1st AUGUST
2015 CENTRAL PORTUGAL
It actually rained
yesterday, first precipitation in six weeks. Having taken shelter under the
large olive tree and sitting on the new seat in the orchard, the audible sigh
of relief could be heard from the combined garden terraces rising from the
valley bottom.
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| Seat in the orchestra stalls! |
It was reminiscent of the opening cords of a well tuned and
carefully conducted Philharmonia, the sections of the orchestra being well
represented; peppers and chillis being the String section, from the California Wonder’s acting
as the cellos, through the Italian Long Red as the violas, to the Piri Piri high notes of the violins. Cucumbers,
courgettes and runner beans are the bassoons, oboes, clarinets and piccolos of
the Wood Wind, the horn shaped flowers of the Brugmansia, Gloxinias, Lilies and
Fuchsias the full range of the Brass, ranged from tuba and trombone to the
clear effervescence of the strident trumpet. Melons, aubergines, pears, peaches
and plums are the bedrock of the Timpani and Percussion division. The opposing
slope of the valley facing these rhapsodic terraces is the linear conformity of
the serried rows of almost ripe grapes on the vines with the gentle rain drops
whispering their appreciation on the leaves as only a well trained audience can
do.
Some members of the Orchestra below:
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| Aubergines |
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| Plums |
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| Gloximias |
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| Brugmansia (aka Angels' trumpets) |
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| Red Hot chilli peppers |
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| The audience |
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| Apples waiting for a curtain call |
This long awaited thirst quenching episode did not last long, dawn this morning heralded a return
to temperatures in the high thirties, with little respite from the glories of a
relentless sun and cloudless clear blue sky (so back to Hosepipe duty with a
vengeance – sunshine and inflated temperatures forecast on all three Internet Oracles for another two months). The
use of Grey Water (from the bathroom
showers) gives the Head Gardener the necessary Ecological credentials as it
recycles around 250 litres each day. That, together with the strategically
placed soakaways from kitchen and laundry (another 250 litres per day) helps to
reduce the water bill. (Water is metered and expensive in Portugal, rising to €3.30
per 1000 litres after use of first ten litres each month). However, the
pleasure of gardening, the taste of really fresh produce and the appreciation
of the Head Gardener, make any water cost irrelevant. (said with tongue placed
well into cheek).
Just picked 30 kilos of
Portuguese Pears (always very hard even when ripe and have a very short picking
window as, if not caught on the ‘best’ day, they rot on the tree). It’s the
peeling which takes the effort, as they are destined for the freezer and winter-pudding
use. They are truly dessert pears as they are not pleasant to eat ‘au natural’. (So, you ask,
why are they still cultivated? Pure sentiment – this was the only tree in the
orchard on arrival here eight years ago).
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| Some of today's crop of pears |
Cucumber production is now
in decline (no longer looking for export opportunities, think the last
consignment still stuck at Calais). Aubergines at their peak, peppers in amazing
quantities (in all colours), initial Tabasco chillis are red and Jalapenos are
green but coming along well. Piri Piri must try harder (but don’t usually do
much until September).
Tomatoes are tremendous - Cristal F1 are very heavy
croppers, Gardener’s Delight really do ‘delight’(fan trained two plants into
the Catalpa trees at the front of ‘veg.’ terrace and they now sport at least
twenty trusses of large firm fruit each (and are still flowering). Sweet Baby
are very ‘Sweet’ and are ‘Babies’(around seventy five fruit to the kilo) and
take a lot of picking.
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| Just a few tomatoes |
Courgettes are producing just enough to justify their watering,
but Patty Pans abandoned to the heat.
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| Particularly proud of the green and yellow bell peppers |
Okra (Ladies Fingers) has first pods with lots of flower (somewhat more
pleasant than the fruit some say?). Understand they come into their own at the
end of the monsoon season (in India).
Dahlias, Begonias,
Petunias, Fuchsias, Geraniums, Roses have been joined by Canna Lilies, Hydrangeas,
Plumbago and Solanum in full summer glory.
Cuttings of Geraniums, Fuchsias and Clematis now being taken (after all
it is August) so they can root and start growing well before the start of
winter.
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| Cuttings taken of Hagley Hybrid - just giving a second flowering |
Most of the Flowers are
grown in tubs or containers. The growing compost is now mostly exhausted
(particularly with all the watering) so now is the time to feed with your
favourite potion (mainly rely on the blue balls and sea weed based liquid feed,
plus a generous top up of compost in each pot due to the erosion of constant
watering). This will keep everything flowering and fruiting through the next
couple of months.
Olives are very sparse
(again) after their early flowering promise. Last year the villagers put the
blame on ‘Cold winds in May’; this year the
suggestion is ‘Hot winds in May’ - a bit like ‘Goldilocks, Three Bears
and Porridge? Have tried threatening the trees with severe pruning (as per the
Italian practice) but to no avail. Maybe this year it has to be the ‘Chop’.
Late afternoon now, and
temperature well over thirty five degrees, so back to the beloved hosepipe and
more watering before the HG notices any wilting.
Must dash
See you soon,
Stuart.
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