Another trip over. Another flight back to old London Town with a visit to Somerset thrown in. So as the song says ‘I’m leaving on a jet plane’. But unlike Peter Paul and Mary. I do know when I will be back again. And next time. Mary will be with me.

My bags are packed and I’m ready to go. Well almost. Tomorrow morning will do. I’ve packed. Honey. Home made fig and ginger jam. Almonds from the trees in the garden. Thin pickings this year. But fresh almonds all the same. A bottle of local sweet wine. A hat. A scarf and socks. With long trousers. I’ve heard it’s a bit of a chilly one back home. No doubt the heating will be on. Despite it not being October.

So. I’ll wind my way down the wiggly road to the airport. Only to return in 14 days time to do it all again. That’s if my case doesn’t get stopped. A few months ago Ian was travelling here from London City airport. . Checked in. Early. He likes to be there about a week before. Sat having breakfast when he hears his name called on the tannoy. Would he return to check in. Well he couldn’t. He was airside. So security had to help. Took him to the desks via the back stairs. They had scanned his case. Could he explain what was in there. Yes. Amongst other things. A large solid glass vase. Tea bags. And solar lights for the garden. Security had been concerned about an abundance of wires. A heavy solid mass and organic matter. So. I hope my honey and almonds go through ok.

As usual I digress. We’ve had some pretty heavy rain here in Spain. Which has meant a second flush of flowers. And helped some continue flowering as they have done all summer. And Summer. It’s been a pretty hot and dry one here.

Back in the summer I heard about these little beauties. I was wittering on twitter and I have no idea how they came up in conversation. Or a picture. But they did. And I wanted them. Yes. Wanted. Not like. Wanted. Could I find them anywhere. Nope. Finally I found some bulbs on Amazon. Not my usual go to place for anything Plant or bulb related. But I did. Ordered some Bessara Elegans. And elegans they are. For weeks I’ve been looking at thin strands growing. And whilst plenty of growth. N flowers. . Then suddenly this happened. Pretty flower buds on fishing rods. Swaying in the wind but two weeks and they haven’t opened. But they will. In the next 14 I’m away. But there will be some when I return. I’ve been reliably informed by one who knows. And the one who pointed me in their direction.

You’ve got to love an agave. Haven’t you? These aren’t technically mine. The first ones line the drive to the house. As you leave the main (?) Road. The second is part of a row opposite the drive up to the house. Pretty big eh? Massive. And spikey.

I have been trying to identify this plant for ages. I think we finally have it cracked. Sesbania punicea. It has a gorgeous pea like flower and the most amazing seed heads. I have seeds and some small Self seeded plants. Bonus. It does get a bit straggly tho. Another one to try on the the dry bank. I’ll not plough the fields but scatter when I’m back.

I moved the foxtail agave off the terrace and close to the pool. We inherited it with the house so it is staying put. I love the shape of the leaves. We have two more. One a small one in a Pot for now. Number 2 is much larger and planted at the rear of the house and is looking mighty fine. I’m often to be found hosing it down to clear the debris that sits in the leaves.

The path from the gate is looking fab at the moment The yucca has gone crazy so my October visit will see me cutting away at the trunks and moving the off shoots to the bank. I’ve shaped the Brazilian sky flower which is in its second flush of flower. I’ve fed the bananas. I’m considering wrapping them this winter, not because of frost but wind. We are pretty high up the mountain! The strelitzia Nicolai gets its leaves shredded in the wind and I suspect that the bananas are a bit small to worry about. But I still will.

Well we knew we would get grapes but not as many as we did this year. I have picked some and made some grape and rosemary jelly. Disaster of sorts. It’s not set properly but if you don’t mind it sliding off a piece of cheese then it’s fine. Or in a favourite broccoli and feta recipe. Tasted great though. I am sure I will find other uses for it too.

This Lantana is growing horizontally across the terrace. There are three in the garden and all are different colours. A long flowering plant with berries after flowering which takes a hard cut back.

This has only been in a month or two but is well on its way. Ian was unimpressed with the speed of growth on the other two bananas I had planted and when this one was in the sale at the garden centre and he wasn’t with me I decided that I would plant and see if he noticed when he was here. He did. Straight away. And loves it.

The Brazilian Sky flower is such a pretty plant. The colour of the flowers remind me a bit like the indoor African violets that sat on the windowsill of my parents house. This is the second flush of flower. But like a lot of the plants this year the flowering has been a bit haphazard. I’m not sure if it was the heavy spring rain which was welcome on a number of levels. Or the unusually cold snap that lasted a little too long but the flowering on some plants hasn’t been great. Good. But not great. I have shaped the larger of the two to reduce a bit of height and to get some flowers lower down. something needed on the Oleander too.

I had never heard of pineapple guava let alone seen or tasted one before we had this garden. A gorgeous flower starts the process and I would grow them just for the flower alone. They are so pretty. The fruits take a while to ripen and will be ready when they drop off the tree. Ive said it before but one friend who was here last year likened the taste to germolene. I don’t agree. I don’t love them but will eat them,

Listening to Andrew O’Brien’s new podcast got me in a a conversation with him regarding the Swiss Cheese plant. Now I have to admit. I’m not a lover of indoor plants. The cats have a love hate relationship with any that I have had and Ians love of a tropically heated house has not worked with them either. So we generally don’t have any. But we do have a Swiss cheese plant in the garden here in Spain. Do I like it? Not a lot but it’s healthy and I will see how it goes.

There are also two what we called “money plants” dotted in the border. I don’t know what the horticultural name is but then again I am still calling coleus coleus and monbretia monbretia.

The Botanical gardens in Malaga have some whoppers growing there along with some glorious beds of Clivia.

The strelitzia is starting to have a second flush of flowers. The ones planted in the garden don’t do as well as the ones in the pot so my mission is to move some into pots for the terrace and see if they flower better. I have yet to tell Ian we need more pots. The hibiscus has been such a fabulous colour and has had more and more flower buds on it as I left.

The weather is cooling over the next few weeks so the need for irrigation and watering reduces. Thankfully in terms of time and cost. Water is a precious commodity, over the summer we regularly have the water shut downs but thankfully we have a huge water deposit to fall back on. One day I’ll understand how it all works.

There’s been an explosion. The seed pod on the stephanotis is pretty amazing. An explosion of cotton wool like matter. I’d tell you if it felt like cotton wool but I’m cotton wool phobic. I have to ask Ian to take it out of pill bottles. I can’t stand the feeling. We only get one seed pod each year on the stephanotis which is outside and has flowered for months. I think it needs a good feed and a larger pot for next year. Oh. Another pot to add to the list.

It’s not been all gardening. To be honest and I don’t know why but I have struggled in the garden in September. Yes its been hot. Yes I have been lazy. But the main reason is that I have been bitten to death. It’s no fun gardening in 30* heat in jogging bottoms long sleeved thick t shirts and a hat. And still they bite me. At least i know I’m attractive to something.

So I have been out and about in the Pueblo Blanco.

I head back next week for a longer trip. I have arranged to have the almond trees pruned. I have picked the slim pickings this year and I have brought them home with the intention of honey roasting them. Local Competa honey to add to it.

I have also arranged for someone to look at the general cutting back for January and for some cutting back of the large jacaranda. I have a friend coming to stay in November and I am yet to tell him about a delivery of top soil which will need to be wheelbarrowed from the drive and put over the garden.

Oh. I have also ordered two dozen large lavender plants to replace the lavender path. I have tried cutting back and shaping but I think its time for new. I was going to do one side this year one next, But I have bitten the bullet and decided that its best to do both sides and try and get it even now. The next few months are good to plant to get the plants established ready for the heat and the drought that will inevitably come next year.

But back in the UK I will be planning tulip pots which should arrive when I’m back!