I always like to see what plants and vegetables are growing when I am visiting somewhere. Do you?
This garden was outside an apartment. It just goes to show you don't need a massive area for a garden. All you need is some plants and pots and somewhere to sit. Hmm...?
Modern apartments overlooking the olive trees and productive vegetable garden. The photos look more impressive when you click on them.
I mowed my lawns for the first time today. I always start the season by mowing on the highest cut and taking it down over the next few weeks.
The lawn clippings have been used for a mulch on my Japanese Winter onions. Hopefully it will suppress any weeds and also work to feed the onions. Anybody else experimented with grass clippings for a mulch? I usually put it straight on the old compost heap or in a trench in the veg plot.
What are you up to in the garden or allotment?
We saw a lot of Broad beans growing in Portugal. They were at least 30 Centimetres high. That's about one foot in old electricity meters? The yellow weed looks like Oxalis. It's good to see organic or natural ways of cutivation and no evidence of chemical weed killers.
In the photo below you can see potatoes pushing through in the middle of the veg plot. I haven't bought my seed potatoes yet. Have you? Time to get chitting me thinks?
I mowed my lawns for the first time today. I always start the season by mowing on the highest cut and taking it down over the next few weeks.
The lawn clippings have been used for a mulch on my Japanese Winter onions. Hopefully it will suppress any weeds and also work to feed the onions. Anybody else experimented with grass clippings for a mulch? I usually put it straight on the old compost heap or in a trench in the veg plot.
What are you up to in the garden or allotment?
The gardening season is upon is, or will be soon. I took advantage of some sunshine to go and clear the dead ferns away. Ferns are lovely most of the time but the dirty brown and crumbly 'fans' are a dreadful sight when they're dying. I quite like the idea of an apartment with garden attached. It's still work, though, isn't it. Perhaps I'll do without!
ReplyDeleteFerns are wonderful Valerie. I wouldn't like not to have some outside space, especially in a warm country like Portugal. I love sitting outside especially after tea time and drinking a can of beer or a glass of Sangria or even a cup of black coffee. Roll on summer time. I bought my seed potatoes from Lidl today. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAs always, we've started with seed pots on the window sill in the south facing room, peppers and aubergines for now. We do a fairly normal rotating four bed veg lot with the odd variation and a small greenhouse. That's the male end of our garden. I look after soft fruit and a growing collection of small fruit trees. This year I will start a couple of heirloom type raspberries from Tibet and other parts of Asia. Plus more Scandinavian loganberry type things.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait.
Thanks Sabine. Sounds like you're very well organised on the veg plot. I seem to be growing more perennial flowers than vegetables. I divide them and take cuttings. These are potted up on the plot. We mainly grow carrots, cabbages, onions, celery, cauliflowers and leeks. In the polytunnel we grow tomatoes and celery. I also use the tunnel for my potting shed. Especially when we have so many wet and rainy days in Ireland. Last year they had no rain in the Algarve for nine months. I told the taxi that we would sell them some water or swap it for their sunshine. He said it was a good deal. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWe had a garden like yours during the 80s when we lived in Cork, instead of a polytunnel, we had a greenhouse made from old windows leaning against the wall, because all gardens have walls in Ireland.
DeleteI used to grow herbs and sold them. There was a great organic garden center run by a couple somewhere in West Cork (Glengarriff?) who had an excellent selection of seed and potting plants.
I use to rent allotments in England. I saw many homemade polytunnels made with plastic water pipes and polythene. I also saw supermarket trolleys used to dry onions and lumps of concrete holding corrugated sheets down. I know Glengarriff but don't know of the organic garden centre. I am going to try selling my plants at carboot sales.
ReplyDeleteBroad beans grow like mad here. Everyone has them in the garden. Those and lettuces are always successful. Along with that oxalis/clover/sorrel. Not sure exactly what it is but we have the same with the yellow flowers. It takes over the garden
ReplyDeleteAll looks so familiar
Hi LA. I thought of your garden and a previous discussion/comment we had on your blog. We have a pinky white flowering oxalis here in Ireland. Will post a picture of it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI like those gardens you photographed. I remember looking into people's back gardens from the train from Lagos as we travelled along the coast, everybody had tiny vegetable gardens. I will increase my herbs this year as they look nice and smell nice.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel. Fresh herbs are magical. We use them in drinks and for cooking. You have good sandy soil which they like for drainage. Do you root herb cuttings? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would need herbs to start with for doing this wouldn't I? I will buy a few herbs at the garden centre and bung them in. The soil here is very heavy, no sandy soil where I live Dave.
DeletePlants like chives are easy to divide. Rosemary cuttings are easy. Thompson and Morgan sell herb seeds. They have a good website. Potting or seed compost is better than garden soil. You could also buy a plastic propagator to get them to germinate. I am sure your brother will help you. Its a good hobby. Thanks Rachel.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm doing is clearing up after winter storms. And lopping a tree. I had to resort to a long pole (it has a blade on the end which I operated by pulling on a long string) and do some of it out of an upstairs window. We have a lot of snowdrops and one or two primula (much less than normal) showing at the moment. I read in the paper there's been a decline in insect populations. I not surprised with all the stuff the farming industry sprays into the air.
ReplyDeleteHi Gwil. The postman just arrived. Thanks a lot for the picture and I am going to enjoy reading your poetry book.
ReplyDeleteYes the declining insect population is a big concern. If they die the flowers won't get pollinated and birds like the swallows will have nothing to eat. I have one of those tree lopping poles. Thanks again Gwil.
Thanks, Dave.
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