An Algarve Garden

What beautiful colours and combinations of plants.

LOL, you've probably been asked this before - after living in such a climate and lovely surroundings, would you ever consider coming back to Britain - or are you an ex-pat now through and through? My uncle has made Mallorca his home and even has Spanish Citizenship now. He never hankers for the UK at all - but likes to listen to Terry Wogan on the radio in the mornings via his Sky set-up!

Will you ever grace our shores again LOL? Looks like you have found and made your own paradise in Portugal.

Hope I'm not being too nosey here - if so please ignore me!

PS: Just found the thread rating feature! A definite 5 star for this one!

 

Yes, strongy, that is one of the Thevetias. Unfortunately it doesn't look as healthy as the other one in the matching tub. I have fed it iron and I have been feeding all my plants with coffee ground fertiliser as of late ... in fact, must make up a bucketful today to do before I go away.

pip, Bouganvilleas can be difficult to grow, even here and can take 3 or more years to establish before they "take off". The one pictured is my oldest (about 8 years old) and most prolific. I cut it back severely around March as they "bloom" on current year's growth. I have six climbing and one shrub and two of the six are really struggling and I keep thinking they are dead and cut into the wood but it's fresh ... those two are only two years old.

Thank you sweet Cookie for your comments and rating. xx

Although we have been here since 2001, we only applied for and got our Portuguese residency in February and cannot apply for citizenship until you have held residency for five years ... however, I am proud to be British and will stay that way. :thumb:

We sold our house in Buckinghamshire in 2002 and our apartment on the Isle of Wight in 2006 so we have no home in the UK anymore. There is no comparison with the two countries .... I know the UK is very beautiful but here I am barely 20 minutes from the sea and the same from the mountains. We are one of the sunniest places in Europe with up to 12 hours sun per day in the summer months ... which is good for me as I suffer with SAD syndrone.

Here's a link I use ... scroll down to blurb about the climate here ... http://www.holiday-weather.com/algarve/index.html

The standard of living is higher and cheaper here so I'm afraid you won't be seeing me gracing the UK shores. However, my door is always open to visitors ....

We get the British channels here, only just even with our 1.37 metre dish as we are on the fringers of the satellite

Well, now that I've written a mini novel I must go think about what I am taking with me, it will be slightly cooler on the West Coast so have to make allowances. :rolleyes:

 

Sounds like life is good over there.

Portugal is lucky to have you.

James and I will raise a glass to your anniversary tonight. Have a fab time.

Kath x

 

Even with the builders here, I managed to clamber over their tools of destruction and avoid the cloudbursts to capture a few blooms ...





A filtered sun corner ...












My blue Hydrangea which this year is pink ...



... and the beautiful Mandevilla which doesn't want to climb ...



Now I'm off out again to repot, replant, trim, organise, etc, etc, as Bob & Co left this afternoon and won't return until the granite counter has arrived and is cut.

 

Wonderful pics. LoL.................Gives us a taster of OUR summer hols. abroard.........................Roll on

 

Nice pics LoL.
Lots of colour

 

Lovely colours my lady looking at your hydrangea makes me realise how far we are behind you we are.

 

Just catching up here, Sis, and find everything looking as pretty as ever.

I can't get over how the Sunseeker is growing and blooming, it's is fantastic!

Ah, your Begonia that gets those huge flower clusters (Angel Wings?), well, I saw them for the first time here just last week. Of course, they were just little ones, perhaps 20cm tall at the most. I note that yours is doing well again and will be having a time to support those flowers.

 

love your plants.

 

Thank you, my Dearest, pete, walnut, Sis and chengjing.

It's been about six weeks since I visited here and with our supposedly hottest summer in 25 years looming, I thought I'd get a few pictures out before there is nothing to show. :eek:

That is the guest bedrooom window so all this is in front of it ....





Looking up through the Bougainvillea and Oleander to the Jacaramda in front of the guest room ...



A close up of the sweetly scented Oleander ....



A Bougainvillea on the inside of the gates ...



.... and it is planned this one will meet it from the lane side .... it goes irridescent orange in the evening sunlight ...



We have seen something unusual this year .... our Jacarandas are still blooming in July ... this is the larger of the two which I rarely photograph ...





.... and this is a cluster of blooms on the smaller one ....



And last, but not least, my beautiful pot of Laurentia on the kitchen patio ...



Hopefully I may have more blooms to show you in the summer ....

 

LoL - your pictures are as fabulous as ever. Most of my plants, this far north, haven't even reached the flowering stage. I do hope they will make it before the frosts. :rolleyes:

 

once again LOL your garden is stunning,great colour ,beautiful plants,love the jacaranda,its one of my fav.trees

 

Thank you PeterS and Kathy3.

I keep saying I'm going to have fewer tubs and pots, and I have been doing well recently putting the Brugmansia and Cestrum and one Canna in the ground, but I'm hooked on Mandevillas at the moment ....

There are two tubs like this ... (with Verbena and a Thevetia in the center) ...



There are two of these ....



There are three of these ...



.... and there's two pedestal pots on either side of the front door I haven't photographed as I just planted them up yesterday. :rolleyes:

My first Canna is blooming ...



The Portulaca grandiflora loves the sun ....



And heaven knows how, but I have managed to get the Lisianthus blooming for a second year ....

 

I keep saying I will have less pots this year but I always end up having MORE lol.

Your plants all look so well and happy............so you are obviously doing something right...............I supose you have to do more watering than us,but having said that you grow mostly plants that NEED less water.

Anyway that second picture is a beauty :thumb:

 

Good collection again LoL
Mandevillas have never lasted long with me.:D