wild carrot – Gardens. Travel. Life.

Posted on July 29, 2020July 30, 2020 by happyretiredblog · 4 Comments

Hello again hello. Spain 2020

I’ve been in Spain now for two and a half weeks. Alone. Ian should have arrived on Sunday with our friend Mary to a fridge full of food. Rose wine. Aperol. Now due to quarantine rules on return to the U.K. the decision had been made that no insurance added to quarantine wasn’t the risk to be taken. Best made plans.

You won’t find me in the garden for the next 10 days. I’ll be munching myself through the fridge. Not the fridge itself. But it’s contents.

Me ? I feel safe here. Safer than in the U.K? yes. I’m in an area where there isn’t a spike. Masks are mandatory. It’s become second nature when you leave the house. Teeth. Keys. Car keys. Wallet. Phone. Masks. Plural. In case you lose one you have another. To be worn as soon as you leave the garden gate. In the town. Shops. The bank. Taken off when sitting down for eating and drinking. Everyone is complying.

Oh. And at the garden centre where they have a fab sign that they have made.

Talking of garden centres. I’ve been. Three Clivias. An agapanthus. And a large strelitzia Nicolai. Maybe I should have worn the mask over my eyes.

The weather is hot. When I say hot I mean hot. Very. Too hot to walk on the terrace without shoes. This morning I watered the garden at 6am. It was probably dry within an hour. It’s that hot. It’s watering either at midnight or very early.

I haven’t done very much in the garden to be fair. A bit of cutting here. A bit of pruning there. Surveying the situation ~ a lot. But the garden is constantly changing. Things appearing this week that weren’t there last. Things that were there have gone over.

Let’s talk quince. Last year the tree was full. There were so many I was making quince jelly like crazy. The last of it is in the fridge and I was hoping I’d be able to restock. Well I may later in the year when I buy the fruit from a shop down the windey not wiggly road. In Nerja. I have never seen them for sale in the Uk. But maybe I just haven’t looked. I’m hoping it’s a fruit that does one good year then one bad year. It may also be the heat. This will be a constant theme. The heat.

I’ve missed the alliums flowering. Missed as I have been in lockdown London. What are left are the heads of the Alliums Summer drummer. This one nearly 6ft tall. Soon to be picked and brought in for the vase of last years dried flowers.

Note to self. Order more summer drummer from Peter Nyssen.

The citron “buddhas hand” has started flowering whilst I’ve been here. It’s an odd one. Not the most attractive of citrus but a very fragrant one. It’s segmented into fingers . Often crooked looking. No pulp. Often no juice. If any a little only. No pith. As in no pith. Used for candied peel. In salads. Whenever you need fragrant zest. The biggest problem I get is having the fruit to set.

Two years ago I drowned a lime tree. A foolish schoolboy error. I thought I’d put a drainage hole on the pot. Obviously I didn’t. It drowned. I re potted it and pampered. I have been lucky as It’s survived and this year is covered with limes. I’ll be making limencello if that’s a thing. To add to the limoncello.

I have been up to the back of the house where we have four almond trees. But I went at dusk. There aren’t as many almonds this year. They definetely a one year good one year bad crop. I have to admit I’m not too bothered. I still have last years in the garage and they are a hard nut to crack.

I’m not going to mention oranges. Well I have. We have two. Not trees. Oranges. I don’t know what’s happened this year. I am blaming the weather on everything.

The lantana is as tough as old boots. Again it’s appeared over night again. Three different colours and are not that well tended. Them the flowers appear and look great.

Ruella. Mexican Petunia. Never heard of it before but it’s such a pretty flower. The flowers last just for a day ~ I am getting one at a time at the moment but the plant is a decent size so I’m hoping for more to come out all together

We have a few different jasmines in the garden. ~ Jasminum grandiflorum is a bit scrappy on the bank but the scent is lovely. Jasmine Azoricum. Another lovely scent said to be lemon scented but I don’t get it. It is a native of Madeira. It’s a slow grower or it may just be the poor soil. Jasmine trachelospermum on the garage wall. Yellow winter jasmine ( not a favourite ) but it adds colour when there is little else flowering. And this one. Jasmine Sambac. A sweetly scented jasmine and used to flavour jasmine tea in China.

The flowers of the Society garlic are so pretty and delicate. Grown in the border by the pool and in a pot on the terrace. Tulbaghia violacea.

Said to be drought tolerant. Let’s talk drought tolerant. In this garden there’s drought tolerant and there’s drought tolerant. These like a bit of a drink to get good flowering in this garden.

Hello hibiscus. A gorgeous yellow flower with a gorgeous red throat. Another flower that has virtually appeared over night. Such a beauty. Grown in a pot on the terrace.

I planted these crocosmia from Peter Nyssen last year and they did nothing. But they have flowered this year in a place I can’t remember planting them. Maybe they did flower last year. Maybe I’d planted them in a different place. Maybe I should do what I’ve been promising myself. Do a garden plant list.

This must be the smallest Daucus Carota I have ever seen. It’s self seeded on the bank at the back of the house. It’s a small flower. Guess what I’m blaming. You’ve got it. The weather.

I thought I had missed the flowers on the scented pelargoniums. They are in the wall planter and the scent as you brush by is lovely. I may get a second flush.

I love the strelitzia we have in the garden. Both strelitzia reginae and strelitzia Nicolai. I missed the two flowers on the Nicolai. They are stunning flowers and to miss them this year was a shame. But there’s always next year. When I arrived the two flowers were well and truly dying. But they were so spooky as you walk up the garden path. It looked like a prehistoric monster. So unlike the beautiful black/blue white flower when it is in full bloom.

It sounds stupid to say but I found this cactus flowering on the bank as you drive down to the road. I pass it at least twice a day. But in the car. It’s on a bank I only go onto if I really have to. Not without a mobile phone and my nerve. It’s not for the faint hearted. I have twice slipped and travelled part of the way down. Trust me. It’s not a pretty sight. The bank or me.

But this cactus ~ name unknown has a simply gorgeous flower. With some more to come. Don’t get too close. It’s spiky.

Talking succulents. These were saved from the window sill by our neighbour. Absolutely roasting in the sun. Now placed somewhere more sensible they are doing well and throwing out flowers.

It’s not all sitting indoors watching Netflix with the aircon on. Surprisingly I haven’t left the mountain in nearly three weeks. But I have been into town to shop.

I’ve put the barbecue on to cook the fruit to have for breakfast with yoghurt.

I’ve eaten at the local restaurants. Drunk coffee at others. Shopped local and seen friends. So whilst I’m complaining about the weather it’s been brilliant to see friends I haven’t seen for 5 months.

With a potential quarantine if I return to the Uk they may be seeing me more than they would expect these next few months!

Posted on February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 by happyretiredblog · 3 Comments

Warm days. Cold nights.

Well there’s still no sign of rain. Heavy downpours were forecast for Monday. Was I excited? You bet. Something I’d never have thought would get me so excited. Rain. So I didn’t water the new plants Why waste an expensive commodity when it was going to chuck it down for free. Cats and dogs. Wet rain.

But guess what? We didn’t even have a drop. Nothing. A heavy dew. But the only thing that was wet was my bottom as I sat on the chair to have my morning coffee.

The early mornings are chilly. As are the evenings. Late afternoon has been lovely and a great time to get out and do. Things have started to move with a vengeance. Not me obviously. That’s more snail like.

So I watered. Not a lot. The ground is still wet if you poke around a bit. It surprises me what I see for the first time when casually throwing a bit of water about. Like this Dietes grandiflora – fairy iris. I planted two at the end of the summer and there have been flowers on and off since. This is a new one I planted after Christmas and it’s flowering. Well. I say flowering = there is one flower and another in bud. But it’s a pretty little thing.

I’m cutting the oleander back a bit. It’s grown quite tall and I have cut some of it back quite hard. ( hacked actually). But it will grow back again quickly. Careful when pruning as it’s another poisonous plant. But one or two still had their glorious seed heads or is it pods? They are pretty gorgeous. Not every variety in the garden has them. I know not why.

Talking seed heads – here’s one on the Jacaranda. I have a love/hate relationship with this tree. It’s too large and needs to be cut back. Not by me. But a professional. But this season it’s not lost its leaves. So it hasn’t been done. It still has some of its seed heads on the tree and they are a bit spooky. Whilst I love both the seed head and the flowers it’s the flowers that drive me insane. Gorgeous blue colour. Which don’t last that long and end up all over the ground. I can spend hours sweeping the path – I know. I need the exercise.

I love a bit of scent in the garden. I’m a sucker for freesia and planted a load last year which were brilliant. Tall strong stems. Gorgeous colours and a brilliant perfume. I planted more this year and they are going great guns.

I found a large aspidistra down on the coast. Not literally but at the garden centre. They use these a lot in the inner courtyards so I thought I have a bit of a shady spot on the terrace. So I did. We stayed in a lovely hotel in Seville and they had them in their open area in the centre of the building. That got me hooked. I need to sort the pot.

We have had the big ferns in plastic pots. I’ve wanted to repot them but finding pots we both likes proved difficult. We found these and bought them. We then realised we needed two more. Off we trotted to the coast. Again. I said we had the light option. Ian said that we bought the darker. It was only yesterday he said. I know but the two colours aren’t miles apart. He said the darker. I said the lighter so we went for the lighter. Got them home and it was the darker. Never mind. They will do as I’m not going round the mountain once again. .

There are a number of succulents in the garden. No matter how many times I look up theirs names I can never remember what I’ve been told.

This is one – a pretty orange. Looks a bit like lipsticks. But they will open in the sun. But try and get a decent picture when they open. I tried. And failed.

The bank on the access road has a number of trees, last year I was having an afternoon cuppa with the neighbours and we looked up to see what looked like smoke. So off we went to investigate. It was the pollen on the plants being blown away by the wind. So no smoke. But hay fever instead.

The citron buddhas hand is still hanging in there. Literally. There are a fair few new flowers about to open. But the fruit hasn’t been setting on the older flowers. I need to consult my citrus book.

The alliums I planted are all coming through. The allium summer drummer is running away with itself. I’m glad I planted more this year. This isn’t summer drummer. It’s either a white or globe master. Or maybe it’s…. I know. I said I’d label better.

I love a bit of scent in the garden and I love jasmine. White. Perfumed. We also have a jasmine azoricum which has the sweetest scent.

Jasmine

It’s not been all gardening. Don’t ask. It’s been a bit of a week. But I managed to get out for a walk along the road close to la Casa. Some interesting things to see. I should do it more.

There is a lot of Daucs carota about in flowering season. Now the ones that remain have been dried and look fantastic.

There are almond trees along the road and are in various stages of bloom. Surprisingly some have almonds forming already. The three I have in our garden are still flowering. Nowhere near having any almonds form. I’m hoping this years crop is better than last.

Almond blossom

it’s interesting to see what’s about. These lovely stone walls are fantastic.

Sadly my crop of olives equalled one. Yes. One olive. Last year I had enough to make a few jars of salt cured olives. Well this year I can put the one single olive on a cocktail stick and saunter to the open fire to warm my cold bones. And eat my one olive.

There’s nothing like a bit of Mimosa. There are two or three types around us here. This was in a garden on my walk. Again a bit of flower envy as our mimosa is still In tight tight buds. But when it opens then bank will be awash with yellow. Another that needs pruning after flowering. It’s a straggly tree.

We have also been to the coast. Up and down the wiggly road. In Nerja there are fantastic agaves along the beach. With tall elegant flower spikes. Which a friend said that looked like giant asparagus. Another says they look rude. Whatever they look like they look magnificent.

I also have plant envy. So much I bought another one for the garden. A friend bought one for us back last year. It’s still alive. But not doing much. So I bought one for a bit of instant colour. That did well. But now it’s looking a bit sad. Not like this one in Nerja. This is the one that got me started.

There is still so much to so. Hacking the pomegranate for one. Tomorrow’s another day.

Posted on July 20, 2018July 20, 2018 by happyretiredblog · 5 Comments

Summer loving.

It’s the end of another trip and boy it’s been a hot one. The weather that is. It’s been a scorcher. Like the UK I’m having to water. We do have an irrigation system which comes on every other day but I’m giving the beds a bit of a soak as well. I’m not a great fan of these drippers. Great for individual plants where needed but as a general water supply they can be pants.

We are lucky – we had tremendous rain here in the Spring – to be fair it didn’t stop and the reservoirs and reserves are sufficient that there is no prospect ( yet) of a ban on water for the garden. We do get regular cuts in the campo. But we have a massive water deposit under the terrace for emergencies.

It’s interesting. Some things were early or roughly on time others are a couple of weeks late. I thought we had no figs this year but on closer inspection we do. Loads of them. All will ripen at the same time and maybe when I’m not here. That’s another interesting thing. I can be away for two or three weeks and I miss things. Flowers are in bud when I leave and are gone when I return. Here today. Gone tomorrow. A bit like me really.

But the garden has been a delight. We weren’t here much in July last year so it’s good to see what is and what isn’t flowering. Oh. And what has gone over. Like the alliums.

The Alliums were glorious this year. Bought and shipped to Spain by Peter Nyssen they have been such a delight in the garden. The soil is poor – as Georgie the Flower Farmer said when she was here in March ‘ you need a ton of top soil delivered’ I’ll be back to help!

But the flowerheads are now sead heads and look great as they dry. Karen from Peter Nyssen says she picks hers and sprays them to prolong the interest. For now they can stay where they are !

But there will be more Allium next year. A lot more. I’m lucky that I can get them shipped direct to Spain. Makes life easier as it’s more difficult to source them locally. You can but not the varieties.

Just as I return to the UK the stephanotis comes into full flower. The plant is grown in a pot against the wall of the house and I haven’t done much with it. The plant not the house. Some water. A bit of a feed. But this year there are loads and loads of buds. Many of which are now opening. Such a glorious scent. It’s no wonder it’s called bridal crown as it has been a popular favourite in bridal bouquets . I learnt something new last year when I found a large seed pod on there. Apparently quite common in a hot summer. This is one of last years. Obviously.

I’ve mentioned before that there is a steep bank behind the house which has an access road between the bank and the roundabout which isn’t a roundabout. Just on the edge are some awesome cacti. Some rather sad looking prickly pears and another cactus who’s name I don’t know but should have looked up – has borne some flowers. A glorious yellow flower which is very short lived. Well it appears to be short lived. I don’t go to that part of the bank often and it was sheer luck that I was there to see this. Makes notes go there more often.

A new purchase this trip and planted under the large olive tree in the dry bed. Ptilotus Joey – Australian descent with pretty plume like flowers.

It’s drought resistant and a bit of a semi succulent. If that’s a term. I like the flowers but as a plant I am not sure. The jury is still out. I’m not sure how drought tolerant it will be. It was 32* under the shade of the olive tree yesterday. I melted.

This Spring brought the wildflowers out in abundance. Along the road verges and on our bank. They have all gone over and have turned into some beauties. This had a lovely yellow head when in full bloom. Now it’s crisp, spikey and golden. And looks great. The bank is a bit of a worry to be honest. We had it cleared last year after we moved in – the banks very steep & uneven and my balance too unpredictable for me to do it. I think we may have to do it again. But for now I’m enjoying the dried grasses and wildflowers. From a distance.

Don’t you just love a bit of Daucus carota – wild carrot? I scattered some seed from Mr Higgledy which have germinated. The flower heads are tiny. Now that’s nothing to do with the seed. They were sown late in dry ground. Hopefully they will all self seed for next year.

I know I witter on Twitter about the Strelitzia Reginae – Sorry not sorry but I can’t help myself. Even when they’ve gone over they have an air of beauty. A bit of a raggedy orange dodgy hair style kinda way. My presidential kinda flower head. I’ve cut most of them back but left one or two to remind me.

I need a reminder too that this pot is getting overcrowded. Not with the strelitzia but the self seeded agapanthus which has flowered this year.

I have birds of paradise both in pots and in the ground. I’m coming round to the thought that pots may be better for flowering. Adds to the never ending list. Buy more pots. Dig up. Replant.

I have a love hate relationship with the jacaranda. Beautiful in flower. A gorgeous colour. Really interesting seed heads. But. There has to be a but. The flowers don’t last that long on the tree. A whiff of a wind and they are off. Onto the path. Which needs sweeping constantly. Yes. It looks like there’s been a bridal party. Looks like there’s confetti on the ground. But. Thanks. No thanks.

It also needs a good prune back. It’s got really really tall and as we get a bit of a high wind at times – we are 620m above sea level in the mountains up that wiggly road so I do worry that one day you’ll hear a loud crack and it’s down on top of us. Adds “get tree man here in the Autumn” to the list.

Behind the house is a bed that needs minimal attention. Which is just as well as that’s what it gets. There are some smallish agaves growing along with my favourite the foxtail agave which I’ve posted before. There are two on the way into the town that have flowered. My oh my. They are pretty stunning though alive been told they die after flowering. That’s a hard one. Plant or flower. At this stage I’ll keep the plant.

There’s a straggly lantana there which is flowering but after the summer will be gently cut back. ( I mean hacked). I did it to one in a pot on the terrace and it did it no harm. My thought if it harms it I will replace it.

The pineapple guava has finished flowering and the fruit is beginning to set. It’s an easy growing plant and the flowers are interesting. The fruit as I’ve said before is an acquired taste.

The Durante repens continues to flower but It’s not as good as last year. That is also the case for the jacaranda and the olives. I’m just hoping it’s been the weather. Really wet. Then really cold. Now really hot. Like me.

We won’t get “Chateau Verano Eterno” but despite the lack of pruning this year there are a lot of grapes. They are black grapes and quite sweet. A nightmare on the terrace when they drop but it covers the pergola to give us the shade needed. But there should be at least enough for some grape and rosemary jelly.

I’ve planted this hibiscus in a pot. It wasn’t doing very well in the ground as it wasn’t getting enough water. Potted. Watered and given a good talking to it’s now blooming lovely. A gorgeous colour. Full of buds and brightening the terrace.

Behind the house on a more level patch well kinda level we have some Edibles.

The big fat leaves of the nispero against the blue sky. The leaves are pretty big. The fruit isn’t the prettiest of fruit and this year was damaged a fair bit by the weather. The fruit doesn’t keep and doesn’t travel well so I guess that’s why there isn’t a market for it in the UK. Even when in the shops locally or at the market it doesn’t look too inviting!

Then there are 4 mature almond trees. The blossom is gorgeous but this year it and wasn’t as abundant as last. But there are almonds. Next month I will pick them remove the drupes then dry the nuts. Then I’ll add them to last years collection. It’s all very well picking them but you have to use them.

Finally. Figs. Two fig trees. One large. One growing. I had despaired earlier in the year. I thought. No figs. But I was wrong very wrong to be honest. The tree on closer inspection has loads. All very small. All very green but there are figs. I suspect they will have ripened whilst I am away into that squishy black delight that you can pick for breakfast and drizzle with honey. Or. Leave them on the tree. Because by the time you get back they have gone over. Figs are like buses. You wait for one then they all arrive at the same time. I may be lucky enough to be able to make fig jam.

Did you know I’m a fan of agapanthus? Well if you didn’t I am. A big fan. Most are at the end of their flowering season. But a few are just coming into flower and a couple are still in bud. They do brilliantly here in Spain so with that in mind I bought 10 more at the sale. Five blue. Five white. I want some different ones and I need to find a supplier locally or one that ships to Spain. I’d like a few really dark ones. In London I have one. Black something or other.

Oleander. What can I say. A common sight in the central aisles of the motorway on our drive from the airport to the Casa. An easy grower and I didn’t realise just how many different shades and colours it comes in. The white in the garden is Almost translucent in the sunshine. There are pinks; reds, whites and peachy colours. Some looking like roses. I’m a bit of a fan for the colour they bring to the garden. But every bit is poisonous.

I bought this at the sale this week. I’d never seen it before but it’s Hibiscus moscheuos carousel. I”d like to be able to photograph the flower when it opens. But I guess I will be away. I’d also like to say that it’s raindrops on the leaves. But sadly not. I’d been watering again.

One of the hardest workers in the garden this year. I have cut back the dead flowers all bar one or two that still have some colour and they will be ready to burst into flower again in the next few weeks. Against the white wall they have looked great.

Back to a bit of Allium love. The drumstick alliums have been a revelation. They have grown in some dodgy places in the garden. Maybe because I had to plant where I could. I’ve loved them from the start of the buds right through to now where the colour is fading and they are going over. My other favourite this year was Allium summer drummer. Flowers later than the others I planted. Grows taller than any other I have seen. I must reorder for next year pretty soon. As they have done well here I’m keen to plant more on the bank.

I’d like to show you the Brugamasia but they have been so slow. Plenty of water. Sun. But no sign of flowers this summer.

I’m hoping that come the end of August the bananas I planted will be as high as an elephants eye. So no photos.

We have bougainvillea against the garage. A pinky red. That too is pants. If you want to see a gorgeous one look over our neighbours gate because I’m too embarrassed to photograph ours. I need to ask @fresh_bros and @podenco_squadencom how they do it. Oh. And they too have some glorious agapanthus.

I’m going to dig ours up. If I want to look at bougainvillea I’ll stand at their gate and stare. I’m already growing a lovely orange vine in its place. Bought for us by a friend in March. It’s sat there ever since not moving an inch until now. With a bit of sun you can see it move. Bingo. It flowers in winter/spring so we will get some colour. I think it’s bigonia Venusta.

I mentioned the plant sale. Our local – Viveros Florena – closes for the month of August. Sensible really. It’s too hot to plant. Plants need too much water to get established. Plus they need a holiday. The owners. Not the plants. So they close for the whole of August and have a sale of plants to reduce the number for watering. This is where I went on Tuesday. Nine o’clock on the dot. It’s a 15 min drive away. Quicker if you take the short cut. Which is fine as long as you don’t meet a local on the way. The road is narrow and is used by people who know the road. And drive faster than me.

You’d think after a year I’d have learnt some things here in Spain. Yes I do know they drive on the other side of the road. Yes I do know that the drivers side is different to ours. So why did I get into the wrong side of the car again at the petrol station and sit there like someone had stolen the steering wheel. Whilst the attendant and two car owners looked on in hilarity.

But I did have a car full of plants. So there.

Now I will never be selected to model. Unless maybe if it’s for shoes and gloves. If that’s the only part you’ll see. But. If you want a picture to put on your fridge door to keep people away. Then this is for you. Singularly unattractive.

Ready to venture into the garden. Whatever the time of day my legs get bitten. I needed to do 10 mins work in the middle of one of the beds. There was no option. Lycra. Socks. Long sleeve t shirt. Oh and lock the gate so none could see me. They would have thought its Max Wall. ( if your young ask your mother. Or google it)

It’s not all been gardens and plants. Well most of the time it has. Whilst the boys were here I could hear their mother shouting ‘ watch Uncle Andrews plants’ ‘get off the garden’ followed by me saying the same. Usually there are only two of us at the house. With no toys at the pool. No Lilos. No volleyball nets. No goal posts. No footballs flying around the terrace. I say we have to enjoy it whilst we can. At least for now they want to spend time with us. A broken agapanthus. A crushed oleander – it’s worth it.

So. Another month nearly over. More flowers. More plants. More heat. Yesterday so hot I sat on the terrace with fans on. It was 32* in the shade. You could normally think you were going back to the UK for some cool weather: After all the schools break up today. Doesn’t it always rain at the start of school holidays? It used to when I was a boy.

I wonder what August will bring!

Posted on July 7, 2018July 7, 2018 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Six on Saturday – España

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.

Posted on June 15, 2017June 16, 2017 by happyretiredblog · 5 Comments

More garden adventures

So here we are. Back again. This is the time that we were expecting to collect the keys to Casa Verano Eterno. But the transaction was completed two weeks early. So we are back. Ian for a short visit. Me 10 days. Hurrah. Ian has reluctantly gone back to London – the joy of retirement means I can stay a little longer. Oh that hurrah wasn’t because Ian has gone back. But that we are here again. He has become the gardeners assistant.

The road to Competa gets no less windey each time we visit. Nor less beautiful. The sight of the mountains as we drive up is truly spectacular. I’d take a picture. But I am driving and as I have started I will finish. But I will take one. Eventually. Ian says look at that. Look at this. I see nothing but the long and windey road.

A week is a long time for a garden. I had worried that the timers wouldn’t have gone off. I knew that the pots had been watered as I was sent a pic of the estate agent and friend at the house. Watering the pots. They were fine. As was the watering system.

The garden has been largely planted for drought resistance plants so it doesn’t need much. I was greeted with one of my favourite plants bursting to flower. The garden has a lot of agapanthus. Some I suspect have seeded but I am not complaining. I love them so I am more than happy that they are here. Next year I will have to smuggle some poo in my bag.

The lavender path is holding up well. I have a tendency to overwater and I know i can’t do that with lavender. Nor should I.. especially as the cost of water here isn’t cheap.

The jacaranda tree is in full bloom and is best seen from a distance. Or looking at the floor as it is constantly dropping its flowers. Is it romantic to walk on a flower covered path, swathed in blue flowers. No its bloody well not. It stains the floor and i have been sweeping up on the hour.

Slight exaggeration there but I don’t need a workout. I’ll get a wash board stomach yet and get rid of the washing machine and tumbler drier one that Ihave now.

I was never a fan of succulents – ! but having a new Mediterranean garden i am going to have to get to like them. That and Cactus. There are a few prickly pears in the garden ( maybe Ian and I will. Be know as the prickly pair – we are grumpy enough).

There are some great big triffids on the bits of a hill that’s ours. Bit grand really but its across the access road and has a few fig trees on it and is basically scrub. It will stay that way too.

Ian also picked out some plants. I thought they were cactus. But they are euphorbia. Euphorbia candelabrum cactus . to be precise. News to me. I have potted them and they will probably stay at the front. Another with a poisonous sap.

The garden has a lot of interesting plants and its a huge learning curve. I’d only just got used to my cottage garden planting! I have arranged for someone to come in in Sept to talk plants. Pruning. Some new planting. I have also discussed spring bulbs – there are no flies on me – and my order has to be done before the end of July. They stocked some of my wish list last year and I have requested Brown Sugar to go on the list. Plus alliums. I need to check that they will grow. It’s odd. There are things growing I wouldn’t have thought. There is a great show of hollyhocks on the drive into the town. I have bought two to grow in for next year. Hopefully they will self seed

Twitter is a wonderful thing you know. As well as being pretty rubbish. But that and Instagram when you need a plant identified is awesome. Like the Daucus carrot. Thanks to Phillips Burrough, Sara Venn and Georgie Newberry. I know know what this plant is growing on the bank at the rear of the house.

There are other things I don’t know. Lots of them. But I will before the decade is out. But something else I don’t know What it is.

Rather stupidly last time I was here i went up onto the bank. In shorts.. never ever again.. My legs were as itchy as hell. Not only the moziies had attacked me but I had a reaction to the grasses that were there.

Unlike the man who was weeding the bit of ground outside his house as I drove past yesterday. He was in the shortest shorts that could almost have been budgie smugglers. . No shirt. Flip flops. His skin as red as the shorts he was wearing. Spraying weed killer. In the heat of the day. Weed killer obviously doesn’t affect beer bellies. It may even enhance them. I’m not about to find out.

But I had to stop the car as I was laughing so much. I didn’t dare take a snap. But the vision is in my head. Protective clothing. Never,, health and safety. Never. So I have safely arranged to have our bank strimmed by someone else. The weeds and grass are as dry as. I’m hoping to grow some wild flowers there. It’s not a meadow. It’s a slope. An incline. Dry. Rocky. So maybe poppies. And more cacti. More succulents. Some more almonds and olives. Sounds grand but there are three almond trees loaded with nuts. .

Things are dying back. Things are coming to life. I have had a mother moment and spent most of yesterday dead heading. A snip here. A snip there. Just like she used to do. I’ve said it before. In her own garden. And if she walked up your path she couldn’t resist deadheading a rose or two. Irritating that. The garden is not somewhere you can burn the cuttings. It’s too dry. So no bonfire here.

We collected Ian’s lime tree which is now potted up and ready for the watering to establish it. It will fruit this year but we will take them off and wait until next. Not so the manadarin which is going great guns so far as are the two established orange trees.

.Talking guns. I asked what the black and white sign was outside the gates. Apparently is a no hunting on this land sign. Great I can safely take my shirt off in my own garden without the threat of great white whale hunter appearing as I get in the pool,

Which I have done. As its now warmed up enough for me to get in. I am a bit of a big girls blouse with cold water to be honest.

I also went on a rescue mission. I rescued a lemon. Forget driving over lemons. Try crawling on your belly in the border under yuccas to retrieve the one and only lemon that you have in the garden. Which has dropped off the tree when you weren’t looking. But you were determined to retrieve it.

I was determined that it wasn’t going to waste so it will sit in my gin and tonic this evening. Not the whole lemon. I will remember to slice it. Or as I found an electric juicer in the cupboard I could juice it. But really? Gin sounds better.

We had a business day on Monday. Off to the bank in Nerja as they had cancelled my bank card. Here two weeks and it gets cancelled. Only because I hadn’t signed a form. But I emailed on Monday early and saw my personal account manager at 10am. Excellent service and I signed in about 46 places and got my card reactivated. Then onto the lawyer to sign the insurance papers. A two hour wait before I had to see the notary meant a little bit of a shopping. So. A bit of pool art in the name of Nemo. Placed at the pool side and looks great. Great colours but be careful. It’s tin and gets hot. Behind it on the rails is a lovely Jasmine. Jasmine Azoricum. The smell is just gorgeous.

A trip up to Frigiliana to see an artist that we had seen previously and two pictures later we were on our way to the notary, who this time hadn’t disappeared to Rome. A swift flick of a pen and my will was signed.

So surprise surprise I have been busy snapping away in the garden. Partly because I can but also so I have a record of what’s what. I am not here for a month and the garden changes so quickly.

I’m pretty miffed that I will miss some of the agapanthus at their best as well.

But the main thing is the stephanotis that is just about to burst next to the front door. I swear they weren’t there a week ago. I’m sure the smell will be fab and there are loads of separate buds. Ah well you can’t win them all.

I have deadheaded some little blue maugerite type plants which I think flower continuously so hopefully they woill be awash with colour when I am next here. I have admired the black or blue bird of paradise yet again. It’s a real bee magnet.

So I am in the square again. It’s Thursday and there will be no horsemen riding by. That’s a Sunday. Ive decided to have breakfast on the square. watching. Observing. Practicing my Spanish. Ian’s worried that I will repeat the phrase that came out wrong when I was doing my homework last week. Speaking into the iPhone app in my best accent it was translated back into English as long penis. Quite what I was asking for I don’t know as i collapsed into a quivering heap of laughter. So Far the only potential issue could have been when I was looking for Salvias and asked if they had hot lips. I kept a straight ( yea I can do it) face and carried on.. they didn’t by the way. so i bought two others. And yes they have been planted.

So. Off i go to the hardware place that is always full of builders and workmen. I must try not to embarrass myself as I’m only getting keys cut. Maybe.

Two More days and then back to my window boxes and tree ferns. Retirement is hard.