Portugal: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – January 2013

On the 15th of each month bloggers from all over the world take part in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day organised by May Dream Gardens. What is blooming in your garden?

In the UK gardening in January like the weather, was depressing.. However, here in the Algarve I’m amazed there are so many plants, shrubs and succulents in bloom.

One of my favourite flowers is the Arum Lily. The leaves die down in summer when the sun is intense but in the winter we are rewarded with the most wonderful flowers!

Arum Lily

I’m not sure what this succulent is called but at the moment it has a profusion of yellow flowers which the bees enjoy.

No name?

The no name orange succulents are now in full bloom.

Orange Succulents in January

I love this succulent the leaves are so unusual who need flowers!

Succulent

Gazanias continue to flower in January! They are such a rewarding plant and grow in a variety of different colours.

Gazanias still in flowering in January

Both my pink and mauve bougainvillea are in flower. Not sure they should flower in January as it’s the winter here. Still we’ve not had any frosts yet and daytime temperatures on the south-facing protected wall where they grow have reached 25C plus some days.

Unfortunately the birds have decided to roost in them every night and poop all over our patio. Any ideas please how we can discourage them?

Bourganvelia still in flowering in January

My Hibiscus growing in pots are still flowering profusely – I forgot to take any photos and it’s now dark!

Piglet in Portugal

I usually always wear gloves when I’m gardening because of all the little beasties lurking in the soil or on the leaves of my plants.

Guess what?

On this occasion I got sloppy and I put my naked hands into my strawberry bed to do some weeding. I saw something lurking among the dead leaves and initially thought to myself “Mr. Grasshopper’s turned a funny colour” Hang on…rewind that thought process Piglet, grasshoppers are not that colour! I quickly withdrew my hands. Lucky for me I did because this particular little beastie was a scorpion.

I ran squealing like a speared piglet into the house to take cover and hide behind Mr. Piglet. When we returned the Scorpion was making its getaway. Guess who I persuaded to take the photographs as my hands were still shaking?

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November Garden Bloggers Bloom Day in Portugal

Last month I joined a gardening blog hop where on the 15th of each month garden bloggers all over the world take part in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day to show you what is blooming in their garden.

Although I love flowers my main focus is vegetables. So not a great selection!

One of the most rewarding plants are the Gazanias Daisies. They flower throughout the year in a multitude of different colours.

Yellow Gazanias

Gazanias

Gazanias

I am not sure what these daisies are, but they seeded themselves in my garden. As I say a present from the birds!

Osteospermum

I am growing this Hibiscus as a standard. Currently the only
Hibiscus I have which planted directly in the ground.

Hibiscus

This Bougainvillea was not in bloom when I bought it. I asked for pink and was sold this. It looks mauve to me…what do you think?
I am not keen on in it, not because it’s not pretty it is. The bracts do not fall off but die on the plant where they remain making it look rather untidy.

Bougainvillea

The Purple hop bush is, I think, an extremely versatile shrub. It has striking purple leaves and during winter months delicate paper pink flowers. It withstands strong winds, poor soil and grows up to 15ft high. I have planted several to provide a pretty screen around the pool area. I have also taken cuttings which once established I will use as a contrast to my Oleander shrubs.

Dodonaea viscosa – Purple hop bush

Related posts
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – October

Is This Blight?

My tomatoes had blight last month so I’m now wondering if my cabbage and brocoli could also be affected?

I’ve been away for a few days and left Mr. Piglet in charge of my veggies. I was quite surprised when I returned to see brown and white patches on the cabbage and brocoli leaves. He had sprayed the leaves with diluted washing up liquid to kill the caterpillars…perhaps that’s the cause…

Anyone heard of Cabbage blight? Looked on net and can’t really see much info. All suggestions gratefully received.

In the meantime think I will pick all the affected leaves off and see what happens.

My brocolli leaves look like they may have blight

Any idea what this is?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – October

I’ve just joined a gardening blog hop where on the 15th of each month garden bloggers all over the world take part in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day to show you what is blooming in their garden.

My Plumbago bush is about 6′ tall!

Plumbago in Portugal

The Hydrangea has flowered since early May and rewarded us with an abundance of beautiful pink flowers. Although the flowers are now dying off I still enjoy the papery flowers before they wither completely.

Hydrangea in Portugal

I love this oleander but unfortunately it is very slow-growing!
Did you know the leaves of the Oleander are poisonous and if you burn oleander it gives off toxic fumes?

Yellow Oleander in Portugal

I originally tried to grow this Bougainvillea in a pot, without success. In desperation I planted it in the ground, ignored it and now it’s roof height!

Bougainvillea

I’m unsure of the name of this plant; any suggestions please? Traditionally it’s a climber, but I’m growing as a trailing plant in this enormous pot! It does not require much water and seems to have a long flowering period. Grows best, as I’ve discovered, in full sun.

What is this?

Yucca plants have the most amazing flowers!

Yucca Plant

I forgot to photograph my Hibiscus and Gazanias and it’s now dark, so no go. There’s always next month

Piglet’s Plot

Gardening is my passion and every day I discover something new.

Gazania in Portugal

As a novice gardener with a tenacious spirit and a heap of enthusiasm I follow my passion with an element of frustration and humour. I laugh, rant or cry at my failures and celebrate my many successes with a whoop as I jump for joy! (I’m easily pleased) Of course, gardening in a foreign country when you do not speak the language adds a whole new dimension to the gardening challenge.

My urban garden is compact and manageable – just as well I don’t have acres of land to manage as it can be very hot here! However, if I did have acres of land I could keep pigs and chickens which I adore, so life is about compromise.

I grow (attempt to grow): fruit and vegetables, herbs, cacti and succulents, flowering shrubs and perhaps the biggest challenge – container gardening.

Despite my ongoing battle to dissuade the bugs that my humble plot is not a Michelin star restaurant I now endeavour not to use pesticides. So if you have any natural remedies you can recommend please share!

Visitors to “PiP’s” gourmet garden restaurant

Turn up the sound and listen to the poem I dedicated to some of the bugs that taunt me!

The Ugly Bug Spring Jive
by PiP

With the Herald of Spring the bugs start to arrive
in my Garden of Eden for the “Ugly Bug Jive”.

The weird and the ugly they give me the jitters
who may I ask invented these critters?

There are black bugs and green bugs and stripey ones too
perhaps they’ve escaped from the Ugly Bug zoo?.

Grass hoppers and spiders arrive at my door
the Jive’s in full swing so they take to the floor.

The Ugly Bug Jive is now the “In” thing
and a great way to cheer, the arrival of Spring.

The birds, snakes and lizards come looking for lunch
The “Ugly Bug” guests look an appetising bunch…

hmmmmm

Gobble gobble!

What's on the menu today?

Battling against the language barrier, uncertainty of what to plant when, humongous insects and a variety of diseases, cruel salt winds and high humidity my little plot in paradise at times presents quite a challenge.

Piglet’s Plot is a diary of my gardening “ups” and “downs”, tips and ideas based on personal experience.