O.K. AUTUMN - BRING IT ON!

24TH SEPTEMBER 2019 - NORTH YORKSHIRE

Autumn has arrived. Heavy rain caused by tail end of Bahamas Hurricanes and a distinct chill in the air each morning. Plants still surviving well – third bloom of Roses has arrived with glorious results. Petunias, Geraniums, Begonias and dahlias soldiering on until the first frost strikes – possible in next fortnight, and the Fuchsias and Pansies just coming into their own.

Lots of lovely roses!

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Late clematis

Cascading begonia

Tumbling fuchsia

Fuchsias and geraniums still happily blooming together

Window box petunia almost touching the ground

Dahlias better than ever this year

Hydrangea paniculata just beginning to fade

Favourite dahlia  Bishop of Llandaff

Just another dahlia!

Enjoying an amazing crop of Chillies (Cayenne, Piri Piri and Habanieros) – some in the green house – been ready for early picking for last four weeks – those outside have just started to go red. Head Gardener busy finding ways to preserve for winter use, all three varieties making excellent Chilli Oil – in various strengths of heat from Cayenne through Piri Piri to ‘Blow your Head Off’ Habeniero Oil. Fill an empty one litre Olive oil bottle with a third of the volume of prepared Chilli ( cut length ways and remove seeds – unless you are ready for a ‘Journey into Space’) and top up with good quality Olive Oil –leave for four weeks until oil starts to colour (longer if you are very brave) before using sparingly in all your exotic cooking. When you have filled your cupboards with bottled oil try freezing some or simply string together and dry for winter use.

Cayenne chilli on the vine

And many more to come

The four tomato plants grown outside from early June have started to produce a usable crop of small tasty fruits – truly amazing and pest free in the open air, one up for Climate Change then? 

Hoping that these will ripen

May have to make Green Tomato Chutney!

Have always had an addiction to local flower shows and the one in our local village beckoned – so on the morning of the show decided to go to the show site early and get hold of an entry schedule (HG had warned as the poster was advertising a ‘Produce Show’ that this would preclude ‘Flowers’ – she was wrong). Returned to garden to see what was almost ‘showable’ and returned to venue with thirty minutes to spare before entries closed. Showed two vases of three Dahlias ( White cactus and Red/White ‘Danish Flag’), Three individual Roses – Gertrude Jekyll, Summer Sunshine, Falstaff) one single white Hydrangea and two Cayenne Chillies. Got it all set up with two minutes to spare before the Judges arrived. On return after lunch was astonished to find cayennes got First Prize and Best Vegetable in Show, Gertrude Jekyll rose got First and best Single Bloom in Show, White Cactus Dahlias got First and Bishop of Llandaff Dahlias and Hydrangea both got Second Prizes. (All down to watering and feeding).

Prize winning chilli peppers

Second prize for the white hydrangea (looking rather green!)

First and second for the Dahlias

And First prize and Best in Show for Gertrude Jekyll

So with Autumn in the air it’s the time to sort out last year’s ‘Summer Stored’ Bulbs to check and plant the survivors together with the new acquisitions (Aldi Tulips and Daffodils still best value at £1.69 per pack of ten). As the summer tubs fade they are each being emptied, washed and sterilised, filled with fresh compost and planted with two layers of bulbs ( around twenty per pot for Tulips and fifteen for Daffodils) bottom layer 200mm deep, second layer 150mm from top and then the tub is topped off with winter flowering Pansies and Heartease ensuring continual winter colour and Spring flowering until late April next year.

Everything that is ‘Straggling’(ie growing long and ‘leggy’) has just received a late September ‘Haircut’ – if it stays mild they may come again; if cold they will soon die off completely. As Roses are still flowering well, will leave Autumn prune until first frost. Geraniums will be brought in and cut back (take plenty of cuttings) for winter store – free of frost. Dahlias will also require winter frost free environment – found cutting back to 75mm and leaving in tub produced best results rather than trying to dry out the tubers for storage.

Lawns and Hedges are at last showing signs that their growing season is slowing (lawns have often needed two cuts per week this year and hedges have already had three cuts). So with time now available a start can be made on the clearing of the Herbaceous borders and the winter planting with miniature evergreen shrubs of the Hanging baskets.

Ah well - now exhausted 

getting old and ready for a welcome cup of the HG’s coffee.

See you soon

Stuart

FESTIVE THOUGHTS

8^TH DECEMBER 2016 – CENTRAL PORTUGAL  

  

Sharp morning on the Belvedere, not quite freezing but feels cold in the light easterly wind, sky azure blue and the atmosphere ‘Gin’ clear with just a touch of dampness. These sparkling December mornings are one of the many bonuses of living in the Beiras of Portugal. The weeks prior to and during Christmas are usually bright, clear and dry, significantly different from the grey, wet, foggy and cold days frequently experienced in the North of England as a precursor of the miserable  weather that settles on the whole of northern Europe in January and February.

Thoughts of the Festive Season invariably preclude the enthusiasm for manual labour in the garden. It has always been a good time to hang up the strimmer and give the tools a well earned rest. A gentle brushing of leaves and the application of the power washer is sufficient to spruce up the  terraces, patio and paths for post Christmas Lunch preamble (nothing worse than slipping on wet leaves and ending up with a sprained ankle for the  evening’s entertainment). The Autumnal chill has almost removed most of the wonderfully coloured and vibrant leaves, the Diosperos trees are resplendent with large orange and translucent fruit, their gaunt branches etched onto the sparkling clear sky (pity their fruit never tastes as good as it looks).

  

Autumn colour of the wisteria against the 'gin clear sky'!

The Diosperos (Kaki, Persimon) redeems itlself every autumn with its wonderful colour

Removed all the broken, dead and diseased branches and whips from the orchard fruit trees (not pruning just tidying up as with little or no fruit last year do not wish to discourage any fecund attitude now dormant in the new buds). Most roses, if not in bud and flower, are now cut down by two thirds until the full prune in late February (when the first feed is due). Geraniums and fuchsias  cleared of ‘sticky out’ bits and the rampant flowering vines, Wisteria, Solanum, Rambling Roses, Orange Brazilian Campsis, have all been cut back for their winter rest and recuperation.

Fuchsia and geranium flowering bravely on

Even in Winter the garden still gives of its best, amazing quantities of sweet peppers (California Wonders) and chilli (Jalapeno, Cayenne, Ring of Fire and Piri-Piri) are being picked daily. Now enjoying young tender leeks (planted in September) and a vast selection of green, red and brown leaved lettuce (still planting twenty plugs plants from market every two weeks so they may take over by April).

Sweet peppers ripeining in the December sunshine

Still "hot" food to look forward to from these Cayenne Peppers!

Still lots of colour from the Primulas, Pansies, late Geraniums, Cyclamen and the Tulips have decided to show their ‘tips’ (so continuity guaranteed) and lots of cuttings growing away with ‘gay’ abandon.

Mini Cyclamen just coming into its own

Little pansies/violas gradually filling up the window box

Primulas will keep going until the spring

Other plants surprisinginly also still giving us flowers in December:-

Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia) Ringing in the Festive Season

Nasturtiums self-seeding everywhere

Clematis Jackmanii giving us it's swansong for 2016

And, of course, there will be oranges for months to come!

Potting Shed stove is performing well today, well stoked and the log basket full, two chairs available so no bell required, coffee served by HG and new seed catalogues being perused in depth (HG has some very good ideas for next year’s planting) will keep a positive attitude to this spectacular thoughts to  ensure liberal coffee supply during next year.

 Happy Christmas and a wonderful horticultural New Year –

 must dash into January,

Stuart

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.

SEASONS END AND ALSO BEGIN

11^TH OCTOBER – CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Cooling down a little bit after the long hot summer, heavy rain expected in the next few days, so can only conclude that Autumn is here. The days are still warm when the sun shines, but the nights are now cool, with temperatures falling to around 8 degrees ( just enough to inhibit growth on the summer flowering plants). The still air is encouraging the spread of powdery mildew on the dahlias, which is disappointing as they have at last started to flower profusely.  The  problem in Portugal with ‘Border’ dahlias is their dislike of very strong sunshine but requirement for abundant light (so not good if kept in the shade as they ‘Bolt’ towards the light and become tall, thin and non-flowering).  Only solution is to move then around a great deal so always plant in pots, unless there is a north facing flower bed with good soil and water available.

This one dahlia still looks pretty

Roses and Geraniums, on the other hand, are having a wonderful time. Masses of new bloom on the Geraniums and splendid display in progress from the Roses.  Fuchsias are soldiering on, with a colourful display which may last through the winter months if they continue to get a little sunshine on a regular basis. (Prolonged periods of rain always ‘spoil’ the flower display).

Geraniums as bright as ever

Roses reviving now the weather is cooler

Fuchsia will hopefully carry on for many more weeks

Aubergines, Sweet peppers and Chillies still flowering and producing a good crop.  Cucumbers finally finished after an epic season and being replaced in their tubs by Leeks ( which should mature throughout the winter if planted progressively).

Sweet peppers and aubergines not quite as impressive as earlier in the season!

Lettuces and leeks growing companionably together

Hot chillies still doing so well

Poor year for Raspberries . The canes are now devoid of any growth and are dry and brittle with little sign of life. However, the Logan Berries did better and are still ‘green’ and producing new shoots (so lots of cuttings and a major production effort next year – could be the end of the Raspberries).

Lots of cuttings being taken before the cooler weather sets in. Taken now, most will put down roots to sustain life throughout the winter. Brugmansia are just about to have their last splash of colour so am expecting to take around twenty cuttings for planting and ‘swaps’ next year. This plant produces the most exotic ‘Trumpet’ flowers in the most glorious combination of colours from deep gold, through creams with pink, yellow and red frills to a wonderful pure white with a touch of green. Flowers profusely from May until October and has a beguiling scent on the evening zephyrs – so highly recommended if not already in your garden.

The lovely white Brugmansia showing the promise of yet more flowers to come

Trying a few ‘Tree’ cuttings again this year, the usual Fig and Catalpa with the addition of Holly, Tamarillo and Cordyline Australis (well nearly a tree as there are two on the spring terrace that are 4metres and 5 metre tall) – same process with these as plant cuttings - two thirds of the ‘Whip’ in the compost (50% spent compost, 25% estrume and 25% garden soil) around the edge of the tub, lots of water and see what happens ( around half will grow so lots of ‘free’ trees next year).

Tulips have been planted for three weeks already. Orchids look ready to bring in. Cyclamen are sprouting and some in flower. Oranges are very green, large and profuse, Limes prolific, Tangerines just on the turn.

Limes preparing for the G & Ts

oranges promising fresh fruit for December

 Diosperos still fruiting despite being cut back and ignored (shame they don’t taste better – Israelies definitely have it with their ‘Sharon’ fruit variety). Lettuces are magnificent. So all’s right with the garden, which is very encouraging when the rest of the world is viewed. 

That must be the HG’s bell,

must dash – 

see you soon,

Stuart.