WET AT LAST - BUT LOTS TO DO

12TH OCTOBER 2015 - CENTRAL PORTUGAL

It would seem the long hot summer and drought  are over. For ten of the last fourteen days it has rained, sometimes with great gusto (65 mm in the day) but more often in a desultory mode of light rain or drizzle with very moist morning mist (no floods and nobody drowning - in fact nothing to laugh at at all!).

The sighs of relief can be heard from many of the dry tolerant plants just waiting for rain to once again shine. Brugmansia, both the pink and the cream flowering varieties are having another magnificent display of trumpets  - in the case of the cream, the fifth major incarnation this summer.

   

Very pretty pink Angels' Trumpets

Stunning Creamy yellow Burmansia - from below

The purple Solanum is also looking most regal.

Royal purple Solanum

 Roses are again gracing the garden and miniature cyclamen are blooming profusely.

Roses blooming beside fuchsia Beacon Rosa

Mini cyclamen tucked around the base of an orange tree together with black ophiopogons

Sweet Peppers are still going strong.  As usual, California Wonder is producing a terrific crop which is now turning a vermillion red, whilst still in flower at the top of the bush, so maybe ‘Peppers’ until late November? Chillis are going for a record year. Piri Piri, Hotscotch, Cayenne, Tabasco, Jalapeno, Paper Lantern are  all heavy with ripe or near ripe fruit, and the new home-grown ‘cross’(now named ‘Celia’ as it has a good shape and is very hot) is covered in glorious bright red fruits.

An abundance of Piri piri ripening nicely

Impatiens are still in flower and growing larger by the day. They should manage another few weeks until the night temperature starts to get below 7 degrees C. 

Violently stunning red Impatiens (Busy Lizzies)

The Strawberries in this year's experimental troughs are back in full production, covered in flower and giving around ten large fruit per day ( this is the perfect plant for the Portuguese ‘Second’ spring as it enjoys the rain and reduced temperature, but still needs a bit of sunshine).

Strawberry plants still in action

Tomatoes are now finished and the plants on compost with the early Courgettes The re-seeded Courgettes planted in August are in full flower (mainly male flowers) but there is little chance of further Courgette production. Aubergines still fruiting although now small. However, their determination to continue flowering still seems to be still paramount.

Still taking cuttings for over-wintering (and Beira Grass Roots Plant Swop on 24^th October). Initial Geranium and Fuchsia cuttings taken in late August now fully rooted and in flower, potting on to individual plant pots for dry storage over winter.  Slowly reduce watering now until end of November when watering can cease until next February.  Store over winter in a light, cool, dry, frost and wind free environment for best results. Cuttings also taken from hydrangeas, solanum, roses, oleander, lavender,  blueberries, gooseberries and fig, pomegranate, catalpa, yucca trees.(for every ten cuttings taken usually at least five new plants will appear).

Dahlia tubers and Lily bulbs now drying out and ‘ resting’. Keep dry and frost free until replanting in March. Amaryllis (Hippeastrums) which have been resting over the summer, planted now, should  flower for Christmas. 

Cymbidium Orchids are back inside after their summer vacation on the terrace.

Water and feed gently each week and await the profusion of multi flowered spikes by late December or early January.

Now the temperature is lower the Spring Terrace is about to be remodelled after eight year in service. Lots of pruning and cutting back  are in process, accompanied by copious amounts of perspiration. It’s amazing how little shrubs become vast trees in such a short period.(These are the ‘sage’ words of the Head Gardner).

Sun just dipped below the lip of the valley, chilly wind starting to blow. 

There goes the coffee bell (Thank goodness for the HG).

 Must dash

 see you soon,

Stuart.