plant out mid April. Cold cloche propagation of ‘Bean’ seeds can start in the next few days for planting out in late April.  Direct seed planting into the ground should wait for another two to three weeks.

Still enjoying the abundance of blossom on all the fruit trees, Apricot and early Plums seems well set with embryo fruit, Peaches, Cherries, Nectarines, Pears and late Plums still in full flower with the early Apples just about to burst forth. 

Plum in full flower with pear in the background

  Keeping everything ‘crossed’ that there are no late frosts this year.

Having pruned grape vines to perfection my ‘Multi-talented’ neighbour has just committed the wine from last Septembers picking to ‘bottling’. The resulting wine is very clear and bright and looks most promising. As the vineyard is on a slope which requires considerable effort to climb during the pruning, spraying, feeding and picking season and the traditional method of grape treading is employed during the crushing process, the wine has been given the ‘imaginative’  nomenclature “Chateau La Feet”, so the matured product should have a good ‘nose’.

There goes the ‘Head Gardener’s’ bell, seems ‘much used’ these warm spring days, must dash, see you soon.

Stuart.

MID-MARCH 2014 - SUNSHINE AND BLUE SKIES

12th March 2014 - Central Portugal

Well spring is definitely here with a vengeance. Seven days of continuing sunshine with day temperatures above 20 degrees and the night time not falling below 10 degrees. Everything is growing. Wisteria is about to burst forth in cascades of magnificent violet (by the way did you know that if you take cuttings from mature Wisteria bushes you get flowers within first two years - no need to wait the usual seven to eight years required from seed), first buds are showing on the roses, the Arum (Easter) lilies are magnificent in statuesque white

 

Peaceful Arum Lily

 both pink and white Clematis “Armandii” are in full bloom and the scent is wondrous early in the morning

 

Clematis Armandii - "Apple Blossom"

Clematis Armandii

 The orchard is awash with multi-coloured blossoms from, counted this morning, eight different varieties of fruit trees. The early plums are, as usual, massively overabundant in glorious white, with the peaches and nectarines 

 

Beautiful Peach Blossom - out NOW!

 about to be overtaken in their floral abundance by the cherries and almonds, and the orange blossom giving a high note to the overall scent experience. Morning coffee on the patio under a clear blue sky with the perfumes suffused by a warm southerly breeze does not get any better, beats ‘Starbuck’s’ anytime.

The chilli seeds planted in the propagator are now starting to come through. Remember many ‘chillis’ take up to three weeks even in a propagator at 25 degrees, to germinate, so patience is a virtue as always in the garden. Tomato seeds are also being propagated just now. If they do not show in five days the seed is usual to old or badly stored so start again.  Never leave tomato seedlings in the propagator for more than three days after the come through as they will become ‘leggy’ very quickly and then become prone to ‘mold’. The ‘Three day Rule’ is applicable to most heat propagated seeds. As soon as they are ‘up’ put seed tray in a cold ‘Cloche’ until second leaf shows, at which time re-pot in to ‘growing on’ medium which has good drainage.  If the temperature remains high raise the ‘Cloche’ during the day to start the ‘hardening off’ process but keep closed at night until you discern growth on re-potted seedlings. 

Cut back your over wintered ‘Geraniums’, both ‘Pelargoniums’ and ‘Ivy-Leafed’, to around 100mm tall. Top fill the old pots with good compost and plant the numerous cuttings you will now have around the edges of 100mm dia. plastic plant pots to a depth of 50mm., water and stand in sunny spot. Keep moist but not wet (these cuttings will root in two three weeks and start to bloom in eight weeks) remember ‘Pelargoniums’ do not enjoy being over fed and prefer poor soil conditions to thrive. The ‘Ivy Leaf’ variety, on the other hand, thrive on moist conditions and lots of feed all season (then your window boxes will look like those on a Austrian village ‘Hof’.)

  

How the grass (and weeds) are growing on the terraces and orchards - better get back to the ‘strimming’ before the Head Gardner notices the lack of activity.

Must dash, see you soon,

Stuart.