BLUE SKIES AND COLD NIGHTS

5^TH DECEMBER 2015 – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Blue skies, brilliant sunshine, cold nights and very cold mornings - Autumn is fast morphing into winter in the ‘Beiras’. No real rain for the last fortnight but misty mornings producing heavy dew. The orchard is still free of dawn frost (even minus one degree frost, the lowest experienced here is burnt- off  by late morning) so there are still the odd signs of life from enthusiastic weeds which are much encouraged by the midday temperatures in the unrelenting sunshine being in the ‘mid- teens’. Strangely, a number of plants seem to be suffering from lack of water due to the absent rain showers.

The Angels' Trumpet (Brugmansia) is still defying the lateness of the season, and blooming as well as ever in the wonderful sunshine.

Brugmansia enjoying a final trump   of the season - has had a splendid year

Pruning progressing aggressively on all terraces; fruit trees complete in the orchard (decided on a partial ‘branchectomy’ of the non performing apricot tree). Olive trees look as if they are in a war zone and the catalpas now look most ‘ordered’. Loins being girded to tackle the climbing and rambling roses , the size of each branch now precludes secateurs  and requires the ‘Big Pruning Saw’(will be making ‘Rose Wood’ furniture next). The burning of the ‘Prunings’ is not going well. Whilst there is no rain, the morning dew is ensuring the bonfire remains very wet and even the incentive of large quantities of  petrol has not persuaded the soggy mass into flame ( other than the massive explosion  when the match reaches the evaporated fumes – keeps the Head Gardner on her toes), so must keep trying and hoping – ever the Gardener’s prerogative to do so.

Orchids and Amarylis are all doing amazing things in readiness for the Festive Season. The sojourn of the Cymbidiums on the terraces, and subsequent re-potting and feeding, have encouraged the majority of the collection to produce flowering spikes (up to three  on some pots) full of potential exotic blooms. The Amarylis range from those with budding stems to others with a profusion of leaves, so awaiting the arrival of ‘stately spires’ of majestic blooms with anticipation.

Amarylis - hoping for more blooms like this very soon!

Cymbidiums  should be blooming soon 

Banana and avocado trees (in pots) are about to enjoy their winter quarters. They both can stand a short burst of down to 5 degrees, but tend to go into terminal decline if temperatures below this level are sustained for any length of time (so its fleece and a hot water bottle for the duration of the winter months).

Miniature Cyclamen (survive down to minus 10 degrees as they come from Montenegro and the hilly areas of the Balkans) are in full glorious flower with a sustained production of new ‘buds’ in a broad spectrum of delicate pinks. Their larger relation is an entirely different ‘kettle of fish’. They do not thrive below 10 degrees and tend to wilt and die in temperatures above 20 degrees (sitting room death syndrome which keeps the garden centres busy at Christmas as they always look so attractive before being plunged into cold temperatures for the journey home to Mother-in-Law).

Miniature cyclamen with black ophiopogums happily settled under the orange tree on the patio and oblivious to the cold

So, back to sweeping leaves, washing terrace tiles (consequence of pale grey tiles, wood burning stove, tangerine trees and morning mist – smoke from stove, heavy with resin from wood blown into trees above patio drips from the leaves in the damp morning air leaving black marks all over the tiles- much frowned upon by ‘HG’) with power washer. Result - clean tiles, cold hands, wet feet but rewarded by happy Head Gardener bearing large mug of hot coffee, an excellent ‘Gardening’ result.

Colourful autumn leaves from the diosperos tree before being swept from the terrace

Must dash to drink coffee before it freezes over,

 see you soon.

Stuart.