Algarve Country Garden 14th. January to 23rd. January 2008

Spring seems to be here. Earlier this week on the way to Portimao there were about 100 storks circling overhead having arrived back, and we saw our first swallows of the year ( about 4 weeks early.)

The temperatures over the last 10 days have been as follows. Average minimum night-time temperature 11 degrees, the coldest temperature being 8 degrees on 15th. January. The average maximum day-time temperature has been 18.5 degrees with highs on 21st. and 22nd January of 21 degrees. ( All temperatures quoted are shade temperatures. )

Although this blog is normally about my garden, you may remember that last week I mentioned the dwarf wild irises ( Iris planifolia ) which are growing just down the road. I couldn't resist taking a photograph of them, which is the opening photograph this week.

You may also remember me saying that Cosmos seedlings were already growing. Well they have also started to flower. The Gazania continue to flower and although I have pruned many of the roses back , others like this miniature yellow rose are coming into flower.

The rubber plants ( Ficus elastica ) are producing new leaves, and the Lantana montevidensis is almost in full bloom. The second Ceanothus thyrsiflorus.var.repens has started to flower, which is at the right time, whilst its sister plant continues to flower, as it has for months.

The Almond tree is almost in full blossom and is covered in bees, this too is slightly early as February is usually the month for almond blossom.

I have been cutting back and thinning grasses such as the Japanese blood grass and Festuca Glauca, and digging over the beds, but the ground is very hard and we still need more rainfall before the end of our winter season.

Algarve Country Garden 2nd. January 2008 to 13 th.January 2008

Two weeks into the new year, and they have been quite cloudy weeks. The average night-time temperature has still been warm at 12.5 degrees,with a low of 6 degrees on 12th.January. The average day-time temperature has been 16.5 degrees with highs of 18 degrees on the 8th. and 9th. of January. We had about one inch of rain on 3rd.January, some light rain on a couple of days in between and had heavy rain this morning which gave us about another inch. I managed to get this weeks pictures between the rain showers after lunch today.

Things are starting to move in the garden and in the countryside round about. We have seen clumps of miniature irises along the roadside leading to our house, which are very early this year.

The Almond tree has a couple of flowers on it and its buds are swelling so I don't think it will be long before it comes into full flower. I intend to photograph it each day so watch this space.
The Arum Lily (Zantedescia ) is flowering again, this time at the right time of year.

Whilst weeding one of the flower beds I noticed that there are lots of Cosmos seedlings sprouting up. They too are very early.

The Rosemary bushes (Rosmarinus officinalis ) are also full of flowers and are still attracting the bees.

Near the bottom pond the Hebes are also coming into flower, providing new colour for that area of the garden.

In the bed near the swimming pool the Carnations ( Dianthus ) are still providing colour and there is still one flower on one of the Canna plants. I have also got a Diascia which has now flowered for a year.

Another flowering wonder is the Ceonothus Thyrsiflorus.repens. which has been flowering now since October ( see posting of 16th. October2007 ). Its sister plant hasn't started to flower yet, although they both flowered at the same time last year. The sister plant however is shaded, so perhaps that is the reason.

Finally I mention my Lemon / Orange tree. When I first arrived here it was a leafless tree which I was going to dig up. I noticed a bud on it, so I gave it a chance and it developed into a healthy lemon tree with a fine crop of lemons. Then last winter I thought it had been caught by the frost because some of the fruits were an orange colour. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there were lemons and oranges, growing on the same tree. I suppose one or the other had been used for root stock and the tree has partially reverted. Anyway I have kept it and it makes a good talking point.

As always all the photographs used have been taken during the period of the blog.

Algarve Country Garden 22nd. December 2007 to 1st.January 2008

First of all may I wish everyone a Happy New Year. The fine weather on the Algarve has continued for the remainder of 2007.
The average minimum night-time temperature over the past 11 days has been 9 degrees, the minimum night-time temperature was 8 degrees.
The average day-time temperature has been 17 degrees, the maximum day-time temperature was 20 degrees on Christmas Eve. the sun has been shining every day, however it did cloud over in the afternoon of New Years Day, and we had some overnight showers.

Their is still colour in the garden. The miniature Bottlebrush ( Callistemon ) has quite a few more flowers following the recent rains.

Gazanias of various golds and oranges add patches of colour to the winter garden.

Along the path to the bottom fish pond one of the various unknown varieties of rose is coming into flower with large showy 6 inch blooms adding brightness to the shady area produced by the Pepper tree. Further along the path and up the steps to the top part of the garden and there is a patch of Day Lilies coming into flower.

Turn back and cross the small bridge and walk between the Bay hedges and one of the French Lavender ( Lavendula stoechas ) is almost fully in bloom, with a bright yellow Oxalis flower also getting into the picture.

Walking back along the path to the pool one of the Sparmannias is also flowering, its gold and white flowers attracting bees which are still busy gathering pollen.

Finally back to the front of the house where a Cenranthus ruber adds a pool of deep red colour in the foreground along the drive, and the Agave attenuata adds its striking shape and colour to the area beneath the Umbella pines.

As always all the photographs included in this article were taken during the period covered.