An Algarve Garden 2012

Colour is starting to peep up in every corner here ...

I have five miniature BoPs opening ..



The first of the Freesias and Anenomes are showing their faces ...





And now that the beautiful Almond Blossom is creating it's Algarvean 'snow', my Pissardi Plum has come into bloom (sadly it hides against the white walls of the house on my kitchen patio) ...

 

Looks lovely Victoria. Still planning on coming out to see you when the house sells.

 

You're always ahead of us colourwise.

 

Thank you for your comments Zig, Woo and Strongy.

I mentioned the Almond tree has just finished blooming so now it's getting it's leaves for the summer. Here are a couple of pictures of it taken on 30 January, one from the lane and the other looking across the garden through the Jacaranda, Iochroma and others ...





(Sorry for the pixilation, must work on that ... )

 

Gorgeous

 

Victoria - we all love seeing your garden. When all around here is cloudy and cold, just the thought of the Algarve is wonderful.

I love your BoP. I have just bought one for the first time - they look so neat even when they are not in flower. But I understand that they take a long time to flower.

 

Oh, thank you very much merleworld, Peter and Armandii.

Peter, BoPs take around seven years from seed to bloom. I cheated and bought mine already in bloom, a present from my father about 7-8 years ago which is a nice memory as he died in 2006. I am now waiting/praying for my S nicolai to bloom. I've had it about three years now and it was quite big when I got it. We had it up on the deck for a couple of years but it didn't like it up there so t'other half dragged it down the steps and to the front of the house where it gets partial shade and it is thriving now. I just took this photo of it ...



PS The power washer is coming out tomorrow to clear that awful mess the Jacarandas make.

 

I reckon it may be a way off yet Victoria (although I am often wrong). Here's a photo of the one at Oxfords botanic gardens taken a couple of years ago. Sorry its not very good - it was a phone photo..........

 

I live in hope .. here is one taken last year from our friends' balcony of their German neighbour's plant ... he has three of them all in bloom ..

 

That is brilliant Victoria!
I'm moving to the Algarve!!

 

Thanks Victoria. I only recently read how long it took from seed. Mine was a spur of the moment buy. I saw some young plants for sale, then I noticed one left over from the previous year, which was twice the size and cheaper than the new stock. So I moved into bargain mode and couldn't resist it. But its probably got several years to go before flowering.

Before I saw your last post I had just Googled and seen that S. nicolai was essentially a tree - as you have shown. What a lovely thing.

 

Now that Spring has arrived (and no rain still) hot colour has arrived also.

My Callistemon viminalis is heavy with brushlets (up to 5 per stem end .. very technical that ) ... there will be hundreds of brushes this year ...







The Freesias are hybridising under the Callistemon ...



... and seeding themselves nearby in the Salvia border (these self-seeded ones are twice the size of the original and the scent even stronger) ...





And in the outdoor living room (detached from the house and unheated but air conditioned) I am surprised that my Clivia overwintered and is blooming again, and a couple of pots to the right an Amaryllis is coming back to life ...





I love these hot colours and bought an orange Polyanthas rose from Aldi today for €1,59 along with a yellow climber to go between the Oranges & Lemons and Sunseeker .. will photograph when in bloom.

Hope you enjoy.

 

I really do need to move to the Algarve!