22nd MARCH 2015 – CENTRAL PORTUGAL
Tulips are at their
best - glorious colour and shape combine to produce something that could only
be originally Dutch. They are growing in pots as the combination of very hot
dry summer and ravenous mice make ground planting impractical, so we just have
to imagine those endless fields of spectacular colour about to burst forth in
Holland.
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| Tulips - from Lidl! |
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| Same again - need one say more? |
Iris are flowering on the spring terrace. The ‘Delft’ blue flowers
always arrive first, followed by yellow, bronze and then the deep purple
(almost black) to end the display. As with Tulips, the display always seems to
come slowly and disappear too quickly. (Maybe it’s a sign of ‘Age’ and nothing
to do with the plants).
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| The first of the Iris - many more colours to come |
Spectacular displays of
blossom on the Plum tress - always amazed at the amount of flower that can be
‘crammed’ onto each branch, twig and spur. The blossom is the same each year
but the fruit crop only follows in such profusion every two to three years
(must be similar to mature Gardeners and the prevalence of ‘Exhaustion’). The
Peach trees in all their guises, White, Red, Paraguayan, ‘Wild’ and Nectarine,
are also quite splendid in their floral display. Hope the wind from the
Northeast does not put in a prolonged appearance to disseminate embryo fruit as
it did last year with the Olives.(A visitation not unheard of in March but not
expected, as last year, in late April).
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| Plum Blossom |
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| Peach tree which just "appeared"! |
Having reasonable
success with the seed germination in the propagator but, as usual, the ‘mixing’
of varieties causes ‘chaos’, some seeds poking through in two to three days,
while others stubbornly take twenty five to thirty. This usually means that if
the ‘removal’ timing of the precocious seedlings is not perfect, they tend to
become ‘leggy’ or ‘rot off’ and have to be re-seeded.(This ‘mixing’ in the
propagator is due to the experience of many years of seeding the whole quantity
in the seed packet and ending up with excessive quantities of plants as
euthanizing the mass of healthy but un-useable plants has never been
acceptable).
Ground planted ‘Haricot
Vert’ seeds are about to burst forth, Green and Yellow Peppers and Aubergines
are ready to plant, half in tubs and the rest in the vegetable ‘beds’(this
method stretches the productive period of the plants from first ‘picking’ in July
to end of crop in late November).
The ‘Strawberry farm’
on the Belvedere terrace is progressing with amazing vigour. Two of the four
varieties of strawberries are planted in fourteen raised troughs to allow the
anticipated ‘massive’ crop of fruit to hang down in garlands of large,
colourful, sweet and very tasty berries by June. They are well in flower and have started to
form fruit, whilst the other plants are still lagging well behind (would be
happy to give details of the ‘plants’ but all have been ‘market bought’ or
‘scrounged’ and are without ‘nomenclature’). The best producers over the season
will remain and will replace the ‘non-performer’s next year.
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| Ready for a fruitful strawberry season |
The recently relocated
Raspberry canes continue to grow into verdant green growth, the remains of last
year’s canes having burst into life with a vengeance and there is even sign of
new growth from the bases of the ‘transplants’. Feed, water and sunshine should
do the rest.
Sweet corn is about to
be ‘seeded’ individually in the cold frame for a ‘first picking’ by the end of
June. Trying out two new varieties this year, ‘Franchi’s’ Mais Zuccherino (very
Italian) and ‘Mr. Fothergill’s’ Swift F1.(‘Extra Tender’ claimed on the seed
packet, so would assume of North American origin). Both claim to be ready in 90
days from planting (watch this space for results).There is no comparison
between ‘shop bought’ Sweet Corn and the magnificent flavour of a freshly
picked ‘cob’ eaten within fifteen minutes of being picked. Just one more
benefit of being a ‘Home Gardener’.
The early Clematis
‘Armandii’(both white and pink) are now in full fragrant flower, wonderful to
be greeted by their exotic bouquet and abundant flowers first thing on a
‘Gardening’ morning.
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| Clematis Armandii at its stunning best - can't download the perfume - sorry! |
And the Easter Lilies are appearing right on time as usual.
There goes the ‘Bell’
and the patio terrace has still to be ‘washed down’(has to look good for the
Tulip pots as everything ‘Dutch’ is always very clean). So quick ‘swill’ and off
for a most welcome coffee (still a little ‘chill’ in the air when the wind
blows).
Must dash, see you
soon,
Stuart.
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