COMING UP AND GOING FORWARD

26^th May 2014  CENTRAL PORTUGAL

A cold ‘Plunge’ from the ‘Arctic North’ down the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula has stopped most of the growth in the garden during the last few days. Night temperatures down to 3 degrees and daytime temperatures struggling to reach 18 degrees have ensured that most plants are currently in ‘Hibernation’ mode. These low temperatures, together with a cold North westerly wind, have ensured that ‘Gardening’ has not been as pleasant as expected in the last half of May in Portugal.

Still having problems with ‘Cut Worm’ in the tomato tubs; only solution seems to be putting a physical barrier around the plant stems (have been cutting down plant pots to place around each vulnerable specimen), most annoying to find the prime tomato plants devastated by these little ’Blighters'.
 

Tomatoes thriving in large tubs

 Climbing Beans, both green and purple varieties, are coming into flower and have already reached the top of the ‘Support Structure’ (2 metres high) so ‘Where they will go next’ is one of nature’s well kept secrets

 

Runner climbing beans starting to flower

. Courgettes and Cucumbers are thriving on the new ‘Grey Water’ system (recycled water from the ‘showers’ in the house). First flower buds are forming in Courgettes and small Cucumbers are now visible - looks like the start of another profuse season (almost impossible to give them away in a ‘good’ year).
 

First courgette appearing - will soon be over-run - again!

 Chillis are still trying hard but are not enjoying the night cold. However, the plants that ‘over-wintered’ (only recently realised that Chillis work well on a two year cycle) are full of flower and might just produce an early ‘bumper’ crop. ‘Piri Piri’ and ‘Sereno’ potted seedlings just planted out and the ‘California Wonder’ peppers are progressing well (this is a highly recommended variety of ‘Sweet’ pepper which  produces excellent green, and later red, fruit, but then it could not do less with such a name). ‘Cayenne’, ‘Pavlec’, ‘Hungarian Wax’ and ‘Chilli Bomb’ are all still struggling to make progress.

Strawberries are miserable -  best to buy commercially grown as they are larger and better tasting (and very cheap) in Portugal. Raspberries are now starting to fruit (these are best grown on ‘home’ turf in Portugal as commercially available varieties cannot stand the usually high summer temperatures).  The ‘yellow’ strain, planted last year, are about to outpace the traditional ‘Reds’ in the supply stakes.

A glimpse of the very tasty yellow raspberries

  Pear trees have ‘set’ well with fruit, as have the Peaches, both red and white, and the Nectarines and Plums.

peaches well on the way

  Apples are a little sparse, Quinces looked good in late April but are now reduced to a very few fruits. The ‘Nesperos’ (Loquat)  tree is so heavy with ripe fruit that it has changed shape and requires immediate support prior to the harvest

loaded Loquat (Nesperos in Portugal)

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Roses are still giving of their ‘Best’. The ‘Climbers’ and ‘Ramblers’ are particularly vigorous this year.  Their scent has replaced the smell of Orange Blossom and Jasmine (which tends to become very ‘Cloying’ after a few weeks), with the gentle fragrances of ancient Persia and the medieval French ‘Par Terre’.

wish you could smell this lovely rambler

 The Fuchsias are enjoying the shade under the Orange trees on the terrace. Full sunshine tends to wilt the flowers and foliage. Their ‘Lush’ green leaves and ‘Multi Coloured’ pendulous flowers never fail to please and the range of colours, from almost black deep purples to pure white, with the most comprehensive mixed pallet between, always amazes both the ‘un-tutored’ to the  veteran Fuchsia ‘Officinado’.

This fuchsia is a particular favourite of the Head Gardner!

 Geraniums, both ‘Ivy Leafed’ and ‘Pelargoniums’ are now in full glorious flower (remember NO, feed only water if you want a truly splendid ‘show’).

The ‘Weeds’ don’t seem to be put- off  by the unseasonal ‘cold’, so back to the orchard, armed with ‘Strimmer’ for another ‘aerobic’ session. Never mind it does keep the Head Gardener at bay (seems to revel in the sight of ‘damp’ patches of ‘perspiration’ due to excessive effort).

Must dash, see you soon.

Stuart.

BEAUTY AND THE BEASTS!

16^th MAY – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Still HOT! Daytime temperature is in the low ‘Thirties’ and no lower than ‘Eighteen’ over night; hope it lasts and doesn’t dissolve into wild thunderstorms and worse still, hail storms’.  Living at the top of the first hill in Portugal after 4,800 Km. of sea from the U.S. Eastern Seaboard does create the odd climatic anomaly now and then.  No real Oklahoma ‘Twisters’ - just thunder storms which revolve around the hilltop (700metres above sea level) for hours with the ice crystals continually rising in the clouds and getting larger with each cycle.  They usually fall out of the ‘cycle’ around the size of a black bird's egg.  This has a devastating effect on large leafed trees, such as ‘Catalpas’ (Indian Bean trees) with their broad, very green, and delicate leaves.  

 

stunning flowers on the Catalpa (Indian Bean Tree)

 They can also remove growing tips from tomatoes and cucumbers, and ensure minimum olive crop as the flowers or embryo fruit are destroyed. Umbrellas work well as protection for the low growing plants if put out early enough and in sufficient quantity (only 2€ each on the weekly market - get in before stocks go!).

 

Stunning mature fuchsia in full bloom

Fuchsias are all looking good this season and just about to burst into splendid bloom (which will last from now until Christmas, if well fed and watered). The choice is most extensive, ranging from the small flowered ‘hardy’ varieties, good for even the most ‘frosted’ English garden, to the ‘Big, Brash, psychedelically  coloured’ Australian Giants - just about ‘hardy’ in Portugal but best given protection from cold in January and February (they don’t like freezing temperatures, must be something to do with being from the ‘Antipodes’). Take cuttings now and place in pot half submerged in water. Roots will form within three weeks and the ‘cuttings’ will bloom this year.

and another lovely fuchsia

Still fighting the battle against the ‘Garden Terrorists’ and, after trying the much vaunted ‘Eco Friendly’ armoury, have decided to return to the more positive weaponry of really effective ‘chemicals’(will at least have some tomato plants left after the ravages of ‘Cut Worm’ have been stopped at the last terrace ‘Tomato’ wall). Greenfly have enjoyed a mild damp winter and are now ready for a summer break on anything that gives them a breeding ground - roses, geraniums, lemon and orange trees to name a few. To witness the results of extensive spraying with the latest effective ‘Killer’ mix, next day is most gratifying. Note: Must keep an ‘eye out’ for the advances of ‘black fly’ on the beans and ‘red spider mite’ on anything which enjoys full sunshine.

Petunias are as always giving of their best in these warm dry conditions. The ‘Serfinia’ strain  (shame they are ‘Registered’ as a brand in the EU and US, seems that even nature can be ‘organised’ by those dreadful men in ‘Grey Suites’, is there a scent of discord in the air?), continue to produce magnificent pillows of blooms. Pink is bit ‘Dusky’;  however, the ‘Reds’ and ‘Purples’ are vibrant and the ‘White’ is ethereal.

vibrant red petunia

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Must get back to make the ‘Bean’ and ‘Tomato’ support trellises before my absence and lack of effort is sensed by the Head Gardner. Remember – on a hot day,  gardeners don’t ‘sweat’, they simply ‘glow’ with the pleasure of their effort.

Must dash, see you soon,

Stuart.

ROSES ALL THE WAY

10th MAY CENTRAL PORTGUAL

Summer really does seem to be here - sunshine from early morning until dusk for the last week, and forecast to continue until end of July. Noon temperatures rising well above 30 degrees so having to water everything planted in tubs as well as directly into ground. Have mixed the ‘estrume de cavalho’ (upmarket horse manure, comes in 100kg plastic sacks, has little smell, so does not attract the flies - possibly the product of pure bred ‘Arab’ stallions at 4€ per sack) with the very depleted earth (cannot be called soil) from the ‘veg’ terrace. The ratio is 1:5 manure:earth and so far the results are very promising. My Portuguese neighbour assures me that the ‘enzymes’ in the earth react with the manure to create a very potent growing mix. Only time will tell? However my Multi-Talented next door neighbour has kindly supplied 2kg. of ‘Miracle Grow’ which will possibly be far more beneficial in the growing stakes.

Had an excellent ‘Beiras Grass Roots’(see their blog site) Summer Flower Show last weekend. Most encouraging number of exhibits from the small group of garden enthusiasts, including the traditional Flower, Vegetable, Baking and Pictures ( both ‘painted and photographic’) exhibition classes.  It was followed by a very good and informative ‘Lecture’ by an awfully nice Lady from the Algarve branch of the Mediterranean Garden Society, on ‘Dry Gardening’. Managed a ‘First’ for a single rose bloom and a ‘Second’ for a flower arrangement of Large Pink roses and White Lilies - much to my surprise and ‘delight’.

My little red prize winner

 

and the bush from which it came

 Hope the show becomes a ‘Feature’ of the calendar and lots more decide to participate next year.  Congratulations to the very capable ‘Organiser’ and committee.

 

Been ‘Strimming’ again in the orchard, trust the hot dry days expected will make this the last major ‘Cut’ until the rains of Autumn encourage the over-active weeds to stir again. The ‘Head Gardener’ enjoys the free show of yellows, blues and pinks which blanket the ground; best to get in quick before they ‘Seed’. As a ‘weed’ is simply a plant growing in the wrong place, maybe the colourful show should be left and encouraged though I would imagine, with ‘Gardener’s Luck’, that they would require cultivation, feed and watering within three years to get ‘decent’ show!

Roses, roses and more roses

 Roses are better than ever this year, even the newly planted have made a serious effort to perform. Planted ‘Super-Market’ purchase (Lidl  1.89€) in January. (If you catch the new supply of plants on the day they arrive there is some hope of success - after a week on the self they have little chance), now 1.5 metres high and full of small red flowers (think it maybe ‘American Pillar’).The name tag suggested it would be a yellow bush rose (the surprise makes it all worth- while sometimes!!!)

 

We think this one, from Lidl, is very like American Pillar

. Would love to try ‘David Austin’ Roses in Portugal but they don’t seem to be available and the ‘Austin’s’ don’t seem to want to send them abroad ‘bare rooted’.  Many of the UK based ‘Nurseries’ seem loath to extend their market into Europe, unlike the Dutch, French and German growers who supply ‘Worldwide’.

‘VEG’ all growing well.

 

Purple climbing and runner beans

quite a few different varieties of tomato-first flower appearing

 Had a ‘hiccup’ with the Aubergines having over watered them before the summer sun appeared and they started to go yellow. It was not a good start when the ‘fruit’ is expected, in most cases, to be ‘Lustrous Purple’( Watched a programme  called ‘Allotment Challenge’ where they were claiming to have grown award winning aubergines in sixteen weeks, from seed. Am not sure I believe that as, even in the perfect growing conditions of Portugal, it takes me twenty weeks minimum).

 

There goes the Head Gardeners bell - ‘time flies when you are enjoying yourself’, 

must dash, 

see you soon.

Stuart.

LOTS OF PLANTING AND WONDERFUL PERFUMES

5th MAY 2014 CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Rain stopped again after couple of miserable damp and cold days and sun has returned to ‘Portuguese’ normal. Day temperature is above 25 degrees and night no lower than 15 degrees, so we may see some growth in the newly planted seedling on display in the ‘cloches’. Tomatoes have been ‘Knocked back’ again by the damp and cold but are usually very forgiving especially my ‘Purple Ukraine’ and ‘Red Alert’ varieties, so expect the ‘crop’ to be only a few days late in the summer.

Courgettes and Cucumbers enjoy the wet but also can do with a bit of sunshine to ‘kick start’ their usual record breaking growth and cropping - 30 days from planting to first crop picking. Not as fast as some of the new varieties of ‘Sweet Corn’ coming out of the United States;  some claim seed planting to harvest of the 2metre high plants with ripe ‘corn cobs’ in 60 days. Just fits in between the end of the very cold prairie winters and the extremely hot dry summers (maybe this is the way all plant breeders will aim with the anticipated climatic changes threatened weekly),

Roses this year are going to be terrific, the early ‘bloomers’ are performing with great vigour and the forecast ‘dry spell’ due for the next two weeks should see an ever increasing panorama of flowers as they last so much better in the ‘dry’. Remember when ‘cutting back’ the flowered stems to put the cutting straight into damp ground to increase your plant stock for next year (the cutting has  a 50% chance of rooting at this time of year).

 

PRETTY CLIMBING ROSE WITH NO NAME!

The ‘heady’ scent of Jasmine and Orange blossom is now all pervasive on all the terraces, it’s amazing how quickly the wonderful aromas of the last few weeks become over invasive and ‘cloying’ when experienced on a daily basis (something about ‘never being satisfied’ comes to mind.  However, rest assured the garden will quickly produce another banquet for the senses in the very near future. (Maybe that’s what keeps ‘The Gardener’ going for the whole twelve months of each year).

LOVELY HEAVILY SCENTED JASMINE

The various varieties of winter squash plant grown from seed are now ready for planting. This can be an awkward plant to grow with success as they need a lot of sunshine plus heat and just the right amount of water and feed - too much of the latter two components can produce masses of running foliage (up-to 10metres) , lots of flowers and NO squashes. Choose the planting position with care, full sun for most of the day, dig the planting hole deep (up-to 800mm deep and 800mm dia.) fill with well rotted compost (or newspapers/torn car board boxes mixed with feed will also do very well) and fill to the top with water to allow everything to damp down, top of with soil and plant two squash plants (just for insurance after the effort and ‘sweat’ of digging the hole), water twice per week and await results.

Must get on with preparing the tubs for the array of Chillis and Peppers now ready to be planted before the Head Gardener returns.

 Must dash - see you soon.

Stuart.