BUTTERFLIES, BUDDLEIAS, BEGONIAS AND THE REST!

6^TH JULY 2015 – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Hot, very dry and getting hotter.  Portuguese summers getting back to normal at last. (Must be the blessed ‘El Nino’ effect). Maybe the beating of the wings of the hundreds of butterflies enjoying the glorious Buddleias will combine to create a cacophony of thunderstorms in Peru! Or is it just nature balancing out the numerous wet months of the last few years. The ‘Baragem’(Reservoir) is full, so little chance of drought for the next few weeks – hopefully. However, daily watering of productive plants, all planted in water conservation raised beds and tubs(reduces water consumption by at least 60%) has reduced the well to trickle, so tapping into the mains supply.

Swallow Tail butterfly

Broad-bordered bee Hawk-moth

Rare Swallow Tail

Glut of cucumbers; picking around fifteen per day (every day) and all the neighbours getting similar results, so little interest in a free supply. So living on a menu of ‘Cucumbers with everything’, getting ready to export sandwiches (free of charge) in bulk to the less well endowed ‘Euro’ members.

Tomatoes in similar production mode. Situation here made worse by the absence of my Amazingly Talented Neighbour, and the daily watering and cropping of  his extensive growing facility, in a Poly Tunnel and Au Naturel. Picking around 10 kilos of Tomatoes and five large aubergines per day, plus enough courgettes to keep a football team happy.

Selection of a day's pickings (Ratatouille?)

Geraniums are amazing this year. They love the blazing sun and heat, plus plenty of  feed and water when the temperature is in the high 30’s. Not the same position with the Fuchsias.  They enjoy hiding in the dappled shade and tend to flower less as the temperature rises to hot desert levels. Dahlias, being the true work horse of the garden, just soldier on with lots of water and ‘estrume’ liberally applied morning and evening.

Heat-loving geraniums

Pretty pink dahlias

Shady fuchsias

The Surfinia Petunias planted in shallow terracotta pans on the Belvedere making a wonderful display and enjoying the constant sunshine, seem to attract multitudes of bees, so watering has become a dangerous game as the bees are averse to a bracing shower during their working day. (Seems it makes the collected pollen soggy, which cause aggression in the Honeycomb world).

cascading surfinia petunias

Begonias are doing what they do best - flowering  with gay abandon. The Begonia world is split into many segments, from small flowered border and bedding plants to the glory of single flower giants and profuse  trailing varieties. This year’s introduction of a new waterfall trailing variety has been very successful and these have been well supported by the constantly flowering giants (seventh year growing undisturbed in the same tub, corm now 350 mm in diameter) which bloom from June to October.

Giant begonia - now in its seventh year

Tumbling large begonia - also in its seventh year

begonias together

Stunning Waterfall begonia

Picked up two pieces of  broken off and discarded cactus whilst at the Beiras Garden Festival in May, planted them in small pots and behold  -Cacti with shoots!  Will await flowers with anticipation.

Sounds of life on the Coffee Terrace.  Head Gardener rising from her relaxation and rest and recuperation  - must dash, ready for liquid refreshment to replace the glow of perspiration evident on all exposed surfaces.

See you soon,

Stuart.