TO INFINITY AND TOWARDS 2018!

28^th December 2017.  North Yorkshire.

There is just a fleck of snow on the lawn outside my potting shed window. The sky has that wonderful pewter hue with a slight hint of purple, a sure sign that whatever is above is about to be below very soon. With the Christmas Festivities a slowly fading memory and New Year just three days away, any true gardener will shake the vacuous vapours of overindulgence away and settle by a warm log fire to plan the 2018 horticultural campaign.

The luxury of an early and warm spring, as experienced for the last ten years in Portugal, is quickly put aside and the practicalities of cultivation in a land where the ground temperature struggles to be above 2 degrees C from December to March, becomes the leading factor in all seed buying, seed planting and seedling husbandry decisions. Sowing seed directly into cold wet garden soil is a totally waste of effort and good seed, as the majority just simply rot away; so the use of the new rather splendid heated Green House (minimum winter temperature with electric heater – which costs a fortune to power but less than smoking cigarettes – is 5 degrees C) takes centre stage.

The Greenhouse bench is full of cuttings

 The use of a small one tray propagator on the potting bench increases the chances of success during the dark winter days (in essence horticultural double glazing). Then there is the thorny questions regarding which mixture of potting compost to use, will the use of a fine grade Vermiculite be the answer for top covering hasten the process?, Should the seeds be planted in individual cells or broadcast over the surface of a pot?  A lot more logs on the fire will be needed to resolve these controversial issues, plus copious cups of the HG’s coffee.

Cuttings thriving

Seed catalogues seem to be increasingly only available on line, the ‘dreamy browse’ has ceased to be. The old pleasure of turning back pages has gone and a computer screen can be very intimidating  and the inevitable losing of the site, rather than simply the place, is yet another example of modern technology  robbing the world of past pleasures.

 Buying seed in the modern garden centre has become a very expensive pastime, with their spiraling overhead costs due to the installation of Coffee Shops, greeting card counters, soft toy dispensaries, carpeted floors and central heating, all it would seem required to satisfy the taste of the ‘Urban’ pseudo Gardener. The inflated cost of each packet of seed ( ranging from £2.29 to £7.99 for few seeds as charged in a  cross section of local establishments) forces the intrepid ‘old school’ Gardener to seek solace on the ever present and previously maligned internet, where an amazing choice at bargain prices is available for the more realistic and traditional amongst the fraternity.

So, armed with an array of well chosen seeds, the best potting compost, the desired containers and the sympathetic and germination encouraging temperatures ,what seed should be planted first?. Beware! It is very easy to fill the Green House with a mass of transplanted seedlings in late January which cannot be planted out until the weather improves and will most likely decide to ‘Rot Off’ in the mild and moist, artificial and costly climate generated inside the glass house.

Lots more cuttings1

As the focus for next year is for the glorious colour and aroma of flowers – decided the vegetables in the Super Markets are of sufficient quality and low price not to justify the effort of growing them – the plethora of bedding plants for tubs and baskets will take precedence. The Geranium and Fuchsia cuttings taken in October, together with cuttings from anything else then in the garden are actually growing and the inexpensive bulbs (Tulips, Alliums, Daffodils, Crocus, Muscari, Scillas, Chinadoxia, Hyacinths) bought in November, are all showing a growing tip. The Polyanthus are in full flower, together with the Christmas Roses (Helliborus Niger), Pansies and miniature Cyclamen, so there is a least some colour even when it snows.

Pansies smiling in the cold!

Polyanthus and mini violas for winter colour

Little cyclamen looking happy with a pretty primrose

Christmas Rose (Helliborus Niger)

The late autumn planted Hanging Baskets are flowering and growing well buffeted by the ‘Prairie Winds’ of North Yorkshire. A good liquid feed every week on the days without frost keeps up their interest and brightens up those dark corners.

Hanging baskets thriving in the cold weather

And the other basket!

The Climbing Roses arrived from the local grower, bare rooted, full of buds and are ready for the off, being planted in position on frost free days and mulched with fine gravel (keeps the air around the plant stems and very good insulator against ground frost). With lots of ‘feed’ and TLC there should be an epic show by late June – thus is the way of the ever Optimistic Gardener!!!!.

Looks like the sun is about to hide behind the ‘Pewter’ clouds and the expected snow turn the garden brilliant white for the New Year.

A vase full of cut amarylis (Hippeastrum)

Here’s to you and your Garden in 2018, may everything grow bigger, better and more glorious and may the supply of coffee from your HG never weaken.

Must dash, 

Post Christmas Sunset

see you next year

Stuart.

INSPIRED BY WINTER CHILLS

1ST DECEMBER 2017 NORTH YORKSHIRE

Well, it’s the 1^st December and it’s SNOWING and VERY COLD, 0 degrees C, but strong northerly wind gives a ‘Wind Chill’ of -15 degrees C. At least the grass has stopped growing and the hedges are dormant. The local Council stop their Garden Waste collection this week – for which we have a collection licence, cost £39 for 18 fortnightly single bin collections – so winter must be here at last.

All the winter planters and hanging baskets seem to be in good health and not affected by the freezing night temperatures. Miniature Cyclamen, Pansies and Polyanthus are all in flower and their supporting ivies and miniature shrubs all look good by 10 O’clock when the sun finally appears. Lots of spring bulbs were fooled by the mild weather in early November and are in full leaf but not bold enough to put up flower buds. They will probably remain as is until the first signs of spring in March.

Just one of the winter baskets

Pot of pansies underplanted witth spring bulbs

One of five window boxes, giving lots of winter interest

Having got the 2.5 metre high posts in position for the proposed climbing roses; will be planting ‘Bare Rooted’ stock from the local Rose Grower in the next couple of weeks. Fragrance and repeat flowering varieties are about to be chosen.  Favourites so far are: Dreaming Spires – large yellow blooms, Dancing Queen – bright pink flowers and very gay, Pink Perpertue – rose pink flowers in abundance, That's Jazz – dark velvet red all summer, Zepherine Drouhin – deep silvery pink,  no thorns and highly scented, Gertrude Jekyll - not really a climber but with a bit of TLC can achieve around 3metres, fantastic aroma and free flowering for months.

The heater is installed in the Green House. It's electric, 200 watt, so only acts as a frost guard, but should allow the use of the facility during the next dark and cold months. To ensure some value for the electric cost have sheltered some Geraniums, planted tubs and various spring bulbs (Hyacinth, Narcissi, Tulips and Alliums) which are enjoying their enhanced privileges.

Plenty going on in the new greenhouse now

Instant spring in the greenhouse

Tender plants enjoying the shelter the cold weather

Lots of cuttings taken, hoping the increase plant stock

The  double glazed and centrally heated Conservatory adjacent to the house is proving an excellent home for the more exotic plants, tender Cyclamen, Amarylis (bulbs just showing tip of flower bulb), Anthuriums, tender Ivies, Poinsettias, Christmas Cactus (in full flower) plus lots of cut roses and lilies all make it a great (and warm) place for breakfast. It's also great for a snooze in the afternoon sun (during it’s rather rare visits) and is a splendid viewing point for the magnificent winter sunsets for which the North Yorkshire Prairies is well renowned.

Cut flowers brighten up the conservatory

Ivies and Christmas cactus to enhance the conservatories

This anthurium really enjoys life in the conservatory

Just once of many magnificent sunsets in North Yorkshire

The pleasure of LPG fired central heating in the house  means that no logs have to brought in to burn or ashes to be removed. This greatly pleases the HG and has increased the number of opportunities for life preserving Coffee Breaks, so the ‘Bell’ (left in Portugal) has not been replaced with a more civilised ‘bidding’ by voice and hand gesture (assumed to be still a ‘Cheerful Wave’).

So if my sight is right, a summons has occurred

 must dash

 see you soon

 Stuart. 

FACING THE WINTER IN NORTH YORKSHIRE

6th NOVEMBER 2017 NORTH YORKSHIRE.

The first frost of winter this morning, -4 degrees C last night, and this morning the garden and fields have a clean, bright coat of ‘rime’(a wonderfully evocative word from the 18^th century that describes the whiteness that is slowly eroded by the morning sunshine).

With the truly English celebration of ‘Guy Fawkes Night on the 5^th November (a group of Yorkshire born fanatics attempted to blow up the Parliament in the 17^th century and failed – nothing really changes) concluded last evening, with the usual ritualistic bonfires and fireworks - can remember when this was the ONLY time of year fireworks were detonated in this fair land - and a good hard frost returns the land to its prim readiness for winter.

First frost on the grass

Frosted Sedum flowers

The new plot is very slowly taking shape around the property. The last weeks have seen the introduction of numerous tubs and window boxes, together with fences for dog containment (the two Portuguese imports have taken well to their new home)

Smiling faces of winter pansies and miniature violas

and the start of construction on my new Greenhouse. Decided that the clement growing months between May and October are too limiting for the latent (but now old) enthusiast within, and a six month winter spent indoors would be utterly frustrating. Double glazed clear glass, heating and good lighting should ensure a comfortable extension of the horticultural intentions during the cold grey months of a long Northern Winter – we shall see if this hypothesis can be substantiated during the ensuing seasons.

Greenhouse Foundatyions

Getting there

Finished!

Having constructed a number of new window boxes (made of wood 200 x 200 x 1000 long, well drained and positioned on ‘Sunny’ aspects), which are already planted for winter with an array of cold resistant plants including, Miniature Cyclamen (in full flower) Trailing ‘Heart's Ease’ Violas (also in flower), variegated trailing Ivies and various dwarf Conifers. The tubs are full of winter flowering Pansies (which will stand minus 15 degrees C and still stay in flower) together with multicoloured  Primulas, and have been dressed with a number of different Ivies and miniaturised Roses and Shrubs. Regular feeding and minimal watering should keep them happy until Easter.

All the pretty window boxes planted for winter

Similar planting schemes have been used for the Winter hanging baskets, with the addition of a plethora of seasonal flowering bulbs- including Scillas, Crocus, Chinadoxa, Muscari, Iris Reticulata and lots of miniature Daffodils – looking forward to quite a show during January, February and March.

Winter baskets

A further addition to the northern growing Pantheon is the centrally heated conservatory, where coffee is now served in matching cups by the HG. (With the massive reduction in plot size the Portuguese ‘Summoning’ bell has been abandoned and a ‘Shout’ through the open door is now more than adequate). The night heating has allowed more tender plants to be cultivated and hopefully will be full of colour during the grey winter months with large Cyclamens, Amarylis, Sedums plus various Ivies and bamboos giving the place a ‘livid-in’ feeling.

Inside the conservatory

Must say the experience of weekly lawn cutting is wearing a little thin and hedges seem to sprout overnight, but not worrying about the use of water is certainly a bonus.

With the wind ‘whistling’ across the North Yorkshire prairies and the temperature again dropping dramatically as a ‘watery’ sun sets in the western sky, sanctuary is again searched for in the arms of good central heating.

And here it the winter view from the garden fence

And a winter sunset!

Must dash before hypothermia strikes,

See you soon

Stuart.

NEW BEGINNINGS

4TH SEPTEMBER 2017 - NORTH YORKSHIRE, UK

         The vivid blue skies and high temperatures of a Portuguese summer have been exchanged for the more temperate (colder) climate of glorious North Yorkshire or, as known by the privileged residents as ‘God’s County’, with verdant forests and amazingly flat expanses of super fertile (up to 15 tonnes per acre) wheat and barley ‘prairies’. The Combine Harvester cutting the 100 acre field at the bottom of the new garden had a 12 metre ‘cutter’ and required the services of four tractors with 20 tonne capacity trailers to remove the continuous flow of grain.      

The view over the fields from the new garden

        This ‘fertility’ of the land transposes itself to the flora of the gardens. Everything grows bigger in ‘Yorkshire’, all be it only between April and October, when the climate changes to cold and wet in the winter for much less progress, unless under glass, of course.

         The ‘New’ garden is small, could actually be called ‘Bijoux’ without exaggeration, it is currently grass and a ‘Blank Canvas’,(could any Gardener ask for more?).

Blank canvas 1 - Head Gardener has plans for this!

Blank canvas 2 - hmm!

         Fragrance and Colour will be the applied principles (being dog friendly will also help as the two Portuguese hounds, Ferdy and Rudi, are in residence and have to be accommodated in any planting schemes) with roses and assorted climbing plants taking the priority spots in the new performance and, if they are Bee Friendly, even better.

Ferdy and Rudi getting aclimatised and used to green grass!

         As space is very limited, all vegetables will, by necessity, be container grown. This method of cultivation has the added advantage of ‘portability’, especially during the difficult winter climate.

          Having purchased the required licence for the removal of garden waste (Yes you heard correctly, a licence is required in UK if the garden waste is to be removed by the local authority).  ‘Brown Bin’ is now placed in the very precise position by the garden gate once every fortnight. This is very useful in a small garden where there is no room for a compost heap. (Note to self - must get a composting bin.)

         So it’s all new and exciting. Found a local Supermarket selling an extensive selection of temperate climbing plants for £1.76 (€1.76 at current rate of exchange - but, on present trends, may be €1 by next week, and good old Lidl are selling spring bulbs again at give away prices – so life is almost complete.

So, the roses are planted - all scented

         Must dash, have twenty miniature Cylamen to plant (eight for £3 can’t be bad), just heard the HG‘s coffee bell (imported from Portugal with CITESE certificate of course) 

Mini cyclamen planted over tulip bulbs - ready for spring

Pansies are always great value - planted around a young clematis

       

 see you soon

         Stuart.

FAREWELL CENTRAL PORTUGAL

21^st JULY – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

High Summer, glorious sunshine, clear blue skies, no rain and for some strange reason very cold mornings every few days. The garden is producing an astonishing crop of nearly everything this year. Tomatoes are so rampant that the vines are breaking, Aubergines profuse and the size of Rugby Balls (these are oblong, not round like Footballs), Sweet Peppers so big that when stuffed they feed four (or if you don’t like stuffed peppers they can be used for sailing or canoeing), fruit trees so laden with fruit the branches snap (Peaches are so fecund they trail on the ground and the Apple trees are ‘groaning’).

Whilst the ‘edibles’ are amazing, the ‘Floriferous’ garden is still holding its own. The high temperatures, low 40’s for days on end, have had their way with the second ‘flush’ of Roses, Geraniums and Petunias. However, the Impatiens and Marigolds, both French and African, and the Dahlias and Nasturtiums are having a ‘Field Day’. The heat and commodious watering have encouraged the Cacti to grow and flower at an unprecedented, it really is a misnomer that Cacti don’t need watering; they have the ability to withstand long periods of drought in a dormant state, but add water and a little ‘fodder’ and they perform magnificently in the heat of a ‘Beiras’ summer.

Ten wonderful years of gardening in Portugal, where the temperature in the this central area varies from a low of minus 5 degrees in January to a high of 47 degrees in July and when it rains it can deposit 100mm in a day, but often forgets to rain for seven or eight months, have allowed the Head Gardner and her trusty ‘Digger’ the great pleasure of planting a growing almost anything (with a little care).

 The wonders of this rich and varied ‘Horticulture’ are about to be exchanged for a new challenge in North Yorkshire, U.K., a place also blessed by nature and often known as ‘God’s County’, where the temperatures can fall as low as minus 15 degrees(in winter, when it rains and snows)  and the local press report temperatures when in excess of 25 degrees (in summer when it rains and rains, often).

So a new ‘Gardening’ challenge ‘awaits’, what a fantastic opportunity starting from scratch can be. New plants, new ideas, new successes and, as usual, possible failures (all adds to the learning curve).

 So ‘Stuarts Garden’ will continue, all be it more slowly with the advance of time and arthritis, but with no less enthusiasm and ‘wonder’ at the benefits nature always bestows.

That will be the HG’s ‘shout’ for a last Portuguese coffee. Can’t ring the usual bell as it is already packed; will just say farewell to the lovely friendly plants on the ‘Belvedere’ and ‘Patio’ terraces and have a quick stroll around the ‘Veg’ plot and down to the Orchard,

 must dash, will call you all from ‘Stuarts Garden’ in Yorkshire very soon.

Stuart. - I'LL BE BACK!

So sorry no pictures - computer very slow today and needs to be packed.!

MIDSUMMER MAGIC

22^ND JUNE 2017 CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Mid Summer’s day, temperature in the mid ‘Thirties’ (been up to 40 plus in the last few days), terrible and very tragic forest fires in the ‘Beiras’. Certainly a time for contemplation and giving thanks for the glories of the garden.

Most plants find excessive heat and prolonged exposure to blistering sunshine a little difficult to deal with. Generally our garden plants come from temperate regions (usually moist and cool) or jungles (mostly very hot and very moist), the other bits are either covered in snow and very cold or devoid of vegetation and blisteringly hot in the day time and cold at night. So our cultivars are designed ( yes, most plants have been designed or ‘naturalised’ over the centuries to acceptable taste, smell or appearance ) to maximise our growing pleasure. It is only when extremes of climate occur that the true hereditary traits in plants revert to their wild origins.

Masses of sun and no water is the formula for defeat in the garden unless these possibilities are planned for and taken into consideration when planting. Shade is a very good friend to those plants that dislike strong sunshine so always consider planting a screen of broad leafed trees in front of any sunny vegetable patches. The elixir of crop maximisation then becomes that much sought after ‘dappled shade’. Not only does this minimise leaf burn from direct rays but also reduces substantially the use of water due to the lack of evaporation. Whilst another mantra of the horticultural world is ‘free draining soil’ this condition is of little merit when there is a water shortage. The lining of growing beds with a non porous membrane allows the ‘New Gardener’ to ensure that water resources in future will be used to their best. It may mean that more careful cultivation, feeding and watering will be required to maximise the crop return on effort. So in future don’t plan for the next year  - plan five years or more into the future, give the shading trees time to grow, be more realistic in the flowers and crops you want to grow, as the cost of garden water becomes prohibitive and ever more scarce ensure that yours is the garden that nature intended.

So have put away the ‘Soap Box’ and returned to the pleasures currently on offer.

The Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers, Aubergines and courgettes being grown in tubs on the Belvedere terrace are in fine form and all just starting to crop with lots of flower and future growth to come. Feeding every week with the ‘Blue Balls’ and daily with measured water (five litres for a 90 litre pot with four tomato or pepper plants, little more for the Aubergines)

Big flavoursome somatoes

Gorgeous plum tomatoes

First aubergine (eggplant)

Peppers in abundance

another variety of pepper

Cherry tomatoes ripening

Roses are revving up for a further summer bloom .

This rose never stops flowering and smells divine

This is a miniature variety of rose

 The Brugmansias (Angels' Trumpets) are sensational, (lots of cuttings taken in February in full flower),

Pink Trumpets - this year's cuttings

Head Gardener's favourite

The whole plant, from a cutting given two years agon

 Buddleia are stately – much maligned by many just now (vagaries of fashion again). They always give a splendid show and the Butterflies are the added bonus (twelve varieties seen feeding in the last week).

Buddleia with Cardinal butterfly

Spot the butterfies on this buddleia!

 Dahlias, Fuchsias and Geraniums really paying their way this year (just keep feeding and watering till October).

Bedding Dahlia Bishop's Children

Pot of Fuchsia and geraniums

 Fruit trees as predicted in March are full of ripening fruit, the recalcitrant Damascus Apricot, devoid of fruit for nine years, has gone overboard this summer with branches laden with golden fruit. Apples and Plums are ripening and there may even be a few Olives this Autumn.

 The  Impatiens in the hanging baskets are floriferous, even in direct sun (filled half the basket with high water retention ceramic ‘balls’ which seem to be working their magic). The tubs of African and French Marigolds have cheered up the roadside no end.

French Marigolds enjoying the afternoon sunshine

Hanging Impatiens (Busy Lizzies) and more Marigolds

And just a few of the other plants flowering for us now.

Heavenly blue Agapanthus

Clematis Hagley Hybrid still flowering

A nice shady spot for hydrangea (Hortensia)

Bright cheerful flowers of the pomegranate tree

Must finish the watering before heat exhaustion sets in. 

There goes the HG bell for large quantities of well iced water today (hopefully), 

must dash,

See you soon

Stuart.