HOT CHILLIS AND NEW PINK ROSE

28th AUGUST 2015 CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Relentless summer continues in Portugal, little damp (with emphasis on ‘Little’) in the last couple of days but still having to water on the flower and ‘veg’ terraces. Now official ‘There is a severe drought in 80% of Portugal and a ‘drought’ in the other 20%’.(May be Water Aid will be available from Brussels?).

Tomatoes still cropping heavily but fruit now becoming smaller. Aubergines back in flower and still full of wonderful Purple Globes. Green, Red and Yellow Sweet Peppers in full production

Lots of chubby aubergines to come!

Yellow pepper and a green one

Green one has finally turned red

Yellow Hungarians, turning red

. Selection of Chillis are about to challenge for attention. Seeded a new variety this year - ‘Hotscotch’, cross between ‘Scorpion’ and ‘Scotch Bonnets’ (Scoville around  One Million) still pale green but already too hot to handle without gloves. (Roll on October when it’s ripe and ready for picking).

Cayenne Chillis

Tabasco Chillies

Picked and ate all of the F1 Sweet Corn - best ever but as ‘F1’ will have to buy new seed again for next year. Have already tried taking seed from a number of ‘F!’Hybrids over the past few years, mostly with disastrous results. the ‘Seed Growers’ must build in a genetic mutation to protect their investment? So maybe ‘Genetic Modification’ not ‘Mutation’ is the answer (just remembered there is the village of Monsanto in Portugal).

The second seed sowing of Courgettes (Eight Ball and Soleil F1) are growing well. Just might get a late crop if the weather forecast for September and October is correct. 

Second seeding of courgettes

Planted more beetroot for December picking, having just lifted the early sown plants have found ,on pickling, that they are, as described on the seed packet and not read on sowing, ‘An attractive Italian heirloom variety with concentric rings of Rose and White’ (which become a very poor ‘Beige’ when pickled). The new plants will be a good solid ‘Claret’ colour and hopefully will look good on the winter table after ‘Pickling’.

Leeks are planted, to be followed by a few red cabbage and possibly a selection of  local cabbages (only if the temperature drops to the mid twenties as they become very coarse if grown in early heat). Two tubs of potatoes about to be planted for Christmas Lunch - impossible to beat small home grown tubers with load of butter and mint - almost makes the turkey worth eating.

Geranium and Fuchsia cuttings still being taken (planted now they will root before ‘winter chill’ descends). Geraniums have been good this year but Fuchsias not as floriferous as usual. Could be the year to ‘split’ and re-pot for a new start.

Roses are back in flower, just to prove Autumn is really on its way. The cuttings planted last year are now in flower and the seedlings from a few years back have actually flowered (flower pink with a ‘Bourbon’ rose shape, have decided to call it ‘Celia’- comes from living with the Head Gardner).

"Celia"

mini roses still pleasing

Sun is out, temperature around thirty, clouds departed to the ‘North’,  am  glowing gently (Gardeners never ‘Sweat’).

 Ah, saved from collapse by the coffee bell from above, 

must dash,

see you soon,

Stuart.


Footnote - Pomegranates 

Pomegranates for the first time!