2014 - LET'S GET STARTED!

4^th January 2014  

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS

Twenty two days of torrential rain kept the dust down over Christmas and New Year in the orchard and on the terraces of this little spot called “Shangri la”.

 

The Orchard on Christmas Day!

 Can’t dig, can’t plant, can’t strim; have put in order for seeds. Could this be the moment winter boredom sets in? NEVER. With umbrella up, ‘Wellie’s on feet, bucket in hand, ready for an expedition to the Kiwi vines (which have cropped excessively again this year). Now back in the dry and warmth, fortified by hot coffee and the ‘bouquet’ of cheap brandy, preparation of the ‘Kiwi’s’ begins. After consuming the first few, and deciding that is enough really, now is the time to start the preparation of the ‘sour mash’. Yes it’s ‘moonshine time’ again (perfectly legal in Portugal if less than 100litres made for personal use). Kiwi’s make and excellent basis fruit for fermentation as they produce such large quantities of fruit - even the New Zealanders' recipes dry up after ‘Jam’, 'Marmalade’, 'Chutney’ and cake.

just a few of our kiwi fruits

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Five Kilos of macerated KIWI flesh and five litres of water, a handful of sugar, in a big bowl, covered and left at around 18degrees C. for five to seven days will produce a fermentation ready for a little distillation  At  around 90% Alcohol best not sample, but rest assured no trace of Kiwi remains, just refined base spirit ready for mixing with minimum 50% water and the fruit flavour of your choice. With the masses of Lemons this year why not try ‘Limoncello’?  Cut up two kilos of Lemons, squeeze the juice from half and cover with One kilo of Sugar, put the un-squeezed lemon halves on top, add three litres of your diluted distillation, leave for a week prior to straining and filtration through a coffee paper. Bottle when clear then ask a neighbour in to try!  My wife swears that it works wonders on her sore throat!

Well that kept you busy for a bit! Good gracious it’s stopped raining, is that a bit of blue sky? No it’s the sun breaking through for the start of another wonderful year in my ‘Portuguese’ garden.  Must dash- loads to do, see you soon.

Stuart.

Orange season begins and will last through to March, we hope

Stop press - just picked the first of our oranges and squeezed to make a wonderful juice.  Plenty more where they came from.  We love the orange season.

Winter Ramblings from Central Portugal

 November 2013 

Bright Blue Sky and Brilliant Sunshine, Freezing Cold Clear Nights. Winter approaches in the “Beiras” and Christmas is nearly here.  Suddenly all the glories of warm weather gardening are looking very sad - about time the geraniums are put to bed, together with their new cuttings. Keep them in the light and a few degrees above freezing and they will love you enough to be magnificent by next May. Most Fuchsias will over winter if kept in the light and away from chilling winds.

  It’s the wind that does most of the damage to both the soft and hardy plants in the garden during the winter; remember 5 degrees becomes minus 5 degrees in a 10 KPH wind from the North East. Roses love the winter.  Keep them damp, not wet.  Remember when it last rained - it could be dry until January.

Last chance to - plant Broad Beans if you want an early crop in March, -prune fruit trees. Cut out the middle and trim top for height, and perimeter for shape.   Olive trees - just “murder” them as the locals do - plant cabbages if you must!!! but why would you really?  Hang chilli peppers up to ripen and dry in a sunny window.

Plant pretty violas for winter colour - and perfume - near a window from where you can enjoy them on cold days. 

Now settle down with a big fire and view next year’s seed catalogues. What’s it going to be then? Just the usual, or are you going to plant to impress next year. Maybe some strange South American highly scented flowering vines or strange shaped but taste free vegetable from deep within the Amazonian Jungle - or is it just the usual “tried and tested” again? Remember one of the benefits of living in Portugal is that most things will grow here with just a little effort.   Go on - experiment next year and enjoy the” Gardening glory” next summer from an early December “choice” adventure.

Enjoy the festive season with those new potatoes and parsnips you planted in September or a glorious bowl of Daffodils or Amarilis from that moment of late summer madness at the market! Oh! You forgot to get them “ in”. Never mind there’s always next year!!!!!!

Must dash or might miss Christmas and New Year “worrying” over those seed catalogues.

See you soon,

Stuart

AUTUMN TASKS IN THE PORTUGUESE GARDEN

 Autumn Tasks in the Portuguese Garden

After first eight days of the Portuguese Monsoon Season, 380mm of rain so far, and gentle wind from the south west at a constant 22degrees C., the weeds and grass in the orchard are beating all previous growing records, “Strimmer” time looms again if it’s not to be waist deep by Christmas. The wells got water again just when it has little use, yet another burden for the weary gardener’s shoulders, but very wet ground rules out ‘digging’ so some relief.

The Peppers and  Chillis are still enjoying a strong spell of  production -  seems the ’HOT’ chillis got mixed up during planting earlier in the year so careful ‘nibbling’ required to ascertain their position on the ‘Scoville’ chilli heat scale.  Currently three varieties in the pleasant to moderate category with two in the ‘AARGH’ level, but the colours are spectacular. Still awaiting the tasting of the purple ’Cardinals Hat’ variety, grown from Portuguese produced seed by a ‘Mrs.Bartlett’, which is claimed to have a ‘Scoville’ rating of 650,000.  Piri Piri is 150,000  so she has a remarkable sense of humour or must come from Gois

Basket full of a variety of peppers

 The early cuttings of geraniums, fuchsias, hydrangeas and roses all seem to have taken.  The recent rain has made further ‘Snipping and Sticking in’ even more viable.  Remember this is the time of year when you visit your friends’ gardens equipped with’ Secateurs and a Plastic bag’ to gather ‘plunder’ cuttings, much cheaper than the garden centre.

Fuschsia full of prospective cuttings

Daffodils need planting in tubs now if you want an early show, tubs are better than direct into the ground as this avoids feeding the mice throughout the winter months on expensive ‘Dutch’ treats. Make sure your compost has lots of sand and ‘Vermiculite’ for drainage as the bulbs will drown in the heavy rain.

Pinch out the middle of the Coleus you planted in late August for a good Christmas show. Bring in the ‘Over-summered in the garden’ Cymbidium Orchid plants. To encourage the flower spikes place plants in good light and keep moist but not damp. If you have a ‘Begonia Rex’ - that’s the Begonia with

dark red, pink and grey leaves and’ awful’ flowers -  cut a good leaf and ‘pin out’ on good compost in a tray or plant pot, cut the leaf veins,water and  you will have a pot full of new plants by next January.

Remember everything needs feeding NOW

Latest on the Angels' Trumpets - just look at it now!

Even more flowers out since this was taken last week

The sun's come out and the sky is suddenly blue, Ah! The pleasure of being a gardener in Portugal.

Must dash, bet there’s lot to do after the rain,

See you soon.

                       Stuart

Autumn Begins in Portugal

2^nd October 2013 

Traditionally the first rains of autumn arrive in the Iberian Peninsula during the last week in September and this year has been no exception -  150 mm. in the first three days. The relief of the vegetation could be heard in the “wee small hours  of  dawns early light”. 

So what’s left to benefit from a drink after the long very hot and dry summer?  After a poor start the Peppers and Chillis are having a great time.   Bartlett Bonnets, very hot, born and bred in Portugal by an English Lady called ”Mrs.Bartlett”, are over 2 meters high and are covered in small green “frilly bell like” peppers,  readying themselves to turn purple,   and masses of white flowers to continue the crop well into late November. 

 

Bartlett Bonnet just forming!

Another new variety grown this year is “Pavlec”, medium hot, comes from Hungary and is excellent in “Goulash”.  It has been producing bright vermillion thin pointy chillis, about 150 mm. long, for the last month and should continue so until December. 

 

Lipstick

The benefit of hot sunny days in September has got the “Sweet Peppers” turning from green to red very early this year. Start freezing the surplus chillis and peppers early as they will stay much firmer when “thawed out” if taken from the early crop.

Pavlec

 Good time to plant winter radish seeds, potatoes in a tub and lots of lettuce for Christmas.

What an amazing year for Green Figs.  We have not seen many Black Figs yet. The trees are groaning with fruit which, due to the rain, must be picked daily before early wet rot sets in. Fig Chutney with ginger and Michelle Roux “Fig Tarte Tatin” use up the surplus very quickly. Apples have been and still are doing very well this year - need a search party to find any Olives so expect the trees will need a “good talking to”.  Threat of removal seems to have an effect on next year’s crop - or is this just another “rustic” myth.

Good time for cuttings from Fuchsias,  Geraniums, Hydrangeias,  Lavender and Roses.  The ground is wet and still warm so they all root before winter, giving an early start next year. Top dress fruit and flowering trees- feed and top dress everything in a tub and strim all new weeds and brambles, as they start to grow, after that long hot summer.

Must dash, forgot to get fuel for the strimmer-

                                         

 See you soon

                                                                 

 Stuart.