26 May 2008 10:43:05
The Castle garden
Had a brief but fantastic trip to the Algarve last weekend. Its not an area particularly well know for its gardens but 2 mins walk from the hotel was a fabulous garden surrounded by old caslte walls, full of exotic, wonderful plants. The beds were edged with santolina and, our house plants, spider plants and there were huge specimens of Oleander, Angels trumpets, Hibiscus, lemon verbena and the beautiful purple flowering tree which I was told was jacaranda. There were also so many little patio gardens and potted plants all over the place. The portuguese seem to love their plants and it seems the less space they have the more lovely the displays! I just couldn't stop taking photos.
20 May 2008 12:24:49
The disturbed nest.
A few weeks ago we noticed every time we passed a certain bush in the garden a bird came darting out. We had a look and sure enough there was a nest in it with 4 beautiful turquise eggs. We watched it for a few days being careful not to disturb the birds - we think they were sparrows. Then to our horror we went out one day to discover the whole nest had been pulled off its perch and there was no sign of the eggs. We figured a fox must have got at it as it was only about 2 feet off the ground. So my son who is three and a half said 'Mammy we'll have to put up a sign saying "No foxes eating pet Birds allowed in this garden". If only that would work!
20 May 2008 12:09:54
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
I'm not getting much done at all these days due to a Communion and the chickenpox! However I did manage to make a makeshift 'green house' which I am quite proud of as it is totally recycled - it is made out of an old wendy house frame and some plastic wrapping, so I have moved a lot of stuff off the windowsills and out to this. I always have disasters when I try to harden things off as sooner or later I forget to bring them in at night, so hopefully this will do the job, and it didn't cost me a penny!
02 May 2008 22:31:12
I finally managed to get hold of some manure to add to the my veg bed. We didn't get much out of it last year - partly to do with a lack of attention but also because the soil really needed a boost. The other day I got a tractor-load of it delivered so now I have no excuse. I have windowsills bursting with seedlings of tomatoes, french beans, pumpkins, rocket, leeks and purple sprouting brocoli - How I'm going to plant them all out I just don't know! I also have potatos and peas to get in and a long list of other stuff. Unfortunetly when I went to plant my jerusalem artichokes I found they had turned into a soft white mouldy mess. I should have got them in sooner. Maybe its just as well if its true what they say about them!