29th 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.
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| Patio/terrace looking good after its tidy up |
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| 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).
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| 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).
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| 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.
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| 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
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