FEELING LAZY BUT LOTS TO DO

21ST NOVEMBER 2016 - CENTRA L PORTUGAL

Cold, Wet and Windy – but then it is the end of November even in Portugal. Little new in the garden due to the adverse weather conditions, apart from super lettuce, chunky leeks and early ripening tangerines, oranges and diosperos. 

Several varieties of lettuce, side by side with young leeks

More lovely lettuce

Oranges nearly ready for eating

Lowest temperature so far is 1degree and this cannot have been for long as nothing, including cacti, dahlias and bananas have been affected. As the forecast for the next week promises further low temperatures, the garden fleece will have to be cast over the more vulnerable varieties. Have often wondered why this thin, porous material works so well; think it must be something to do with keeping the plants free of morning dew just prior to the snap of near frost.

Cacti still surviving outside - not for much longer

The log store is well filled, so roaring fires are the order of the day; lovely to start and finish the day in flickering fire light. With the current adverse conditions, sitting in front of the fire, reading a book and drinking coffee during the day is also worthy of praise. The lovely story of the Sage sitting by the fire for the winter months comes to mind. When asked what he did to pass the time the response was ‘Sometimes I sit and think and when I’m bored of thinking, I just sit’.

Lots of lovely logs in store

But alas, being a Gardener there is always something that needs doing, however chilling the wind may be. About time the Christmas Tree was rescued from the summer quarters, a quick tidy and top up the compost with a little feed, water well in the tub, leave for a couple of weeks and it will be ready for its annual three weeks of glory in the Limelight. Looks as if the Holly Trees will be full of red berries and the Ivy has had very good growth year so no excuse not to have a well traditionally decorated ‘Wassailtide’.

The beauty of pot plants adds much to the special festive atmosphere. Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and hippeastrums pot planted back in September and kept in that cool dark place should now be brought into the light and heat for late December flowering. Pansies and primulas planted now in window boxes will give great flowering satisfaction until March, irrespective of wind, rain and tempest. Give the cymbidium orchids (now ensconced inside for the winter months) a generous feed and water to encourage the flowering spikes that always impress your seasonal visitors.

Mini pansies ready for winter in the window box

Primulas just planted for the season

The pleasant somnanbulance of fireside relaxation stirs the thoughts of next seasons projected triumphs and necessitates an in depth perusal of the new Seed Catalogues(orders placed now often elicit a rather good price discount). With the price of seeds from the UK Seedsmen increasing annually, plus the provocative exchange rate, a set budget will be required to ensure a degree of stability and common sense. (Are the five new varieties of ‘Bead’ tomatoes really necessary – and they say ‘Black’ but they always seem to be dark brown or a poor Claret). The HG has put limit on the number of Chilli varieties, and quantity of plants, to be grown next year. Having disposed of much this year’s crop to un-suspecting friends, the devastation reaped by the ‘Ring of Fire’ and the ‘Cayenne/Scots Bonnet’ cross has created a group of ‘husky’ voiced people who stand a great deal.

So very many piri piri chillies - where will it all end!

The fire needs stoking and here comes the HG with coffee (no bell required today) –

must dash for more logs,

see you soon

Stuart.

PREPARING FOR THE WORST AND HOPING FOR THE BEST TO COME

5^th NOVEMBER 2016 – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

The cold and wet of November have descended with a vengeance in the last two days. After the halcyon ‘Indian Summer’ of October it was rather a shock when the temperature last night fell to 1 degree C. with the prospect of a maximum of 10 degrees during the day and with continued very low evening temperatures until the end of next week forecast. The panic to protect all those tender semi tropical plants that pretend to enjoy the Beiras, but only really tolerate the summers, now begins.

Beautiful trumpets carrying on until it gets too cold!

What will survive and which will fail after a few days of low temperatures? Most soft stemmed grasses will need to be watched. Bananas, tamarillos, bougainvillaeas, dahlias, geraniums (Ivy Leafed variety are much ‘Hardier’ than the soft leaved Pelargoniums), Tibouchinas, non-hardy fuchsias (large flowered and usually from Australia - small flowered varieties much more resilient to cold) will be the first to suffer in the cold.

Fuchsia and geraniums/pelargoniums still bright and cheerful on a dull day

They all tend to first wilt, then the leaves turn black and then the terminal stage commences when the stem turns  soft and slimy, which marks the end. Some of these tender plants will survive under the soil surface all winter. However, the smallest amount of ground penetrating frost will see their permanent demise. They can be protected  in situ if too large to move. Fold up the leaves and wrap with string, cut off the top third and wrap the resulting tube with sacking, old carpet or with a specialist and expensive garden protective fleece. Fill in the top with straw and cover to prevent ingress of rain and damp (the arch winter enemy of the semi tropical genre). Those smaller plants in tubs and pots should be moved to undercover protection, preferably high up (first floor of a barn is excellent as the low grade frosts of Portugal seldom rise above one metre to become air frosts). Cover lightly with a garden fleece and leave. Water sparingly every six weeks until March or first signs of new life.

Summer flowering bulbs, lilies, gladioli, orchids and tuberous dahlias etc. also need frost free winter quarters. Lift the bulbs and store in dry sand, peat or old newspaper in boxes kept clear of water or damp ingress (if wet they will rot very quickly) and away from mice  - they enjoy a Christmas Feast of plump bulbs. Take out of winter store in late March and place in the spring sunshine to firm up prior to re-planting  Ensure you also plant all the small bulblettes as they will be ready to bloom the following year. 

Last winter’s Amaryllis (hippeastrums) having been kept in the dark on their sides for the last two months, are now ready to re-pot for a splendid festive flowering in late December and early January. Simply place the bulbs upright in new compost buried to a maximum of one third of bulb height, add water sparingly and place inside in a sunny spot away from the window as the night cold slows their flowering cycle dramatically.

Hoping for a similar display of Amarylis and orchids in a couple of months

Leave roses and trailing vine plants to flower till they finish. Many will continue to bloom throughout the winter months as will miniature Cyclamen (their larger summer cousins will not stand low temperatures). Heartsease and the larger pansies will flower profusely throughout the coldest periods. Remember to give a mild feed to all winter flowering varieties to ensure a continued glorious display.

The first signs of life will start to appear during the next weeks in the tulip and daffodil tubs planted at the end of September. Keep the shoots free from damp fallen leaves (these will damage the growing tips of the bulbs), ensure the compost is moist but not wet (this also rots the bulbs), give the tubs a mild feed now and around the first week in December for splendid results. Cuttings taken now from budded hydrangeas, placed in moist compost and brought into the house warmth, will flower at the end of December early January.

Winter lettuce are performing well. The current rain precludes watering (but if very dry for a few days give them a splash). First leeks are ready for the table.  Not much else is happening as not a fan of cabbages, turnips and potatoes and really too early for carrots, broccoli, khol-rabi and spinach, and kale should only be grown for the colour the stems bring to the winter garden!

Decided o build a large cloche for the ever increasing cacti family. Will place on the Belvedere in full light for maximum winter sun and hope the interior temperature is maintained above ‘Cold’. They should survive if kept short of water, only time will tell?

HG seems very pleased with the progress of the holly bushes (which are covered in berries, currently yellow but hopefully will become more ruddy and festive). Cold wind causing cold hands, nose and feet.

 Coffee would certainly be of assistance.

There goes the ‘Bell’ that pleases –

 must dash, see you soon

Stuart.