Christmas is just around the corner!
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| A student gave me this beautiful poinsettia ('Estrela de Natal' in Portuguese). |
In the Algarve we've had a lot of rain over the past month and the temperatures are still allowing things to grow, so the garden got out of control. I usually cut the grass myself but when I had free time it was raining and when I didn't, which has been most of the time, grass and weeds just kept on growing!
So I had to make a choice - either I called in a professional gardener or the overgrowth would make me miserable. The gardener came and did a lot of cutting, pruning and clearing. This is the result - looking a bit bare now!
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| But the aloe arborescens flower is about to open. |
There are lots of oranges and tangerines (my lemon bush hasn't been very productive, though).
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| Only three small lemons on my lemon bush at the back (the grasshoppers had a go at it before I terminated their stay). |
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| My orange tree dominates the front garden. |
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| At the back there's a tangerine bush and some bright red geranium blooms. |
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| A pink geranium. |
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| This is really the last of the bougainvillea blooms. |
Here is the path to the back patio:
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| Creeper, strawberry plants and other potted plants. |
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| Flowers of the creeper above. |
I love this creeper (anyone know what it's called?) because it doesn't lose its leaves in winter and it flowers all year round.
The lavenders are still flowering.
I've taken some cuttings and hope to have some reasonably sized plants to give to friends in the spring.
If the snails don't get them first, I hope to have some yellow and red orchids next month. This is what I love about gardening - there is always something to look forward to!
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| Cuphea, santolina, lantana (leaves turned purple) in a planter and some orchids in pots. |
Thank you to Carol for hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day at May Dream Gardens.
Your garden looks wonderful! the temperatures have been kind to us this year. just looked at the outside gauge and its 17.6C ! at 21.52 at night.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what the orange spiky flower and just seen what you called it. I looked up on the net and the Aloe arborescens shares similar medicinal properties with the well known Aloe vera and is commonly used to treat burn wounds.
I am sooooo jealous of you orange tree. Mine has no flowers on and certainly no oranges. when does your start getting new buds?
My orange tree gets new buds just before Easter and they smell heavenly! I'm having trouble with the lemon bush - the seller promised a monthly crop and I've had less than 10 lemons in 3 years!
DeleteI love your garden! I can make almost anything grow but not poinsettias. Now I'm jealous!
I can't grow oranges...so I'm REALLY jealous. As you can eat oranges and not flowers :)
DeleteWhen i lived in California I used to have a lemon tree. I loved it. I hope yours blooms
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in Zimbabwe we had a lemon tree as big as my orange tree and just as productive. My parents' garden has a wonderful lemon tree, but here I haven't been lucky yet.
DeleteI'm jealous of your garden. We live in a flat, hence no garden
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine my life without a garden.
DeleteAn occasional clearing does wonders, it will all grow back soon. I love the orange tree.
ReplyDeleteThose oranges are so sweet - it's a pity I can't eat more than one a day.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous orange tree. What kind of oranges are they? I would love to grow Seville oranges as we are big marmalade eaters at this house. I look forward to seeing your aloe bloom. We saw this variety in California one January. They were stunning.
ReplyDeleteHello and welcome! They are Bahia navel oranges - very sweet - good for dessert and for making juice. I've never made marmalade.
DeleteMy aloe is a bit late - I've seen many in bloom already in the last few weeks.
You still have lots of lovely fruit and blooms for winter. How long did it take for the aloe arborescens to bloom. Mine are 3 years and still no sign of blooming.
ReplyDeleteHello and welcome! I pinched this aloe from the spa town of Monchique about 6 years ago and I've kept it in a pot. It took a long time to grow to its present size and I only remember it blooming about 2 years ago.
DeleteHello there Mara,
ReplyDeleteI love your photos, thank you for sharing. Your creeper is Clematis and this link has everything you might want to know; http://www.homeofclematis.net/. I have two of these, one purple and the other is pink. They are tangled together. When Spring is just beginning we get the tips of our bulbs begin to burst through the soil and the Clematis starts to get its leaves. Ii is exciting! While I love all of the seasons here in Portland (Oregon USA), spring is my favorite. Its winter right now and our nights are in the low 30s and during the day its not any higher than 47 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate the nice comment. I am now following your blog and am looking forward reading further posts.
TaTa for now, Cathy the Bagg Lady.
Thank you for visiting. I thought that plant couldn't be a clematis because it is very hardy. Now that Pam has posted her comment, I remember the name sounds familiar. It is Solanum jasminoides. I didn't know it was called a potato vine. If you look closely at the flowers, they do look like the flowers on a potato.
DeleteYour white-flowering creeping vine is called white potato vine, Solanum jasminoides, I believe. I have one in my garden as well. I loved seeing all your tropical bounty but especially those aloes about to bloom -- love those!
ReplyDeleteWelcome, and thanks for the info. I'm following your blog.
DeleteWe have much of the same foliage where I live.
ReplyDeleteWelcome and thank you for your comment.
DeleteWhat a great garden...mine is in need of some love...you have inspired me to get out in to it. After Christmas though...and when all the rain stops
ReplyDelete.•*¨*•.♪♫♫♪Wishing you a safe and very Happy Holidays.♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸
I think it lacks a good professional design, though. It's a work in progress that gives almost constant pleasure. Thank you for your Christmas wishes. Happy 2013!
DeleteI'm so envious. Oranges and lemons won't grow here...
ReplyDeleteMy home is in an area of enormous orange groves. Although I don't live in the rural area, I love to drive by the orange groves around Easter when the citrus blooms scent the air.
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