Welcome again to my garden in the Algarve, southern Portugal (hardiness zone 10).
It's spring here but the weather is still strange - cool, grey and windy, then suddenly sunny and very hot, then windy again - in other words: extremely unstable. Those who came down on the long weekend for some relaxation at the beach were sorely disappointed, I'm afraid.
As I mentioned last month, after reducing the front lawn, I'm turning my attention to the back patio area. In this picture you can just make out the barbecue behind the huge planter that has a small tangerine tree and a big curry plant in flower. I love its fragrance!. Around the barbecue there are some newly added pots of very resistant plants to brighten up this space. Just to the left is an old tangerine tree where my geraniums are blooming like crazy.
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| The geraniums are doing so well, you can hardly make out the tangerine tree! |
By the kitchen window I have some yellow lilies.
At the other end of the patio stands the lemon tree. I thought I was going to lose it to the mealie bugs, but it seems to be surviving.
By the carport I have this bush creating dappled shade:
At the front, the roses are doing well.
I particularly like this white rose, which has a soft pink centre.
These red ones don't last very long under the midday sun. Whenever I'm home at that time of day I open up an umbrella over them!
This was bought as a yellow rose, and the flowers were yellow... the first year, that is. Now they are this colour. I'm not complaining but why does that happen?
One oleander is in bloom. The others will follow soon.
The bougainvillea continues to bloom.
This plant appeared here and I decided to wait and see. It doesn't smell as strong as my curry plant but I believe it is a wild variety. I'm happy to let it stay.
My white agapanthus have started to flower and I hope to have some blooms of the blue variety soon.
And now for my lavenders. I have five different ones. One provides pretty, grey, sweet-smelling and long-lasting foliage for flower arrangements, as I have discovered recently by accident.
The one above has been here the longest and blooms just about all year round, in the corner by the red oleander. (The orange flowers in the background are from a creeper in the neighbour's garden.)
This is a lavender I bought as a tiny plant two years ago. Now it's the focal point of the garden, attracting butterflies and bees. I love it!
