PLANTING STARTED

22^nd FEBRUARY, 2015 - CENTRAL PORTUGAL

High cloud and warm sunshine, the perfect weather to start the annual planting and growing season for 2015. Following the general clearance of the winter weeds and detritus in the last few fine days the serious work has now begun. Following the frequent outbreaks of every form of garden pest and ‘ folial plague’ last year have decided that crop rotation in the raised beds will be the plan for healthy plants and maximum crops this summer. The tomato bed has gone, been re-trenched to a depth of 600mm, soil replaced with a rich mixture of loam and horse manure, new posts have been driven into the ground to take the support wires, and last year’s Raspberry plants have been split and replanted in their new surroundings. Introduced two new Tay Berry plants (genre produced from the cross of Red Raspberry and domestic Blackberry, giving large purple fruit with the juice of Blackberries and the flavour of Raspberries) to join the existing red a yellow raspberry canes. A thick top mulch of manure and shall stand clear for ‘take-off’.

Planted a Paraguayan Peach (similar to a usual peach but flat and ‘donut’ shaped) last year which is showing signs of life, it has been joined in the orchard by a similar Paraguayan Nectarine (same size and shape as the peach but has a ‘fuzz’ free complexion).  As they are both three years old will have to wait another couple of years for results (that’s why Gardeners are such good company – they have patience).

Whilst planting the new tree noticed the very first flower blossom on the Damascus Apricot and then immediately saw the first ‘Bee’ of the season and two white Butterflies enjoying their courtship dance, so it really is spring. The insect life certainly gives credence to the hope that the ‘Frost’ has gone and a ‘bumper’ year is in prospect (here speaks the optimistic Gardener that, possibly, should know better after three score years and ten plus of trying).

The first seed are ‘Up’ in the propagator (all the initial fifteen varieties were planted on ‘St Valentines’ day).The Tomato ‘Cristal’ F1 Hybrid (described, on the packet, as ‘Large, Succulent fruits, with excellent disease resistance’– we shall see, won’t we?) won the race, quickly followed by Impatiens ‘Stardust’ (Double Flowered, self collected seeds) and Cucumber ‘Delikateb’(great triumph for ‘Lidl’ - seeds bought for 27cents per packet and obviously ‘very fertile’). Having kept the propagator temperature at around 20degrees with ‘high’ humidity and ‘Full’ daylight, after three days of initial growth and the opening of the first pair of leaves, the seedlings have been moved to a cool double glazed ‘cloche’ to avoid ‘leggy’ growth.

Finally finished ‘cutting back’ the Buddleia (take them back to around 300mm every third year). Find it strange how the Buddleia is much maligned by so many gardeners. The glorious range of colours from white and pink to pale blue and deep purple, can broaden the colour pallet in any garden for a prolonged season, especially if the ‘unsightly’ brown ‘dead-heads’ are removed expeditiously. As with so many plants if it was difficult to grow and very costly to buy it would then be ‘fashionable’ and a ‘must have’ in the ‘suburban’ garden.( So will also be planting Dahlias for ‘Summer’ colour – against the ‘trend’) The current, highly fashionable, ‘Wild Flower Meadows’ (look good for around six weeks each year – but does it say that on the packet) gives vent to the thought that many ‘Urban’ gardeners are looking for an ‘easy ride’. Just wait till the weeds take over next year and the ‘Meadow’ declines into ‘Horticultural Dereliction’- there’s no easy road to garden perfection.

Sitting here in the warm sunshine – yes it is allowed, but not too often – has allowed the time to slip buy, there goes the Bell for coffee!!!!!!!

Must dash, see you soon,

Stuart.

IS SPRING ABOUT TO MAKE IT'S ANNUAL BREAK-THROUGH?

13^TH FEBRUARY 2015  – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Seems the early morning frost has finished for this year as the dawn mists of early spring seem to have made an unheralded appearance in the last two days. (As this is followed by mid morning with a little light rain and a glimpse of sunshine by noon it can be assumed that winter has really started to slip away). With the rise in overnight temperatures and the pleasant warmth of the day the sudden urge to burst forth has stirred the growth, or at least the budding, of many a recently dormant specimen in the garden. This does not only include plants, the hibernating Homo Sapiens, absent during the last two months, have been stirred to their vine pruning and potato planting activities presumably by the ‘rising of the sap’ caused by the warmth and sunshine.

 

Pansies - a breath of Spring

Daylight at the end of the day always astonishes at this time of year in Portugal (particularly if your land of ‘infant nurture’ is of the Northern European orientation), sunset at ‘seven’ in the evening is already well established and the shock of ‘loosing’ an hour of early evening sunshine at the end of March (when the clocks change) is, by then, well tempered by the early dawn. These long and often sunny days persuade the first of the fruit tree blossoms to decorate the orchard with, it seems, long awaited colour followed by the glorious fragrance of ‘Spring-time’.

 

Meyer Lemon

Lisbon Lemon

Getting the hard frosts over with- in the first six weeks of the year does have the advantage of a massive reduction in garden pests later in the year (mild winters only seem to encourage anything that can eat or infect). With the diurnal and nocturnal increase in temperature comes the anticipation of a new season which will allow ‘full vent’ to the burgeoning blossom, and its fertilisation by the newly awakened insect population, for a massive and healthy fruit crop later in the year.(Ah!!! ‘the ever optimistic’ Gardener).

 

Slowly getting tidy

Time to tidy the vegetable beds before the weeds make their bid for total dominance on those much worked and well fed plots,(always amazed by the reduction in soil height in the raised beds after their refurbishment, where does all the soil go? Has it been converted into that ‘Championship’ crop residing in the ‘Freezer’ yet again?). Almost persuaded each spring to increase the depth of the raised beds (N.B. all cultivation here is in ‘Raised beds’ or ‘Containers’ as there is no natural soil only ‘Chiste’- broken sedimentary rock), but experimentation has shown that once the magic depth of 400mm has been achieved there is no further advantage to be gained as the beds require daily watering which reduces the root depth of each plant dramatically and frequent top feeding keeps the roots near the surface (but ensures that the strict watering regime has to be maintained through the long hot summer – a ‘Gardener’s’ tasks are never lightened!!!).

 

Beds waiting for spring planting

Having a multi terrace garden (six in total from the ‘Belvedere’ at the top to the ‘Orchard’ at the bottom, with seventy five steps in- between – no ‘Gym’ work-outs required here) encourages a strict policy of ‘What grows on the terrace stays on the terrace’ with the exception of the ‘Harvested’ crops (which tend to go up and get eaten or committed to the ‘Deep Freeze’ archeological preservation in the case of excess Chillis) and the removal of  hard wood cuttings for ritual cremation in the ‘Burning Corner’(being Portugal, never before the end of October or after the end of March to keep the ‘Bomberios’ - local Fire Brigade, happy- forest fires forever a summer hazard). The ‘soft’ weeds are composted in situ on each terrace for re-application of fibre to the ‘beds’, with the annual addition of ‘estrum’(horse manure) and new ‘imported’ compost from the ‘Agricultural Co-Operativa’ in the village.(Generally 25% cheaper than the ‘Garden Centres’).

Still cutting back the overgrown trees and bushes, as our local variety of Sharon Fruit (Diosperos) planted in the garden is, at least, four generations behind  the very ‘easy eating’ Israeli cultivars, and is most unpleasant on the teeth, unless caught during its ‘halcyon’ ripe time (around thirty minutes once per annum). This tree is subject to ‘Pollarding’ each year and the trunk becomes a most satisfactory support for Clematis and Rambling Roses.

 

Pollarded Diosperos

As it’s ‘St.Valentine’s Day’ tomorrow must decide the order of preference for seeds in the propagator. Doesn’t time fly? Seems only yesterday that this was being done last year, or is it just that ‘Age’ makes each year feel shorter?

 

HAPPY VALENTINE!

There’s the bell  - coffee will be most welcome as the mist is returning and with it a considerable reduction in temperature.  Would find it difficult to keep going if it was not for the ‘Pampering’ of the Head Gardener.

Must dash, see you soon,

Stuart.

GARDEN TASKS FOR A COLD SNAP!

4^TH FEBRUARY 2015 – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Brilliant sunshine, clear blue skies, bitter cold; the heavy rain of the last few days has gone (so much rain that the local very large ‘Baragem’- artificial lake fed by the Dao and Montego rivers with a coast line of 285km- has risen by 5metres since the start of the month). Night temperatures down to -2 C degrees and forecast to go as low as -4 C degrees in next three days (so lots of ‘Plant Wrap’ out NOW).  Let’s hope the warm sun during the days does not persuade the early fruit blossom to burst forth. In the cider orchards of Somerset they light ‘smokey’ bonfires to ward of the frost damage at this time of year.  Seems the smoke, not the heat, keeps the ‘chill’ at bay ( can’t see the Head Gardener letting the Potting Shed stove be used for this purpose).

So the ‘cold’ precludes the planting of ‘Anything’ outside.  However, this is a good time to attack the ‘Green Slime’ of winter which is covering most of the exposed paths and walls (particularly those favoured by the dog for a quick ‘Night-time’ visit – must be something in the water?). Out with the trusted ‘Power Washer’, put on ‘Wellies’ and ‘Waterproof trousers’, plus three sweaters (told you it was cold) and into action. Three hours later, frozen to the ‘Marrow’, feet wet (boots must leak) and listening intensely for the ‘Bell’ announcing hot coffee (hope the HG has not gone out), job done.

 Orchids ready for a changeover (careful when you move the flowering plants as exposure to a cold wind can remove the newly open flowers and latent buds in a ‘jiffy’). The initial plants in the house have been in bloom since start of December.  Many are still very presentable and will remain on show well into March.  With the ‘follow-on’ plants just coming into flower should have Cymbidiums - and phalaenopsis -  until the end of May, when they can all go for a well earned rest and recuperation around the tangerine tree on the terrace – is there another plant that beats the Orchid Family to give such value for so little effort?.

 

Lovely display of cymbidium and phalaenopsis orchids

Good to see the prevalent ‘Grow your Own’ mentality has had the desired effect on the availability and price of seeds in the Supermarkets.  Local ‘Lidl’ is offering over two hundred varieties of vegetable a flower seeds from 29 cents to €1.45 per packet (all performed excellently last year). It certainly puts the ‘T&M’ catalogue in perspective.

Just a few packets of my seeds, awaiting planting (NB not all from Lidl!)

Talking ‘Seeds’, it is about time you considered what you are going to grow this year – particularly as the ‘Beiras Grass Roots’ Flower Show is in early May – Head Gardener has put a limit on the number of varieties to be grown this year. It seems four types of Tomato will suffice, Chillis down to three (and that was after ‘extreme’ negotiation as the freezer has around eight kg. in store). Courgettes limited to the ‘Fancies’, i.e. ‘Sunburst’ Patty Pan, ‘Eight Ball’ Round,  ‘Striato d’Italia  and ‘Romanesco’ (but might just slip in a few others on the side). Sweet Peppers seem to be in favour, so will be planting ‘California Wonder’(the best there is) and ‘Corno Rosso’, which is long, very sweet and very red (Italian Peppers at their best).  These, together with a few Beans, Aubergines, Lettuce and some Sweet Corn should make a good starter ‘seeding’.

Still waiting for the summons by ‘Bell’. The fire has gone out in the Potting Shed and sun is starting to set - may take more than coffee to assuage the cold.

.

Must dash before becoming another icicle

See you soon,

Stuart