SO MUCH TO DO - SO LITTLE TIME!

29^th JANUARY 2015 – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Three days of manual labour, cutting down and major pruning of orange trees, repositioning of plants and shrubs and disposal of the winter rubbish (cuttings pile always seems to grow when it has to be carried away to bonfire site – particularly if the fire is four terraces and fifty steps below!).

Main sitting terrace (can’t call it ‘The Patio’ anymore as this term is either to ‘Posh’ or ‘ Plebeian’, depending on your particular sociological stand point) is now infinitely brighter with the eradication of vast swathes of foliage inadvertently built up over the past four years.  (Is it apathy or pure laziness that allows this to happen in the garden? – probably complacency during the long hot summer days). Before surgery on the ‘shading’ orange trees commenced,  removed eighty kilos(yes ‘80’) of ripe oranges from the 10% of the tree removed.

Patio/terrace looking good after its tidy up

 

Orange tree now well pruned and still laden with fruit

The Lily bed, hurriedly planted seven years ago at the start of the Portuguese adventure, to provide some colour, has finally succumbed (Lily bulbs being the winter snack of choice for the resident mice, that is when they are not consuming in-situ tangerines from the adjacent trees) and has been replanted as a compendium of flowering shrubs and roses inter-spaced with Canna Lilies (the bulbs being much to bitter for the ‘sweet toothed’ mice to gorge upon) and the new ‘winter flowering’ Kniphofia (might get a second ‘blooming’ during June or July). 

 

Once the lily bed - now a promising small shrubbery!

The lavender hedge has been shaped to near perfection ( under the scrupulous eye of the Head Gardener) Exuberant  plumbago has been cut back and primed for another year’s proliferation and the rambling roses have been ‘cut and laid’.(Remove the small shoots from last year, choose a few long, strong ‘whips’ to tie in horizontally in layers.  This encourages massive ‘top side’ blooming when accompanied by a good ‘feed’ now, at the end of March and in early May.

Fuchsias having been in prolific flower until the ‘frost’ of the last few weeks, have now been un-burdened of their top growth and reduced to around 150mm high, the side shoots cut off in line with the edge of the pot,(which has now been filled to the brim with’ well rotted’ horse manure).  Only re-pot every two years to get the early flowers; first new shoots will show in a couple of weeks and profuse flowers by April.

Clematis need a good ‘tidy’ after the winter;  make sure you don’t cut off this year’s  flowering shoots when the ‘dead’ looking brown leaves and shoots are clipped back. The new buds should be showing in the leaf branches. Top up the pots or mulch with compost and a handful of the little ‘Blue pellets’ to ensure another magnificent ‘show’ this year. Clematis are often best kept in large pots as those planted directly into the ground often suffer from ‘die-back’ resulting in a total loss of the plant.

About time to scatter a few handfuls of fertiliser over those potted plants being over-wintered under cover (Geraniums, Chillis and various ‘exotic’ cuttings), a little water might be also appreciated but not too much if the morning cold continues.

Datura, Angels’ Trumpets, or now properly named Brugmansia, are ready to be cut back to the firm part of the stems.  The cold and wet makes them go soft and dead (don’t lick your fingers if you get sap on them from the cuttings as it is very toxic).

Brugmansia may need a further trim before springtime

 Hydrangeas need a trim; remove remains of last year’s flowers if not already done, shape the plant then mulch and feed.  Arrange the cuttings around the edge of a ‘plastic’ pot, filled with compost and a ‘iron nail’ if you want vary colour from pink to blue, to increase ‘stock’ or for ‘swops’.

Put the Camellia tubs into the full sunshine and enjoy the wonderful colours of early springtime flowering and place the pots of tulips and daffodils (which you should have planted last October) into full view for March flowering.  A little feed just now will get them to ‘Dutch’ quality blooms. 

Camellia enjoying the January sunshine

 The sun has just dipped over the tree line and a cool north westerly breeze has sprung up - just a reminder that it is still January, even in Portugal. Quick warm by the Potting Shed stove to await the Head Gardener’s bell.

Must dash, 

see you soon,

Stuart

SHOW TIME!

19TH JANUARY - CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Still cold but frost seems to have gone.  Heavy rain one day and glorious sunshine the following – must be the pre-cursor of the Portuguese Spring which is just around the corner and can be expected during the first week of February. (seems the ‘Jet Stream’ has moved north once again and is ‘pummelling’ U.K. and the Northern ‘Euro’ using states- but for how long?).

 Got a reminder from the local Garden Club regarding their Flower Show in May (so Spring is definitely imminent). Must plant flower seeds as well as vegetables to ensure representation in every available class (not for competitive reasons but to ensure the ‘Show’ is full of exhibits – being ‘Olympian’ is the true Gardener’s way – taking part being more important than winning). The early morning walk around the garden prior to the ‘Show’ is the time to harvest whatever is available and proceed to the venue for the ‘setting up’ of the maximum number of ‘classes’. If all Club Members do this, without considerations of ‘perfection’, then it should be memorable success on the day. (There is nothing embarrassing about having a ‘bent’ cucumber or ‘twisted’ runner bean).

Still pruning and burning, although the wet days are causing more smoke than usual.  Good time to get on top of the weeding before the added moisture and warmth of spring encourage the usual ‘express’ growth. While the ground is soft it is a good time to dig out the ever present tubers of the ‘Poke Weed’ (a present from the U.S. in the ‘fifties’) and burn to ashes (even the smallest chip will re-establish it’s self within a year), it can never be eradicated but can be 

given a seriously ‘bloody’ nose, so act now!.

Fig tree after pruning - have assured the Head Gardener that it will grow back and produce fruit!

 Orchids are looking good, those ‘over summered’ on the terrace and brought inside during late November are full of flower buds, but a word of caution when moving to their ‘Showing off’ position - make sure the buds are starting to open. Took the first plant with a flower bud stem into the kitchen in early January hoping for a magnificent display but within one week the twenty two buds turned yellow and fell off. leaving a barren stem.  So much for a ‘Growers’ vanity.

Cymbidium Orchids budding up nicely - hope these will open soon

Also made the mistake of planting out last May three large pots of ‘Snow Drops’. After intensive search, this morning, nothing in evidence, so must have made a tasty snack for the garden mice?. Have found over the years that the only bulb to survive ‘un-eaten’ is the daffodil (but only the ordinary and inexpensive ‘Yellow’ varieties; the fancy expensive bulbs also seem very attractive to the garden residents).

Still pondering which variety of Tomato seeds to plant ( being swayed towards any that offer in- bred ‘Blight’ protection after last summer’s fiasco) and have strict orders to minimise the production of ‘Hot’ chilli, so shall concentrate on Sweet Peppers starting with ‘Californian Wonder’(still seems the best for early, large fruit in copious quantity) and ‘Corno Rosso’ from Italy for long, sweet ‘Mediterranean’ cooking peppers (found most of the ‘Multi coloured’ Spanish cultivars look good but have little taste).

Just a small selection of the different varieties of chilli pepper now filling our freezer!

 Note from Head Gardener - we have enough chilli peppers in the freezer to keep us and the whole village supplied for the next 10 years!

Well all this ‘in-depth’ contemplation and lack of ‘stoking’ attention has let the stove go to a faint glow, hope the Head Gardener’s bell rings soon as a coffee would be most welcome, particularly in a warmer environment as the stove has now gone out.

There goes the ‘Bell’, must dash and get warm –

  

see you soon.

Stuart.

GREAT WEATHER - PREPARING NEW GROUND

12^TH JANUARY 2015 -  CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Sky still clear and blue, sun shining from dawn to dusk, midday temperatures up to and over 20 degrees C.- ‘The glories of Portugal in January’. Even the chill early morning air cannot take away the benefits of abundant sunshine during the winter days. This, my Portuguese neighbour assures, was the norm in winters past, the heavy rain experienced in the years since we moved here would seem to be temporary aberration of the historic meteorological conditions enjoyed in the ‘Beiras’. Long may the high pressure zone remain above and the furious North Atlantic ‘Jet Stream’  bear the high wind and heavy rain to the north.

This sparkling start to the new season has caused a cacophony of new sounds to emerge from the valley and surrounding areas. The incessant ‘click’ of pruning shears bringing the wayward vines back into order sounds almost as if ‘castanets’ were being played. The ‘coupe’, or cutting back of almost everything that grows, has started with a vengeance. Within the week the numerous ‘trunks’, branches, twigs, runners, stems and other excised detritus will be consumed by the numerous bonfires which will miraculously appear, permeating the air not with the nostalgic aromas of Autumn but the pungent scent of Spring.

The vineyard opposite the Head Gardener’s backdoor is a perfect example of the verve and tenacity of the local residents. Two days ago at breakfast time it looked totally neglected, the vines were ‘leggy’ and winter weeds were either growing or dying at will. 

 

 winter weeds between vines

The dog heard the noise of the tractor first, or was it the aroma of the ripe manure being purveyed that tickled the olfactory senses? The new orange ‘beast’(most ractors are orange in Portugal) arrived towing a new and matching tipping trailer (must still be some money in the countryside) fully loaded with the recently removed contents of the ‘Pig Pen’ in the adega, plus wife and eldest daughter equipped with large forks. A trip up and down the rows of vines, commodiously planted three metres apart to allow free access by tractor and trailer, soon had piles of the ‘good stuff’ ready for spreading. At this point ‘Father’ left the ladies to this task and proceeded to work his ‘genetically’ inherited magic on the vines with shears and ‘willow’ whip string to secure the preferred shoots.

 

The Manure arrives and the vines pruned

 That was day one completed. Day two dawned and the ‘A’ team returned.  This time the tractor boasted a new ‘Harrow’ (think they must be a ‘ Euro-millions’ winner with all this new ‘kit’ in evidence). Manure, weeds now given the ‘New Machine’ treatment and within minutes the ground is clear, tilled to a fine ‘tilth’ in magnificent ‘fertile’ brown. Mother and daughter appear pushing wheelbarrows over laden with ‘Seed’ potatoes and proceed to plant the tubers at an amazing speed (plant second week January harvest the crop the second week in April), everything completed by noon, two aching backs and a man very happy with his new ‘Toys’.

 

Manure ploughed in, ground prepared and potatoes planted

About time for a good bonfire - still got the Olive branches cut off in November to burn (they should have had time to dry out by now so good ‘kindling’).  Have to go down to the Orchard very quietly as bonfires are not a favourite of the Head Gardener  as usually the sparks cause a plethora of small holes in the ‘Stoker’s’ clothes.(then little chance of coffee for at the least a week and much summoning  by the ‘Bell’).

Must dash, see you soon,

Stuart.

BRILLIANT DAYS AND COLD NIGHTS

5^TH JANUARY CENTRAL PORTUGAL.

Happy New year from Portugal. Sky is azure blue (has been for the last twenty one days, the sun is a glorious golden globe from dawn till dusk and it’s very cold every morning (around  ‘0’ degrees with mild frost) but the temperature has been topping 18 degrees by noon (most days). Counted ten varieties of flowers in bloom on Christmas Day (is this record?)

A frosty but sunny start to another beautiful day

Ventured down to the orchard this morning; amazed to find all the fruit trees in good order (must be due to competent pruning supervised by the Head Gardener in November) and the majority already show plump buds. The Damascus Apricots look as if they will be the winners in the ‘First Blossom’ stakes. As these trees flower early, ensured this year that only the lower branches were pruned to improve the chance of pollination and lack of ‘Frost Bite’(anything under two metres seems to be affected as the orchard is a valley bottom frost pocket) when the superb orange to peach blossom appears in around three weeks(note to self  ‘Plant trees on south facing slope in next life’ i.e. Gardening by Experience and Incarnation).

Orchard still looking healthy, if a little weedy!

Olive trees seem to have all grown by at least two metres in the past few months (since the crop failure this autumn). Too late to cut back now so will ‘wait and see’ what happens. If the crop is enormous this year must accept that the trees probably know better than ‘Oliverianist ’ (yes it means ‘Cultivator of Olives’ see COD  - Complete Oxford Dictionary).

On the higher terraces the Cherry trees may invoke a very Japanese landscape in early march if the current state of the excess of buds is any indication.  As usual, it will be a case of enjoy the flower display as the fruit simply feeds the birds (but then best to share nature’s bounties sometimes).

Finally succumbed to the Head Gardner’s  exhortations to remove the heavily fruited branches of the large lemon tree hanging over our  Multi Talented neighbour’s roof. Armed with a fearsome  array of clippers, saws and loppers, the task has been completed in the perfect weather conditions prevailing during late morning and a bonus of 30kg of Lemons picked. Seems there is little that can be done with this quantity of available fruit, lemon curd, lemon meringue pie  and lemon marmalade can only use a small proportion of this ‘glut’. There is even an excess for that ‘all important’ constituent of a ‘Gin and Tonic’- the fresh slice of lemon -  but will try very hard in this pursuit.

The Diosperos  which are similar to Sharon Fruit – that wonderful Israeli invention , also known as ‘Kaki’, which amply describes the local variety - has large orange fruits which are inedible until they are absolutely ripe .They are  then very soft and the interior looks similar to ‘sweating gelignite’. The time scale for picking is around thirty minutes prior to the fruit deciding to fall (bit like the old fashioned Med lar of ‘Tudor’ England) and invariably results in the gleaner’s clothes becoming covered in thick and very sticky pale orange slime. Unpicked fruit fall at an alarming rate upon cars and drives ways and ferment immediately leaving ‘boozy and slippery’ mess and very relaxed birds (the ‘feathered’ variety not the ‘Friday Night’ specials).

Well at least the morning cold gives ample time in the potting shed to wash and sterilise the seed planting ‘kit’ for the new season’s foray into seed germination. There is little point in buying or saving the best seed for propagating if the ‘tools’ i.e. seed trays, plant pots and tubs remain contaminated with the viral detritus of last year. The tablets used for the sterilisation of babies feeding bottles are an excellent starting point. Put half a dozen in a bucket of warm water, submerge and scrub all the ‘plastic’ garden ‘bits’ in this cauldron and then dry. Potting compost also requires considerable thought; the local commercial variety available in Portugal is of very ‘mixed’ quality (and that is being polite at best) - had a bag bought last year that still had the recognisable granulated packaging plastic from which it originated. Home produced ‘composts’ are easily constructed without a great deal of effort. Use leaf mould, river sand, granulated vermiculite and a little  charcoal (which keeps everything ‘nice and fresh’ p.s. avoid fertiliser if using ‘mix’ for seed germination)  cost is less than 10% of the commercial brands available, and infinitely more satisfying to both plants and planter.

Had to slip this picture in - very proud of the first flowering of these Kniphofias!

More wood needed on the stove, still chilly in the shade, sun has not reached the shed yet, kettle boiling so might enjoy a solitary coffee before the inevitable summons of the Head Gardeners Bell

Must get warm, see you soon

,

Stuart.