Wild Wednesday: Ophrys Tenthredinifera – Sawfly Orchid
This has to be my favourite wildflower! A friend posted a picture of the wild orchid on our local gardening FB group so the next day I was out taking photographs. Lucky I was wearing trainers because...
View ArticleWild Wednesday: Bartsia Trixago (Bellardia) or flor-de-ouro
This week my search for wildflowers growing in the Western Algarve resulted in finding this little beauty which I discovered purely by accident when I grabbed a wall for support because an owner failed...
View ArticleWildflowers: Centaurea Sphaerocephala (Knapweed)
Wildflowers in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, Portugal Reference: floresdoareal.blogspot.com and https://flora-on.pt/index.php#/1centaurea+sphaerocephala Do you enjoy...
View ArticleGarden Diary: The Fruit Tree Challenge
For my Six on Saturday this week I have focused on our fruit trees which usually normally offer more challenges than fruit. Most people here have an abundance of produce from the popular almond trees,...
View ArticleWildflowers: Cistus Ladanifer – Gum Cistus
The Cistus Ladanifer can be seen across Portugal during May and June. It is a sticky shrub (as I discovered when I wandered off the track to take closeups). The sticky resin covering the stem and...
View ArticleIt’s Hot Hot HOT in Portugal
Trying to motivate myself to garden today in nearly 38C when there is also a strong Southerly desert wind is like ... is like trying to climb Mount Everest in Flip-flops. Not that I'm ever likely to...
View ArticleSOS: Piglet’s Plot – Fruit and Vegetables in July
We are only halfway through July in the Western Algarve and already my vegetables have frizzled in the extreme temperatures and hot Southernly winds. With temperatures topping just under 40C and the...
View ArticleSoS: Unusual Garden Plants Which Grow in Portugal
For this Week's SoS (Six on Saturday) I 'dug deep' and selected some of my more unusual specimens. I grow most of my plants in pots as they are easier to manage - especially plants that need to be...
View ArticleThe Weekly Smile for the 3rd of October 2022
It's been hard to smile this week as I've had a raging toothache and ended up in A E for an emergency dentist appointment. Long story ... I'm now on strong antibiotics to try and calm the infection....
View ArticleSoS: What’s Happening in Piglet’s Plot?
The weather here continues to be warm and dry. Daytime temperatures range from 16C to 26C. We've had some rain but not enough to impact the drought situation so I continue to recycle as much grey water...
View ArticleTomato Blight: Is Gardening a Green Science … ?
I am curious. While removing and disposing of some tomato plants that had contracted the dreaded blight I wondered if I should dispose of the remaining soil in the pots or would the UV rays from the...
View ArticleWestern Algarve Beaches: Praia da Carriagem
Praia da Carriagem on the West Coast Vicentine Coast Natural Park is known for its outstanding rock formations. At low tide, the beach reveals a curious natural amphitheater carved into the schist It...
View ArticleWeekly Smile: Rain Glorious Rain!
We spent the week dodging heavy rain and admiring rainbows. Socially-distanced meetups with friends were canceled and then rearranged at the last minute when the sun dodged the clouds and made a brief...
View ArticleWordless Wednesday: Winter Colour – Growing Hibiscus in Pots
For WordlessWednesday, I will let the hibiscus speak for themselves * * * * *
View ArticleWildflowers: Bermuda Buttercup
As I enjoy taking photographs of nature I decided to create a MEME called #WildWednesday. Every Wednesday I will be sharing a photograph of wild flora or fauna in my local area. Who will join me? How...
View ArticleWildflowers: Fumaria officinalis
Also known as : common ramping-fumitory Fumaria is a genus of about 60 species of annual flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae. The genus is native to Europe, Africa and Asia, most diverse in the...
View ArticleWildflowers: Acacia longifolia – Mimosa longifolia
Acacia longifolia REF: Acacia longifolia and Plants for a Future Another useful reference to identify plants is The Plant List Do you enjoy taking photographs of wildflowers, bugs, birds, snakes and...
View ArticleWildflowers: Lotus Creticus (Southern Bird’s Foot Trefoil)
Lotus Creticus - Southern Bird's Foot Trefoil I have photographed the Southern Bird's Foot Trefoil, also known as the Trevo-de-Creta, in flower from November through to February and it is still...
View ArticleSoS: 24-02-24 Gardening is Like a Full-Time Job!
Another week and another Six on Saturday update. Seriously. I seem to spend every spare moment when I'm not writing in my garden, and just as I begin to relax, yet another plant demands my attention....
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