I am still in Spain and the heat is searing. Earlier it was 32* in the shade. The ground is parched. Things have died back. Others are struggling. Me included. For months the locals were saying it was too cold. Unusually wet. Now it’s too hot. And they are right. I listen to the locals. Oh. And try and talk to them. My Spanish is getting better. Although there are certain words I need to watch. My Spanish teacher was laughing hysterically last week. It was a corker. No. Two.
The Stephanotis has finally opened. Just one bud so far but there are oodles and oodles to come yet. Most whilst I’m not here I suspect. But the scent is delicious. Truly delicious. No wonder it’s used in bridal bouquets.
The yellow of this hibiscus with its gorgeous red centre and beautiful stamens is in a pot on the terrace. The flowers are pretty luminous. Or. Pretty and luminous. I love the colours that these plants come in. We also have a red. In the ground. But not flowering as well. Probably as the soil is pants. I need to build it up. We know s song about that don’t we. Includes buttercups.
Durante Repens is a lovely colour in the garden. Not as showy as last year. But still pretty.
We have almonds. Not as many as last year. But there will be enough. Especially as I still have last years in the cupboard. Looks like I’ll be picking and drying them next month.
The pineapple guava is full of fruit. These are ripe when they drop off the tree. An acquired taste. One friend said they taste like germolene. Starts with a lovely flower. But I’m not convinced either with germolene. Or if I like them.
Back in the Uk I buy lemon grass to make a lovely cake. Coconut and lemon grass – a Ballymaloe cookery school recipe. Here I have this enormous ready to pick bush. How many times have I picked it? You’ve guessed. A big fat zero. Well I will tomorrow. And I’m promising myself that I will grow a pot in London.
Over and out with my six on Saturday. Next week will be a London one. If I have six things still alive when I get back.
This weeks six on Saturday comes from Spain. It’s hot dry and getting hotter. Tuesday is forecast for 41*. I’m already melting. More ice cream for the freezer!
The garden has largely drought tolerant plants but there are still many that need a bit of water encouragement. So it’s been very early or very late watering for me. But not too often.
What a surprise. An agapanthus. One from the pot on the terrace. I love them as if you didn’t know by now. I’m planning on a whole border next to the orange trees. There is a sale on at our local nursery at the end of the month as they close for August and most plants are half price. I feel a visit. But I have to plan the water as I am away for two weeks. It can be done.
Who knew? I didn’t. The seed pod of the Stephanotis. Hanging on in there from last year. I had to look this one up. I had never seen a seed pod like this but then in the UK I’ve only had stephanotis in a small pot.
The buds on the Stephanotis. In a few days they will be open and the scent will be heavenly. This does so well. It’s on a very large pot and is climbing – with help – up the wall.
The lovely blue of the Jacaranda. These are glorious viewed from a distance when the blues are really fab against the blue of the sky. It’s difficult to get a great pic. Lovely on the tree. But is an annoying dropper of it’s petals. Constantly.
A gorgeous yellow flower on an unknown cactus. Well unknown to me! I rarely walk the boundary of the house which sounds grander than it is. But this is on the bank behind the house. Yesterday I found it. The flowering cactus. Not the bank. We have a few varieties of cactus. I must look up the names. The only one I know is the prickly pear as I’m trying to save a few on the bank and in the garden from cochineal fly. Good old neem oil is doing the trick.
This is springing up everywhere in the garden and on the banks. Daucus carota – wild carrot. I love it – but now I’ve seen the pink I want that too. Looks for seeds now.
I can’t help but think of my dear old mother as I write that. Viva España. I can see her now listening to that on the radio and dancing around the kitchen. Usually as she was about to go away on her holidays. To Spain. She did it to annoy me I know. Little did she know I’d be singing it one day. I never thought I would either, at least once a month for the last 12 months. Often as I drive up that wiggly road to ‘Casa Verano Eterno.’ It’s an annoying ear worm.
Well the ‘Eternal Summer’ has been a long time coming. Three weeks ago when I left for London the word on the Plaza Almijara was ‘Mucho mucho frio’ It’s been a long wet winter and Spring. The locals had been saying it had been colder. For longer. The worst weather in years apparently. But now I’m back and it’s gone from ‘frio’ to ‘mucho calor’. It is. Mucho mucho calor. I don’t know if it’s because it’s gone from cold to hot without the bit in between but it feels brutal all of a sudden. There wasn’t the gradual acclimatisation. But we are never happy are we. Too hot. Too cold. Too wet. Too dry.
A week is a long time away from the garden at this point of the year. Both here and there. Ian and I were amazed at how quickly things had shot up in the garden. The agapanthus that were just starting to move have gone mad. Some are out. Many are still in bud. But they are tall. Taller than I can remember last year. They have done well.
I love agapanthus and we are lucky that they have self seeded here in the garden. Whilst they take an age to get to the flower stage they will. Patience young man. Patience. They do well in the dry and the heat so there’s no wonder they are everywhere in the garden.
I’m hoping the black one I brought with me will flower this year. Fingers crossed. There are plenty of light blue and white.
The main crop of alliums is over. Sadly. But I had to stop Ian from cutting them back. I love the seed heads as much as the flowers and eventually some will be picked and brought into the house. There are still two more varieties to flower. The drumstick alliums are dotted all over the place. Not in any kind of proper order. Just dotted randomly. Largely to see where they would work this year. They have flourished in some of the harshest places. I noticed two on the dry bank on the drive as I left the house yesterday. In amongst the grasses. I’d also noticed some when out on a walk a few weeks ago. Dotted in a really strange place. Side of the road. Dry. Amongst dry grasses. No sign of water. But in full flower.
I only noticed the ones on our drive as they had started to colour. I too planted in some very odd places. Probably where I could and where the ground was workable. I wondered why there was a pick axe in the garage – I soon found out.
I planted a few ‘allium Summer Drummer’. One has done great guns and is the tallest allium I have ever seen. It’s a late flowering one so is coming out after the others have died back. It’s a funny old thing really. I was expecting a much bigger head on it as it is so tall. And I mean tall. It’s just starting to colour up too. Definitely one for next years planting.
Now I know they will do well I will be on the old internet and onto Peter Nyssen to place the order for next year. But next year I will label and plant less erratically and in drifts. That’s not a promise. But I’ve promised myself to get a few more different varieties.
A staple of Andalucia and the planting along the central reservation of the motorways here is Oleander. When we were driving home earlier in the year they were cutting them back. Hard. Brutal even. I feared that this year there would be no colour. How wrong I was. They have come back with a vengeance.
The ones on the boundary with our neighbours were cut back too and I admit to thinking oh dear. But again. They are blooming lovely. As are the ones in the garden and on the drive. A variety of colours. Various stages of flowering. White. Pink. Red. There is a double flowered one somewhere. That one is just not out yet. But I will be out cutting them back hard next season as it doesn’t hurt to do it once in a while. I am reminded that all parts of the plant are poisonous. Just like nearly everything in this garden. I should be gardening in long trousers. Long sleeves. Hat. Gloves. Veil. But in this heat it’s impossible.
Interestingly our neighbours whose house is adjacent to ours mentioned that their two sons are keen gardeners and were on Instagram. They are keen indeed and grow some awesome and unusual fruit and veg in their London garden. Check them out – they are interesting to follow – freshbros_uk
The garden is a gorgeous mix of scents at the moment. The honeysuckle is still going strong and in the warmth of the evening is delicious as you walk up the path. The jasmine azoricum wrapping itself around some railings was a new one on me last year and supposedly has a lemon scent. I think it smells like, well Jasmine. It’s a bit of a slow one but is worth it for the scent.
There is a Trachelospermum next to the garage which reminds me of a trip to Italy over 15 years ago.
We rented a great place which had a wonderful pergola next to the pool. The pergola was covered in jasmine and the scent has stayed a favourite ever since. I love it when you relate a smell of a plant to a particular memory.
A bit like remembering that I hate the smell of tateges which takes me back to my parents garden when they grew all their own annuals – this was often one of them. This is their garden in the 1970’s. I think the front row may be tagetes. All grown from seed by them in the greenhouse I made them buy. Apparently.
I think if I had a front garden like this, one year I would do bonkers annual planting. Old favourites. And wild colours. But I don’t have the space in London to do it. Sadly.
I digress. Back to me. I noticed a clematis scrambling down the bank on the access road. A really pretty sweet scented white flower. Never watered. Rubbish soil. If you can call it soil. Surrounded by trees but doing ok. I then noticed one winding it’s way into the pineapple agave in the garden. I have looked in my Wild plants of Spain book and think it’s a clematis flammula. It’s small white flowered and scented. Climbs or scrambles. Sounds like an egg order.
Whatever it is it’s very welcome. I’m not sure if I removed it last year from the tree. I can’t remember seeing it at all. I’ve never had much luck with clematis back in the Uk though saying that the one and only one in London has gone mad this year. That’s the same for a lot of things.
Another thing I don’t remember from this time last year are the mozzies. They hate me. Well I think it would be more correct to say they love me. Apparently this form of garlic is a deterrent. I’m not convinced but the flowers of tulbaghia Violacea – ‘society garlic’ are pretty and apparently scented – I can’t smell them! I suspect neither can the mozzies.
I’ve been out spraying the prickly pears again. I’m determined if nothing else and it’s paying off. But note to self. Wear decent gloves. The prickles are a nightmare if they jag your hand even when you wear thin gloves. Oh. And I don’t like the smell of neem oil. Hopefully neither will the cochineal fly. Nasty little things. Tiny white flies which when you swot them on a white wall or a white shirt you see why they are called ‘cochineal’. Swot them and you instantly get a red dye on whatever you’ve swotted them onto. So small they get through the mozzie nets on the window.
I’m not sure I would have planted this if I hadn’t seen it in flower. Commonly known as the Brazilian Sky flower – ‘Durante Repens’ it was here when we moved in and I’m so pleased that it was. It’s a lovely colour addition to the garden. References say it’s blue. I say it’s more violet than blue. Maybe violet blue! But when it gets going it gets going. I love seeing these different plants that I’d never see in the Uk and there are some crackers in this garden
Ok ok. Talking of crackers. You’ve seen this before but now there are two. And maybe a third coming. I can’t contain my excitement. We have a lot of flower heads on the Strelitzia Reginae but it’s the Strelitzia Nicolai that excites me. I make no apologies for even more pictures of it. Sorry. Not sorry.
Everyday there are things to find. Things to photo. The above are some of the flowers that are out this week. With this heat many will soon be over. I’ve spotted some cornflowers coming out. Some calendula. I’m hoping that the scorching sun doesn’t kill them off whilst we are away.
I am here for another week then back to London for a week. I had a message from the cat sitter to say ‘ the front flowers were looking right bonnie’ – Ian has said nothing since he has got back. Makes another note. Remind him to water.
I said the heat is ramping up. It certainly is. Forecast for the weekend is 35/36*. Hmmm I’m not sure how the garden will take it the week I am away. I have said the garden is a Spring – early summer and Autumn garden. The intense heat of high summer isn’t great for the plants even those that are drought tolerant. Or for me! I need rehydrating. Often. Water not wine.
For now it’s watering late at night or early morning. Ten minutes gardening. Half an hour rest. I’ve taken to siestas big time. Oh. And time to do the housework. And ironing. And homework.
I think my Spanish teacher must think I’m boring. ‘Explain to me what you did yesterday’ she asks ‘ I worked in the garden’ and the day before? The same is my response. I’m sure she thinks I’m stuck for vocabulary. I’m not. I am that boring. And the garden is demanding.
I’m off for my class. The good thing. It’s Wednesday and there is an organic market at the nursery. That’s why I’m making a detour on my way back. It’s nothing to do with the email I’ve had saying they have new stock. Honest.
So I’ve been there. And I’m now here. Or. Here and there depending on how you look at it.
I’ve had a week back in London. A busy week to be fair. I try and pack a lot in wherever I may be. Whether it be here. Or. there or wherever.
The two spaces are so different. Not just the gardens but the culture. Where we live. The house in each. Where I eat. How I travel. I’d forgotten how busy Oxford Street can be. Even on a Monday. Out of school holidays too. I had to escape down into Bond Street tube this week to get away.
So back in London it was time to potter in our small (tiny) courtyard garden and to check up on the pots and window boxes at the front. We are lucky to have someone go in when we are both away – largely to look after the cats – but he’s ace with a watering can and hose. Bruce and Christine have been looking after the cats for the last 15 years and are brilliant.
Having had the front garden ‘done’ recently – new wall, new path, railings and new gate we decided to do some replanting of pots at the front. We bought two new standard bays. A bit of a cliche really but they suit the space. I bought two new pots from The Nunhead Gardner. Got them home and realised that once the bays were in the pots they would be too tall for the space. Surprisingly I didn’t have to take them back. Ian said that we should repot the agapanthus into them. And buy two more. Result!
I always have window boxes but as I am away so much these days I wanted something that didn’t need a lot of water. The garden is my domain and whilst Ian waters he’s busy and it’s not fair on him to have to come home and start watering. So again this year I opted for lavender. It worked well last year but this year I just used lavender. It looks good. Ignore the bins. I haven’t told Fred yet. But we are looking for some bin covers. Next door has a fab one with a green roof. But. It’s expensive and the sides are open. Defeats the object really. And Fred would sit on the plants anyway.
Now I love agapanthus. We have two enormous white ones and a very large small blue flowered one in the front. All needed repotting. Sadly one of the whites struggled through the winter and in parts had turned to mush. The first time I’d lost an agapanthus. The big blue had already started to bud up.
I’ve said the back garden is small. It is. Very. Everything is in pots. Some neighbours have small lawns. And I mean small. But I’ve seen them re turf every few years. There is not enough sun in some of them. So the courtyard is paved. Tree ferns, jasmine, honeysuckle, banana, agapanthus,clematis,mock orange all in pots. It’s a small space. So scent is important. Makes watering a bit of a pain but when we bought the tree ferns we thought if we moved we could take them with us -15 years later we are still there. It’s one thing that Ian really loves – the tree ferns. I was lucky this year. I didn’t straw the crown or wrap them as I was away when the cold spell hit and I panicked that we may have lost them. There are 5 in the garden. The tallest is about 6ft odd. But they survived and a feed of alpaca poo works wonders.
We also have flowers on the olive trees. Again both in pots. A strong link between Spain and London are some of the plants we grow in each. I don’t think I’ll be growing large agaves or prickly pears in London though!
This is a pic from two or three years ago taken from the upstairs window. Things have been moved. Things have been removed. Others added. But it gives the sense of the space. Or lack of it. I must take an up to date one. Preferably when the washing isn’t on the line.
It’s been an odd winter /Spring in the London garden. Despite having its own micro climate I lost some things I thought would be ok. Some survived where I thought the wet and the cold would certainly kill them. Nature’s odd like that. I had geraniums flowering all winter. But some of the agapanthus in the back courtyard also turned to mush. But that means more purchases! My tulips were pants. My London alliums pants. All down to the conditions. Not the bulbs as the same bulbs in Spain have been awesome. Oh. That reminds me. I must go and check on Allium Summer Drummer here in Spain.
It hasn’t all been gardening. There’s been doctors,dentists, Orthodontists. Who knew I’d be getting a brace in my retirement.
A bit of a MOT. You also have to throw in a bit of a NGS open garden as well don’t you? Two glorious open gardens in Dulwich Village whose greenhouse would cover my garden in Camberwell. Beautifully planted. Stunning roses with such strong perfumes. Glorious colours. A pond. Plants and the obligatory cake. It wouldn’t be NGS without cake would it? I love open gardens. Probably because I’m nosey. I love seeing what other people grow. What combinations. Take away ideas for my own gardens.
I’ve wandered through the streets of Wapping after a haircut. My old stomping ground when I worked at Canary Wharf and in Fitzrovia where I lamented the fact you can’t go to the top of the BT Tower as you could up to the early 80’s. There was s revolving restaurant and sightseeing platforms. Leased to Billy Butlin! Security concerns led to its closure.
So here I am back in Spain. A bit of a journey. Train stuck 5 mins outside the airport for a trespasser on the line. Stuck for 40 mins watching the panic on people’s faces as they realise they may miss their train. Thankfully I like to get there super early. I can’t stand the panic of rushing and nearly missing a flight.
Added to that the plane was nearly an hour late and I was sat next to someone who was too frightened to catch your eye in case you struck up a conversation. Funny that. I didn’t want to! Interestingly Ian’s flight tonight is already scheduled to be 30 mins late. 12 hours before it takes off. How does that work!
So. I arrive up the wiggly road at 11.15pm. Open up. Lights on. WiFi on. Then water the garden. I can’t see very much but I can smell. I realise even in the dark that the Jasmine Azoricum is in flower. A delicious smell. The honeysuckle is in full bloom. But just as well I watered late last night. Today the pump for the water deposit has gone kaput. So no watering today. Well maybe. The plumber had just been and is to replace a part. I called in the office at 10. By 1.30 he’s here.
So I think I need to bathe in citronella at some point as the mozzies are a plenty. I’ve bought a very fetching orange slinky citronella bracelet. It stinks. But the mozzies. – must have been the wet spring as last year I wasn’t bitten once. Well maybe once. But so far today I’ve been bitten three times. So. I’m not lazing around for long. There’s too much to do. I need to turn into my mother and get dead heading. There’s a lot to do.
Oh. And I need to buy a new hat. Either this one is too small or my head is too big. But the solar panel on the top of my head ( crown or bald spot) needs some cover. I hate hats. They make my head itch. But needs must. I may be a very long time.
So. Here we are again I’m back in Spain. Just for a change. This is my summer routine now. I shall be here a lot. I have dates booked through to December. Well New Year.
I drove down the wiggly round again late on Thursday night to pick up Ian from the airport – which always gives me time to reflect. This time to reflect on the last 12 months. . Well it is a long and wiggly road.
What have I learnt? ~ learning a foreign language is harder the older you get. That the Spanish don’t mind you making a plonker of yourself. They like it that you try. Not that you try to be a plonker. That you try speaking in Spanish. But I am trying. Ian says that constantly. Especially when I get my words mixed up in a restaurant. I’m still not allowed to order certain things – my accent is poor. That’s great coming from a Glaswegian. But he’s right. I’ve learnt that I love the Mediterranean diet. It’s worked wonders for my waistline. Shame it’s two weeks off and three weeks on. Like the inches. Two off. Three on. We’ve made new friends. Oh. There are lots of things. So why reflect on the last 12 months?
Well. It’s a year ago this week I collected the keys to the new house. We were at Chelsea when we had the call. We had completed. The house was ours
The next day I was on that flight. This year no Chelsea for the first time in 25 years. Big school boy error. But I was here to celebrate. I just had to live Chelsea from the blog posts of other bloggers. Who collectively saw more than I ever do, discussed it in so many different ways and photographed it from ever available angle. Except as one of my favourite bloggers Jack Wallington said. Not through the garden. You get front. Back. Side views. Enough. That’s Chelsea. So last week.
It was this time last year I was also on my way to collect Ian from the airport so he would have his first sight of the house since we completed. Friends have asked has the novelty has worn off yet. Are we bored? The same people who asked me if I was bored once I retired. The answer was then No. the answer now is doubly no. I don’t like the new house and garden. I love it. The good thing is that so does Ian. Phew.
It’s been a great year. Lots of visitors who I think have loved the house the garden and the lovely white town of Competa as much as we have. Frequent flyer points. Spanish lessons. Tapas. Lots of. New friends. A whole new experience. The aches and pains of s new garden. Gardening on a slope. Difficult soil where there is soil. Dry. Heat. Rain heat. Mosquitos. But new plants. New scents. New adventures.
So we get back at the house at 2am. All I want is to sleep. Ian gets the last flight out on a Thursday or a Friday once or twice a month now he is working again after a 3 month break. He straight away notices that the Bird of Paradise on the path from the gate had flowered.. I never think he notices much but even at this time of the night he sees the beauty that is the flower. ( to be honest he notices more than I give him credit for. I didn’t think he’d notice the new jug either which is strategically placed out of his eyeline! – he did )
He went straight for the blue and white bird of paradise – Strelitzia Nicolai – one flower on the large plant. We had one flower last year and they are pretty stunning. This one does look like a bird in flight. Even in the poor light he manages to see something new in the garden. Wait till tomorrow when he sees it in the daylight. Will have to think on my feet. Is that pot new? Oh no. It’s very last year.
A few days later I notice a second flower. Magic. Doesn’t take much to keep me happy.
Strelitzia Nicolai.
This spring has been magnificent for the Strelitzia Reginae. The one in the pot has been blooming for ages and there are at least nine stems ready to flower. The ones planted in the garden are smaller and the flowers not so showy. But this one stands heads and shoulders above every other one.
strelitzia Reginae
A year on I still got excited at what appears in the garden. I have done a full year now and we have had a pretty wet winter and a cold Spring. Yes. I know it’s all relative compared with the weather in the Uk. It’s not been as constantly wet or as cold but there have been extremes here. It didn’t just rain. It chucked it down for weeks – the reservoirs filled up. Bits of road washed away. A river ran through our bank for three weeks. But the gardens looked good and the wildflowers were amazing. Oh. And it doesn’t look like water restrictions will be in place during the hot summer months.
Nature is a wonderful thing which none of us can control.The roundabout which isn’t a roundabout at the back of the house was awash with wildflowers and the verges on the way out of town a veritable jewel palette. But they disappear as quick as they arrive. Now the sun has come in full force they have gone. Here today. Gone tomorrow. I keep telling Ian that’s why I have to come out so often. I’m scared I might miss something.
Wildflowers on the roundabout
Back in the garden I continue to get excited. I cut back some oleander which had gone crazy – and found a pomegranate. I know. How do just find a large tree. WeI did which I noticed a few weeks later to be in flower. They are gorgeous these flowers. I can’t stop looking at them to make sure they are real. I shouldn’t really as I have to trample over other stuff to see them. The excitement of getting my own fruit in the garden. Who would have thought that the 12 yr old in Cardiff buying pomegranates for about one month a year and eating them with a pin would one day hopefully have his own. Fingers crossed they continue to form the fruit. I must dig out some pins. That’s how we ate the fruit in the 70’s. Cut in half and picked out with a pin or was it just me?
pomegranate
Before I went back to London two weeks ago I planted the red geraniums in the wall planter. Which gives it a true Mediterranean feel. Shame the night after I planted them there was a storm and the wind took the tops of 4 of them. But they have recovered and I think look great. Right plants for the right space.
White wall planting
Talking of the right plants for the right space. We have a pretty large bottle brush – Callistemon – at the back of the house. Now I’m not a great lover of these. But hey. In the right space with a nice blue sky they add a fair bit of colour to the garden and this one will need a bit of trim in the Autumn as it’s getting too straggly.
But I’ve changed my mind. In a Mediterranean setting it works. Well I think so anyway.
Bottlebrush
The pineapple guava ( Feijoa sellowiana) is starting to flower. Only a few so far but the two bushes we have are full of buds. The flowers are so pretty and the petals are edible. Not that I have yet. But I will.
The fruit which comes later I tasted last year. They are a bit of an acquired taste. A friend likened then to germolene. Trust me if they smelt like it they be dug out and burnt. That and TCP must be top of my list for awful smells. Can you still get them!
Pineapple Guava
We have a lot of succulents all around the garden but don’t ask me what one this is as I have no idea. I need to get a book and look them up. But this one is flowering for the first time. Well the first time since we have been here. I’m interested to see what flower it has. But these things are lethal to a gardener who doesn’t wear gloves. And wears shorts. Talk of spiteful. They spike me every time.
We have a number of these dotted around. Most are now in flower and add a welcome bit of orange to the garden. I’d photograph the ones on the bank. But I’ve said before. The bank is steep and takes no prisoners. I have already slipped once and I have no intention of slipping again. It’s not a pretty sight and I don’t want to be laying there for days.
I bought alliums from Peter Nyssen this year to see if they would grow in the new garden. I admit to the random planting of a couple here and there. Not in any designer way but largely to see if the area was suitable and would they grow! By and large it’s a yes. One or two spectacular fails. One planting that needed a helping hand from the twitterati to identify – allium summer drummer – but now I know where they work and grow well I will be on the old computer box to place an early order. Next year I may even label them. Now that will be a novelty.
The allium with verbascum was a random planting. But I like it. The reflections in the pool are alliums that are ever so gently going over. I love the seeds heads and hopefully the Higgledy seeds of calendula and nigella are going to keep coming. So far so good. I also scattered other seed there too. Yep. Another don’t ask.
Random planting Allium love
Allium Shadows on the pool
This was a random planting on the bank. Dry. Poor soil. Not deep soil. But the flower heads are some of the biggest in the garden. Next year there will be more. If I can get on the bank.
The work on the prickly pear continues. A weekly dose of a neem oil/water mix sprayed all over has resulted in some pretty good and clean new growth. That will keep Ian happy. In London he loves his tree ferns . Here he likes the large palms and the cactus.
A rescued Prickly Pear
I’ve planted pots. Not too many as they need watering . But I bought some portulaca for the white wall planter. But they didn’t work so I’ve planted hem in Pots. Good choice. . Boy. They are so colourful.
As well as these there are the obligatory geranium pots to brighten up the terrace. Yes. You did probably hear someone – Ian – say. No more pots.
We have a large grape vine over the terrace. A black grape. We didn’t have too many off the vine last year but this year there are a lot of buds.
The shoots are all tied in and it’s beginning to give some good shade. We won’t be making wine that’s for sure but if I get enough to make grape and rosemary jelly I’ll be happy.
The garden is definetly a spring and autumn garden. It’s nice in summer but the heat of July and August usually means things either go dormant or slow down. And you have to water. So a lot of the garden has drought tolerant plants.
These hotentot figs –Carpobrotus edulis have been in flower for weeks now. These two if turned over looked like a hat at that recent wedding. You know the one. You watched it. We all did. Just some won’t admit it.
The last time I touched one of these plants I had s mad dash to the pharmacist as I stupidly then touched my eye. It’s poisonous. But smells like pop corn. That’s probably why it’s called the pop corn Senna. Well it’s flowering and I realised what it was as my legs brushed past it and the wast of popcorn hit me. Too late. I had to run in and shower. I wasn’t risking it. But it’s a pretty flower and such a shame the whole plant is poisonous. But then sonare many in this garden.
Popcorn Senna
There is so much going on that I’m hoping to be able to sit and enjoy the garden. But I suspect not for long. When you are only here for two or theee weeks at a time you can constantly be in the garden. Often at the end of the day you look and wonder what you have done. But the aching joints tell you you’ve done something.
In contrast our London garden is very very different. A terraced house in South London where we have recently renovated the front wall, the path and added new railings. Window boxes of lavender and new lollipop bays from The Nunhead GardenerOh And there are my favourite agapanthus in pots. All easy to maintain and easy to water. Ignore the bins. That’s the next project.
The back garden is small. Very small but full of pots. The tree ferns are in pots. The foxgloves and the the clematis. All in pots. The garden is fed with alpaca poo courtesy of Lou Archer. Well not Lou but her alpacas obviously. She has s new product which she launched at RHS Chelsea especially for tree ferns. A must have for me when I get back and it’s on her Website
I pinch myself black and blue on a regular basis on how lucky I am to be able to garden in two very different environments. It’s been a huge and steep learning curve here in Spain with some disasters along the way. I’ve planted. Changed my mind. Replanted elsewhere. I bought pink geraniums for the garden. Too pink. Is there too pink? There is.
So I gave them away and bought red. Which is what I wanted at first. I bought a climber that hasn’t climbed so out it’s gone to be replaced by a red Passion flower. And on it goes.
But patience is a virtue. Sadly not one of mine.
So. We m here for another week. How many more plants can I fit in!
It’s been a funny old time weather wise. Not funny ha ha. But funny. Both here and there. Depending whether I am here. Or there. Or there or here. Here now is Spain where the words ‘mucho frio’ have been ringing in my eyes for weeks Because it has been. People have said it’s the worst winter and Spring in many a year. . Yes. It rained. We needed it. But the volume in such a short time. And the cold. Went on for ever. The good bit is that the reservoirs are full. And the hillsides are green. Oh And I bought flannelette duvet covers. Because. Mucho frio was a good description. It has been very cold.
So I’m back. Yep. As a friend said. Again? I am and it’s a pattern for the next few months. The hills and mountains are green. The verges are colourful. Wild flowers everywhere. Everywhere and in the back of the garden and on the roundabout. Which isn’t a roundabout.
The garden in three weeks I have been away has changed a lot. The weather has been ok. There has been sun. It’s been warm. This week positively hot. So hot the legs came out and will stay out now until November. Only in Spain though for now. Out came the gardening hat and sunscreen. I’m waiting for the return of the mozzies.
.There is an abundance of colour in the garden. And in the sky. A great ball of fire. For most of the day.
The gazania just love a bit of sun. They open as wide as they can and are gorgeous. There Are 8 flower spikes on the strelitzia – and the two that have opened look amazing. I love them.
But i was beyond excited to find that there is a flower on the black/blue/white Strelitzia. There is only one flower again this year but I’m excited.
The banksia rose is climbing the jacaranda tree and is full of flower. It looks great against the blue sky.
There’s been a bit of tidying to be done. The Vinca has been a complete pain in the posterior. It’s everywhere. Yes it looks pretty when in flower. But not when it’s strangling everything around it. I had a good clear of the bedding area at the side of the house and came across a plant I wasn’t sure about. Until I touched it. And got the smell of popcorn. There was no doubt. . This was a popcorn Senna. I have two on the bank which aren’t doing anything. This one at least had a fair bit of growth. And flower buds.
Now this plant is poisonous. Like a lot of the plants in this garden. The last time I touched a Senna didymobotrya I rubbed my eye. Yes I know. Basic school boy error. But we all do them. Don’t we? A quick visit to the pharmacy and some eye drops I was back. So I was aware of not touching it without my gloves. But I did. And my legs brushed it. So it was straight into the shower. So far. So good.
The alliums have shot up. More are on my list – the never ending list – for next year. These are from Peter Nyssen and they are loving the growing conditions here. I have dotted them all round the garden but need to be a bit more adventurous in the planting. I need to group them better next year. With a few different varieties in a great big drift of colour.. Makes note on order schedule. Right. Like I have one. Well this year I very may well do.
The white wall planter was crying out for colour. What better plant than the good old geranium. I bought pink. I gave them away. They were the wrong colour. They got lost in the planter. I needed bold. Brash. Bright. I wanted red. Now I know a lot of people don’t like them. Feel they are the staple of municipal planting. But I don’t care. It’s the right plant in the right place for me. And with a couple of permanent pelargoniums I think they look the business.
I have been cutting stuff back a fair bit. And I found a pomegranate. Yes. Found it. I didn’t know it was lost. Because I didn’t know it was there. But it was. Hidden. And. It has flowers. But will it bear fruit?. I’ll let you know. If it does. I’ll tell everybody. Because the other two don’t even look like they are going to flower and I believe that they have never fruited.
I’m assuming that these are flowers on the small palms that sit in the middle flower bed. Again I’ll keep you posted. Don’t hold your breath. I may forget especially if they aren’t photogenic.
The osteospermums get everywhere and I love this bit of randomness in the garden. Succulents and flowers.
Behind the house we have a steep bank. I’ll admit o occasionally I do climb down it. But I’m mad. You can easily slip into the transparante hedge below. There are some wonderful pines on the edge. A walk up the steep slope – the access road behind the house and you get a fantastic view through the trees to the mountains and in a clear day to the coast.
We found some nests of processionary caterpillars in the pines and had them swiftly removed and destroyed. They are lovely trees, a bit wonky. But like wonky veg there is nothing wrong with them.
I do and I don’t want the agave to flower. If it does. It does. If it doesn’t it sits there until it does. I like them. As long as they don’t get that bug that eats them from the base and they rot and die. That added to the destruction of the prickly pears from cochineal fly would be awful.
I have been out spraying the prickly pears I want to save with a water and neem oil mix. So far. So good. The prickly pears are doing ok. Me. I smell of neem oil. Maybe the cochineal fly and if I’m lucky mozzies will leave me alone too.
So it’s been a busy time in the garden. There is still loads to do. I haven’t touched the beds at the rear of the house. That’s for another week.
But I did have a chance to go and drool over my neighbours bee orchids. Which are small. Beautifully formed and gorgeous. Me. Jealous. Too right I am. I will just have to be content with the wild orchids I have in our own garden. Of which I have found another 4.
There is so much going on in the garden as things start to flower. There are flower spikes everywhere on the Aloe. The pelargoniums are in full flower. The orange blossom fills the terrace with wafts of its scent. The Viburnum opulus is heavy with flowers. This year there is an abundance of fat white globes hanging down. But the one I have been excited about is the one solitary flower on the Echium pride of Madeira. Wait till next year.
So I head back to London. But only for a week. Planning what next in the garden. Maybe. I’ll also have time to sit and enjoy it.
Yes I know it’s a Sunday Ian. And I know you haven’t had a lie in all week. But. I said I’d go to the open day for The National Garden Scheme – you know the one I missed last year. Ulting Wick
Yes. I know. It’s in Essex an hour and a half drive away. But. Trust me. It will be worth it. And there is cake. Lots of cake. 10,000 tulips. Reluctantly he agreed. Oh. I forgot to tell you. We have to leave early. It’s the London marathon so we will have to skirt the race to get across the river.
Me. I needed no encouragement. I have followed Philippa Burroughs on social media for some time. Have exchanged comments. Liked pictures. Swopped recipes. So I was in the UK at the right time and I was determined. Add to the mix that there would be a smattering of the twitterati attending it was a no brainer. I was keen to put names to faces. Find out real names rather than twitter handles.
I explained to Ian on the way. Its an 11 acre garden in a beautiful setting with amazing black tar varnishes barns. One open for teas. There are tulips. There are plants. Cake. Nice people. Oh. And it’s sunny.
We arrived. Talk of Tip toe through the tulips. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Tulips tulips everywhere. Forget daffodils. Today was the time of the tulip.
The planting is stunning. No other word. Stunning. The colour combinations are magic. I’m stealing some for next year. The combinations. Not the actual tulips.
Last week I was thinking, as I’m sure Philippa and Lou – Head Gardner Lou – @loujnicholls on Twitter – were also thinking – would the tulips be out. Would it be dry. Well. The sun was shining and it was a perfect day. The tulips were out and there were still a lot in bud. Perfect.
There’s the white garden. The pink garden. Kitchen garden. Old farm yard beds. The spring bed by the pond. The stream bed. The meadow. All beautifully planted. Colourful. And so well maintained. But not manicured. Well tended. Planted. And interesting.
Tulip varieties I’d not seen before. But will again as I will be talking to Karen at Peter Nyssen for next year. A note on the door to the magnificent listed barn mentioned that the Tulips come from Peter Nyssen. I’m a huge fan. Huge. And Karen is brilliant. Gorgeous colours. Colour combinations. Shapes. Sizes.
The tulip above was a favourite. Noted for next year for my window boxes in London. – Dior. I love it. Big. Blousy. A better one for me than Belle Époque.
These tulips were translucent in the light. With no filter. Just the sun.
Gorgeous whites in really stunning displays.
Ian loved this bed. He loved the colour combination so I think this will be another for next year. Maybe the pots in Spain. If I can work out how not to get short and stumpy. A bit like me really.
There were so many variations that I could go on for ever. Ian says I will anyway. I usually do. But everywhere you looked there were different tulips. I didn’t count them. But there must have been 10,000. ( I know. I read that somewhere). I moan at planting mine which are a fraction of that number. A mere fraction.
Well done to Philippa and Lou.
There is more to the garden than just tulips. I’m reliably informed that I should visit again for the August opening to see the perennial borders. If I can I will. This time we walked through the meadow – what a beaut it is. Full of cowslips. Beautiful yellow cowslips. So lovely to see a meadow of them and people obeying the signs. Keep to the paths. We did.
We had a wander around the garden with stops – plural – for cake and tea. Now for me. You Judge a garden opening by it’s cake and it’s tea. This was right up there. Chocolate and Guineas. Coconut and lemongrass. Gin and tonic. Lemon and lavender. The list was huge. Like the queue for cake. Word had got Out. The cake was good.
The perennials are starting to shoot. There is a fabulous row of ferns starting to get growth on the edge of the water. And more ferns. And more perennials. I want to go back and see the dahlias.
Add to the opening for the National Garden Scheme we had Barbara Seagall who was signing copies of her book with photography by the late Marcus Harpur – ‘Secret Gardens of East Anglia’ and features Ulting Wick. (Page 110) – which I will read this evening. One copy is for a friend. I must put it away.
I have followed Barbara on social media for some time. We have replied to each other’s photos. She has encouraged me with my blog. So it was such a treat to be able to meet up and to be able to put a face to the name. I’ll forgive her for recognising Ian first – which is magic as most of his photos on social media are of his back. As he said to Barbara. He must have a distinctive bald spot. But he was in deep conversation by the time we left.
Its not just flowers. There is a fabulous kitchen garden which I would love. But don’t have the space in London or the water in Spain.
All that was left was to pick up the plants I had bought and head home.
A huge thank you to Philippa and Lou. The garden was stunning. I loved the planting. The colours the variety and thank you for arranging the sun to shine and for the tulips to be open.
Another trip over. Another delayed flight back to London. But at least this one has left Spain with no overnight trip to Horrorleminos. Thankfully.
We have spent over 2 months in Spain. On and off. A trip back to London here and there. Had fun on a 2,000km road trip via Cordoba, Cacares, Toledo and Salamanca. Witnessed the spectacle that is Semana Santa. And a spectacle it certainly is. I was a bit Semana Santa’d out by the end of the trip. Its big. Its busy. Great marching bands. Huge traditions and a huge family event. Also a bit scary at times. But a fabulous spectacle.
Semana Santa in Salamanca
Started Spanish lessons on a one to one with a spanish teacher in Competa. Nervous at first. Back to school. Rubbish pronunciation. But I’m getting there. Slowly. Some words I need practice on. One slip of the tongue and I’ll be ordering something off menu. Something very off the menu. Ian is scared. To be honest. So am I.
The trip was tiring. But an amazing adventure. . Cold at times. One minute in sunshine. The next driving through snow covered mountains wondering if we need be worried that there was a snow plough car park. The terrain was green. Very green. The rivers were flowing. Which is unusual after a few dry years.
I’ve said it before. The rain in Spain doesn’t mainly stay on the plain. It’s everywhere. Especially for three weeks here in Spain. It didn’t just rain cats and dogs. It was the whole ark. Great for the plants. Great for the reservoirs. Although some plants may have drowned.
So back to the village and home. Its always good to get home. Which ever one it may be. I’ve said it before a hairy gardener does! He knows who he is.
I’ve managed two weeks in the garden. Hedge cutting a priority. – I will never win prizes for my topiary. I realise that hairdressing is also not a new career choice for me either. I hate hedge cutting but needs must. Its like edges on a lawn.
Not a shabby view to cut a hedge
I was so envious of the immaculate and straight lines of the hedges at the Alhambra.
Oh. Yes. Did I mention I’d been to the Alhambra. Again. To be fair it’s only the third time since Xmas. No 4 is in 3 weeks. I may as well get a guides job. But the uniforms not flattering enough. Oh. And that’s the last of 2018. Well maybe. The garden joy this time – fritillaria imperialis – they were magnificent. I may just try them myself. Next year.
I would be interested to see the bedding later in the year. It’s different to last year so maybe …..
The joy of the Alhambra Granada
Back to my garden. Highlight of Spring has to be the Peter Nyssen freesias. They have been brilliant. Tall and elegant. Perfumed and colourful. Unlike the short stubby tulips which I will add are not from Peter Nyssen. I think it’s a mixture of the weather and late planting.
I’m making my order list for the autumn already. I have just made another bulb order to add to the summer garden.
Peter Nyssen Fressias
Some tulips are ok but overall I’m disappointed. The Belle Époque which were big bold and beautiful last year ( but in London) just haven’t done it for me this year. The brown sugar and Ronaldo are ok but a bit short.
Belle Époque
The alliums are running away with themselves – I can’t wait to see them in flower. At least I will see some of them. The trouble is if you are away for a couple of weeks things can come and go and you think they haven’t flowered.
The pomegranate trees has leaves. Plenty. They will have flowers. Plenty. But no pmegranates. I refuse to believe it’s an ornamental. Or that both trees are ornamental. So I may have to go out with my tickling stick to encourage a bit of pollination when the flowers arrive. No photos please.
Who thought that in my retirement I’d be oiling my prickly pears. The cactus are shocking in Andalucia. Blighted with cochineal fly they are ravaged and it is such a shame. Further up into Granada they are better. Maybe the height. Maybe the cold.
The ones on our bank may not be worth saving but there are two at the side which are. So armed with a neem oil and water mix I have been out spraying them. It looks like it’s doing the job so now I will move onto some small ones on the other bank. Worth a try and exercises my balance on the slope.
Prickly Pear
I shan’t be oiling these though. In fact I stay well away. They have a habit of jumping out and stabbing me.
The osteospermums are spreading. And when the sun is out ( which occasionally it has been ) they look great. A bit of colour in the garden. The oranges are ripening. I find it strange that there is still fruit on the tree and there is also new blossom. Lots of blossom and the heavy rains have helped the new year fruit set. The scent on a warm day is breathtaking. We were in Malaga – which isn’t just a sun sea sand and tourist resort but is actually really interesting. I digress. But the scent of orange blossom by the Alcazar is amazing.
Back in the garden – the pine trees are doing well. We found some processionary caterpillar nests which we had removed. Nasty little blighters. There are plenty of new cones and the colouring is really cool. I’m only used to seeing the mature cones. Tip. Great for starting the log fire.
Caterpillar nests
I uncovered some succulents from under the honeysuckle. This week I found them about to start flowering. Hopefully when we get back it will be in flower.
I planted two popcorn senna – Senna didymobotrya – on the bank a while ago. There has been little sign of life so I ventured up the bank ( or down) to see what was happening. The bank is steep. I’m not slight. And there have been a couple of slips. Not a pretty sight at the best of times. . Me. Not the bank thankfully. I found some new growth. And a flower starting to open. It will be a yellow flower. The whole plant indeed does smell of pop corn. Top tip. Don’t touch it without gloves. Top top tip. If you do. Don’t rub your eyes if you do. I did. Big fail. A trip to the pharmacist. She spoke no English. I spoke no Spanish. So it was Spanglais – before my Spanish lessons. But it meant I could pretend to be a pirate for a few days. The one eyed idiot from up the mountain.
Popcorn Senna
The garden is definitely more a Spring and Autumn garden. The heat of the summer is harsh. Even I wither. Not literally but I used to think that villages were deserted. Shutters shut in the mid afternoon when only mad dogs and English men venture out. But they are being sensible. There were times in July I shut the shutters. . Turned on rubbish TV – I’m not saying what – and went back out when it got slightly cooler.
By cutting back the bank last year we have had some wildflowers come through. I found this glorious wild orchid on the roundabout which isn’t a roundabout.
Wild orchid on the roundabout
So there has been colour. Glorious colour. There has been scent. Lavender. Jasmine. Freesias. Orange blossom.
There have been birds and bees. Oh. The birds and bees.
Busy Bees
That made me think of my mother. You do know about the birds and bees she would say. Oh I did indeed. There has been rain. Sun. Rain. Sun. The succulents are coming alive. The seeds I had sown before our trip have shown themselves. The calendula art shade from Mr Higgledy are up and saying hello.
The poppies I scattered in their thousand have em. Done nothing. Still time yet but there are lovely red poppies on the road edges. Not that I look. You have to see the road to understand why I don’t. But I did when we were being driven by another. I’m hoping that if not this year then next.
You’ll get fed up of that plant they said. It grows like a weed. Huh. If its on the bank and is pretty it can continue and it has. Looks like a tiny sweet pea.
I’ve sown Tithonia spurred on by seeing some in a NGS garden in Camberwell last year. I am hoping they look like the ones I saw.
Tithonia in a NGS garden last year
I have planted some Echium Pride of Madeira on the bank. Inspired by Jack Wallington garden – open last year and this for NGS . They are not the same as Jacks – a friend arrived bearing a gift of one. So I had to buy 4 more. Didn’t I? It will be interesting to see what flowers I get this year. I shall be off on the hunt for some different varieties when I’m back. They have settled in on the bank and if they will self seed I’ll be happy. Jack also identified a plant I had posted on Instagram – melianthus major. I had seen them in the Alcazar in Malaga and loved them. Another for my list.
There hasn’t been a lot to pick for the house and I refused to pick the freesias. But there was Mimosa.plenty of Mimosa.
Mimosa
Mimosa is abundant on the bank. Glorious yellow flowers and been a bit of a riot of colour on the way up to the house. A bit prone to wind snap but I’ll cope with that.
So there is colour. Lots. As its Spring it seems predominately yellow.
A bit of colour for Spring
The fruit is ripening and setting. The loquats with their big leaves are starting to get fat and some are ripening. Please wait three weeks. They all come at once. Like the big fat black figs. Which are just leading up.
Loquats fruiting Black figs
We have had a huge harvest of Olives on the one large tree. I don’t like waste so I have salt cured some. Apparently they are good. I’m not a fan but Ian and friends have tried them and say they are great. So I salted another batch. And brought some back to London to do the same here. Waste not want not. They will last 6 months in the fridge. Longer if you freeze them.
Olives from our garden!
So. It’s London for the next three weeks. . Doctors. Dentists. Opticians and a haircut. Oh. And a visit to the Vets. Cats. Not me. Though it’s easier to get an appointment at the vets.
A spell in our London garden ( small rear patio) – its a mess though we have almond blossom out – before another month in Spain. Well nearly.
So this trips not all been about the garden.It has also been time for friends. Ooh Allo Mike was out for 5 days. Then the ‘dream team’ were on tour. The Dream team. Common Farm dream team. Since I’ve retired I’ve spent some time with Georgie , Lorraine and Sharon helping out at the Flower Farm. Been the gofer. Bottle washer and even let loose on the wedding flowers. Lorraine on the other hand is queen of the jam jar posies. Sharon and Georgie the leaders of the pack. The experts.
So we planned a ‘dream team’ trip to our house in Spain. A chance for me to show them the garden. The town. The wine. I managed to book a trip to the Alhambra. Despite living close to Common Farm flowers it was the power of social media that brought us together. Me ordering flowers from the flowery lady up the lane. Then her delivering to the cottage. And it went on. Progressed into friendship
The date was set. Tickets booked. House cleaned. Garden tidied.
The flight arrived early. We arrived 5 minutes late. They were in arrivals. Wearing tiaras. Waiting. Smiling. ‘ Well’ they said. ‘You’ve said all week on social media it was a royal visit so we have arrived prepared’. They only came off once we got to the car. Trust me to be mean and park in the car park with the longest walk. Home up the dark and windey road. Wine. Snacks. Bed. In that order. But only after a lot of catching up.
To be fair. Saturday morning wasn’t a great start to the weekend. Table laid for breakfast. Orange juice squeezed. Kettle on the boil for more coffee. Boom. Off went the electrics. Nothing else to do but head up into Town.
We managed a wander around the market, coffee and croissants in the Plaza and then happened to bump into the plumber. Now I know what your thinking. Electrics. Plumber? Well along with our friend and Estate Agent they arrange everything for us. He promised that if it wasn’t on in a few hours Domingo would come out. On a saturday. Just like that.
Theres always something going on in the town. I couldn’t have arranged it better. A children’s fancy dress parade through the town. Some parents ( mothers!) dressed up. Some grandmothers. Tiny babies in pushchairs. A great family event wandering through the narrow whitewashed streets.
Next stop Nerja. A drive down the wiggly road to the coast. I need to up my game. This is our standard itinerary. Competa and the market if its a Saturday. A drive to the coast. Either Nerja or Torre del Mar. Today was Nerja. A short drive – after depositing Ian at the house to wait for Domingo – oh and after a couple of glasses of Cava – them not me we headed off.
Now you cant be in Spain and not stop off at a traditional Tapas Bar. Surprise surprise. We did. Packed too. With Spanish. Always a good sign. So we sat at the bar like locals. But stood out like we were not. Tempting Georgie into trying the different choices. A typical Tapas. One drink. One small tapas free. Oh. And wine and beer. For them. Not me. We had to get back up the wiggly road
A wander through the streets. A look at the sea.
Presents for the children. Not the spanish children obviously. The wriggler and Bear back in Somerset. And back up the hill to a house with electricity. Good old Domingo.
Supper at one of out favourite restaurants El Pilon.
A bucket of gin for an aperifif – Dani doesn’t know the word small. Even in Spanish. After 3 weeks of lessons I do. But to no avail. I try when he pours my caramelo. Caramel Vodka. My nightcap of choice these days. Another great evening – great food – conversation and catching up
Back at the house and time to relax. Not quite sure what Lorraine was explaining. But this was during the day and no drink was involved!
Sunday was our main event. A trip to the Alhambra. Now its not easy to get tickets. But it is. Booking opens three months in advance and tickets are limited to the Nasrid Palaces. Entry to these are by timed tickets. So unless you know your dates in advance you can struggle. Most of our visitors haven’t know their dates so far in advance so we always start with well it would be nice but. But. No guaranteed. Persistence is key. Keep checking the official website and days open up. Slowly. So I’ve managed to get dates for Feb. April and May. Yes. Glutton. one word of advice – they have a new booking system and they ask for names. Passport numbers and ages. Sorry ladies. I know and I will keep it secret. Passports required to be carried. But rarely checked.
I knew Lorraine wouldn’t arrive without something ‘dream-team’ related. I wasn’t wrong. Printed Tshirts. Yes before you ask. Im breathing in. We loved them. Thank you Lorraine.
A fashionable arrival. A pashmina that would mean Georgie wouldn’t get lost. Lorraine hidden under a parka. Umbrellas supplied by Ian. Yes. It was drizzly and cold. I keep forgetting how different the temperatures can be. But the Alhambra is high up in the Sierra Nevada. There’s skiing and snowboarding close by. Not me of course. Imagine. Me. Snowboard. Never. It would need stabilisers. But it was cold. Bloody cold.
A wander first around General life and the gardens. They are just planting the annuals in the beds so it will be interesting to see how it goes between now and my visit in May. Apologies to Lorraine. I kept wittering on about the box. But it looked sad. Very sad. They also had some myrtle hedges. Interesting.
A rare sighting of Ian. You usually only see him walking ahead if me.
Why are they laughing below? Because Mr Camera was trying to get a good shot and nearly went into one of the rills. Wet feet. Freezing cold. I would have wanted to go home. But its a nice picture.
I have become a regular visitor to the Alhambra over the last few months and every time I visit there is something else to see. Things I’ve missed. Things I see differently.
Its also great to see it through other peoples eyes. Standing in the midday queue being read the history of the Alhambra. Rather nicely read too. In one of these pics Georgie is talking poo. Poo and soil. She did a live Insta feed on it too.
The gardens change every visit. Two weeks before the dream team visit they were planting the bedding plants. In some areas there were gorgeous ranunculus. Shiny red ranunculus. Stocks. Scented. I am back there again in a month. Then again in May.
The Nasrid Palace is the jewel. The tiling. The ceilings. The stonework. Its beautiful and I think it exceeded expectations
. I know i can be a bit blasé about it. But I’ve been 4 times in the last year and have another two booked in. But it changes. Not the palaces obviously. But the light. The gardens. The tourists!
During the late summer I will book for a night tour. I think to see the palaces at night will be magical.
We even had chance of a silly selfie! Thats unusual. Both in a picture. At the same time.
You’d never know it was cold would you. Not by the look of Lorraine all wrapped up in her coat. Hood up. Shes the one in the blue by the way! The pink hat and green coat had nothing to do with us! Or Lorraine.
The one thing you do at The Alhambra is walk. And walk. And walk. It covers a large space. The gardens. The towers. The palaces. Up and down steps. To the top of the towers with amazing views of Granada. So there’s always a relief when you get a Saga stop. Especially on nice chairs!
A chance to sit and look out over Granada. Rest the pink trainer feet. Catch a breath. Post an Insta.
We spent five hours there. Yet still you don’t have time to see absolutely everything. Back home up the wiggly road. Out for supper.
But first Georgie wanted to see a sunset. She had seen loads on my timeline. But she wanted to see one for herself. Saturday night was overcast. No sunset.
Thankfully Sunday night obliged.
She isn’t really having to reach above the hedge to get a good pic.
It was a great weekend. Lots of chatter. Garden chat. People chat. Nonsense chat. Wine. Good food. And especially laughter. It will be repeated. Hopefully when the sun is hot. But not too hot. Diaries at the ready.
How time flies when your having fun. One week down and it’s been a bit of a whirl. Theres been a visit to The Alhambra. My first of 2018 and there are 3 more booked all with friends who are staying over the next few months. A trip to the Botanical Gardens in Malaga. Trips to the coast. Oh and the garden.
It’s amazing how quickly the garden changes when there has been a bit of rain. And a bit of sun. And a bit more rain. There has been both. So what’s new in the garden? Loads.
Well the Dodonae viscosa purpurea is looking mighty fine. The colour now is fantastic especially when the sun hits the plant. The leaves are awesome. Flowers insignificant. And it self seeds like crazy.
I believe this to be white lilac. The week before we arrived it was a bit on the colder side. Now the sun is out the lilac may start to unfold its glorious scent. I hope so.
My mother would never pick lilac to bring into the house. Our neighbour always said bringing lilac into the house meant bad luck. So I don’t either. Superstitious? Me? Never. I just get an ear worm – if she’s not saying ‘ your not like your father. He tidied up as he goes along. In the garden. In the kitchen’. Now she’s saying ‘ don’t pick your lilac! I always told her it was an old wives tale. So why am I listening!
I’ll be keeping an eye on this one.
There are still some seed heads on the Jacaranda tree. Funny looking things these seed pods. A real hard brown outer shell. Slowly opening like a mussel shell. I’ve just noticed a couple of green seed heads there too. The tree is a beauty but is on the large side. Note to self check for pruning back and when. Not a job for me though. Ladders. Me. Heights. Never.
The aliens are still doing well. It was interesting to go to the Botanical Gardens Malaga this week and to see many plants there which we have growing in the garden here. Not on their scale though – the Botanical gardens are huge and I have a feeling a bit of a blog may be coming on that trip. There were loads of photos.
So Plecatranthus It is Adds a bit of colour at this time of year and spreads.
I have had my eye on this plant Pyrostegia venusta – Brazilian Trumpet Vine – every time we go to either Nerja or the garden centre. Both have magnificent specimens. This one is the Nerja one and is mighty impressive. The colour is just amazing. The friend staying bought me one and planted it against the white garage to replace the bougainvillea which is not doing very well at all. So it’s planted. Fingers crossed. It generally is pretty rampant.The Australian wisteria is out in full force. A glorious colour and a huge attraction to the bees. Its growing over the gate into the garden and its a riot of colour. The colour purple. I had never seen it before we bought this house but I have now also bought a pink one. I have found out that there is a UK stockist Fibrex Nurseries who has said it is in their conservatory section and it would be ok in our London sheltered garden. ( the wonders of twitter)For london I’d go for the purple as its more striking. A bit more show off. It will replace a Trachelospermum which has died. My fault entirely. Hands up. I shall be ordering from Fibrex before we return to the Uk.
Osteospermum. What to say. Other than they are out in force and spreading. Lovely flowers. A few different colours. All welcome. Gotta love a self seeder.
The succulents are starting to flower. Please don’t ask. I don’t know! .
Its been a real bit of trial and error for me in this garden. I certainly am out of my comfort zone but its fun and I am loving it.
Last time I was here I planted this leptospermum. (Tea tree) Still looking ok. So far so good. Such pretty flowers.
Oh. What to do with the lavender. I love it. But its a but sad in places. Before xmas i cut some back really hard following advice from the twitterati. Do you know what? The ones I cut back are doing well. If only I had the courage to do them all. Maybe after next weeks visitors I will take the plunge.
We did s bit of clearing and pruning this week and came across these lovelies hiding underneath. Gorgeous little things aren’t they. In Spain. Being Welsh you have to love a dadfodil. A leek. A bara brith and a welsh cake. In no particular order. Well. The cake may come first.
You will know I am a fan of Peter Nyssen This year they delivered my bulbs to Spain. Allium. Freesia. Chionodoxa. All planted and the alliums are pushing through at various stages. The first of the freesias has opened and the rest have big fat buds. I am so excited to have all of these bulbs here and I am grateful to Karen yet again for her advice.
I am having some success as well this year with foxtail lilys. I planted six. Five are up and reaching for the sky. The sixth maybe too. I just need to remember where I planted it. I know. I know. Labels dear boy. Labels. I can’t wait to see those towering spires when and if they flower.
Its also good to have a someone else cast a fresh eye over the pots. My friend Michael was here for a week and he made some suggestions. About the plants and the pots. Michael and I have been friends for over 30 years. I met him when he first moved to London and met him for lunch. His first words to me were ‘ooh allo’ and thats been his name ever since. Ooh Allo Mike.
So we have had a bit of a move around and it looks better. Its not the end. There will be more moves. I probably wont be moving a lot by the time I’ve finished. Iv already rolled down the bank once this week and trust me. Its not a pretty sight. Me. Not the bank. Anyone need a garden roller?
We have been having Spanish lessons. Ooh. Its been a hard slog this first week – one to one tuition for an hour a day. Three days a week. With homework. Ian is a glutton for punishment. He’s doing two hours a day.
So today i said that I would pop to the garden centre to pick up some liquid fertiliser whilst he had his lesson. On my own. Oh dear. With no Ian to stop me I filled the car. 3 Clivia – an awesome plant. One I first bought 20 years ago from my neighbour and friend Clare who opened a shop. A trained horticulturist and ex Blue Peter gardener she introduced me to quality plants. Clivia was one of them. Cornish daffodils another.
I added 3 lavender just in case – 4. Agapanthus as you can never have too many. Some iris. A lovely one called burnt toffee. Iris don’t seem to have done well here this year but I’m going to plant them but just not sure where yet. Two new Hardenbergia – why two I don’t know as I really only need one. And two sweet little pots for the garden tables.
I couldn’t hide them. The car was full. The accountant in Ian couldn’t help but say. ‘How much’?
The Clivia are planted. Two of the four agapanthus planted. The rest are soaking. Oh. Did I mention a brugmansia. Because I bought one. When we were clearing last week I found one. I know. How can you lose one? Not only did I find one. But I knocked the top off. I’m sure it will come back. More crossed fingers then. Great for my arthritis.
Ian has been the foreman this week. He has taken more interest in this garden than he ever did in Somerset. He loves the cactus, The succulents, the big palms and yuccas and has suggested- yes he has suggested – that we head to Torrox to go and see the large palms and the cactus as he has earmarked a spot for one. I’m practicing.
The back garden is small. Very small but full of pots. The tree ferns are in pots. The foxgloves and the the clematis. All in pots. The garden is fed with alpaca poo courtesy of Lou Archer. Well not Lou but her alpacas obviously. She has s new product which she launched at RHS Chelsea especially for tree ferns. A must have for me when I get back and it’s on her 
I have had my eye on this plant Pyrostegia venusta – Brazilian Trumpet Vine – every time we go to either Nerja or the garden centre. Both have magnificent specimens. This one is the Nerja one and is mighty impressive. The colour is just amazing. The friend staying bought me one and planted it against the white garage to replace the bougainvillea which is not doing very well at all. So it’s planted. 
Fingers crossed. It generally is pretty rampant.
The Australian wisteria is out in full force. A glorious colour and a huge attraction to the bees. Its growing over the gate into the garden and its a riot of colour. The colour purple. I had never seen it before we bought this house but I have now also bought a pink one. I have found out that there is a UK stockist 
For london I’d go for the purple as its more striking. A bit more show off. It will replace a Trachelospermum which has died. My fault entirely. Hands up. I shall be ordering from Fibrex before we return to the Uk.
Osteospermum. What to say. Other than they are out in force and spreading. Lovely flowers. A few different colours. All welcome. Gotta love a self seeder.
Its been a real bit of trial and error for me in this garden. I certainly am out of my comfort zone but its fun and I am loving it.
Oh. What to do with the lavender. I love it. But its a but sad in places. Before xmas i cut some back really hard following advice from the twitterati. Do you know what? The ones I cut back are doing well. If only I had the courage to do them all. Maybe after next weeks visitors I will take the plunge.
We did s bit of clearing and pruning this week and came across these lovelies hiding underneath. Gorgeous little things aren’t they. In Spain. Being Welsh you have to love a dadfodil. A leek. A bara brith and a welsh cake. In no particular order. Well. The cake may come first.
Its also good to have a someone else cast a fresh eye over the pots. My friend Michael was here for a week and he made some suggestions. About the plants and the pots. Michael and I have been friends for over 30 years. I met him when he first moved to London and met him for lunch. His first words to me were ‘ooh allo’ and thats been his name ever since. Ooh Allo Mike.
We have been having Spanish lessons. Ooh. Its been a hard slog this first week – one to one tuition for an hour a day. Three days a week. With homework. Ian is a glutton for punishment. He’s doing two hours a day.
Ian has been the foreman this week. He has taken more interest in this garden than he ever did in Somerset. He loves the cactus, The succulents, the big palms and yuccas and has suggested- yes he has suggested – that we head to Torrox to go and see the large palms and the cactus as he has earmarked a spot for one. I’m practicing.
Gardens. Travel. Life. 