Gardening, Presents & The Credit Crunch

We all know about the credit crunch and effects it has on the economy and of course this affects our spending habits.

With Christmas just around the corner there are many families out there struggling to find good/cheap gifts to give to family and friends.

I like to give presents because I enjoy the pleasure I get from giving to a friend or family member, because of the current economic climate I have been finding ways to give presents that won't break the bank.

I came up with an idea of herbs in a terracotta pot for my friends who like to cook or do gardening, rather than giving something I just bought because it looked nice I decided I could get away with giving these presents because there was also some love and labour that went into it Smiley



I have taken images of the pot I made for a friend today.

I included lemon thyme, thyme, mint and rosemary, in a separate pot I potted some parsley seeds which will grow slowly over the Christmas period.

What do you think a good present or not?

Take our poll and vote about this christmas gardening gift

Even better why don't you come and join our forum and discuss your Christmas credit crunch present ideas!

Gardens Are For Everyone

We all need plants, all living things require sugar for energy. Plants manufacture their own sugar, they do this through a process we call photosynthesis. Plants absorb moisture from the soil through their roots and carbon dioxide from the air through pores in their leaves.


Light energy harnessed by the green leaf pigment chlorophyll breaks water molecules down into hydrogen and oxygen, chemically combining the hydrogen with the carbon dioxide to form sugars for the plant and releasing pure oxygen into the air as a by-product. Animals on the other hand - including humans - depend on plants for food, which they convert into sugar, either directly as herbivores or indirectly as carnivores.

Not only do plants feed us, but by producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide they harmonise the earth's atmosphere, balacing out the living processes of animals and mankind who breathe oxygen in and carbon dioxide out.

So much for the science. Long before we knew all this there was one thing early man understood only too well: hunger. It was purely as a source of food that plants were initially put under cultivation. Ground was cleared of unwanted plants to make room for beneficial ones. From being a nomadic hunter-gatherer man came to lead a more sedentary existence, forming communities to nurture and protect fruit, grains and vegetables. Eventually, seed was sown and crops could be relied upon. As civilization flourished, attention could finally be paid to the aesthetic qualities of plants, and the skills which had been developed through farming were put to use in creating the first purely decorative gardens.

Today, with everyone striving to improve their quality of life, gardening has come to the fore as a leisure pursuit - not only as a means of visually improving our surroundings and adding value to our homes, but as a way of relaxing and reattuning ourselves to the natural world. Not only are plants and flowers beautiful to look at and therefore spiritually refreshing, but the process of tending them strengthens our bond with the world and makes us feel needed. (As a last resort in the mental health stakes you could start talking to your plants, but do seek immediate professional help if they ever start talking back!).

We can all close our eyes and visualise our ideal garden. For some people it might be that of a rambling English vicarage with bees humming through jumbles of flowers and ducks running round on the lawn. For others it might be a sophisticated roof terrace for entertaining guests while admiring panoramic city views. Other people might hanker for a lush tropical paradise or the elegant simplicity of a cloistered formal garden with fountains and statues.

But dreaming is one thing and reality is quite another. Many people live in flats or shared houses with no garden to call their own. Others move home so frequently that they never feel it's worth making a start. Yet others think their garden, yard or balcony is so small or has so little promose they they never attempt to make somthing of it in a million years. In our largely urban environment the passing on of gardening skills from generation to generation is a haphazard affair at best, and more and more of us come to gardening as complete innocents. For all sorts of reasons people write themselves off as second class citizens and deprive themselves of the pleasures of a garden.

Well, whatever your abilities, whatever the state of your finances, throw down your chains. If your garden is a constant source of worry to you, lighten up and look at things afresh. After all, plants are the oldest forms of life on earth and they have been looking after themselves in the wild for millions of years without any help from you. True, you might have to wait until you win the lottery to get the garden of your dreams, but until then you can jolly well learn to make the most of what you've got. Even if you don't have a garden, don't worry: there's plenty you can do without one. You can enjoy gardens without doing a stroke of work in parks or by visiting botanical gardens (our local Botanical Gardens are in Malaga) and stately homes. You can work in a garden without owning one by helping the little old lady down the road or a friend, by doing voluntary work, by renting an allotment or becoming involved in a community garden (I have a friend in the USA who does community gardening as they don't have gardens each so once a month they get together and do gardening but in their stree).

The secret to getting started is simple. All you need is a positive attitude and, just so long as you don't try to run before you can walk, everything else will simply fall into place.

Gardening is about having a go at things and embracing the opportunities you're presented with. If you think you've got a problem garden you're not alone, but the chancers are you're really the proud owner of a unique habitat just waiting to be planted up. And if you can't afford to buy many plants, just learn instead how to propogate them from seeds or cuttings - it's more satisfying anyway. Remember, above all else that an ounce of practice is worth a pound of theory, so just get out there and make a start.

One thing leads to another, and just as tending even the most undemanding of houseplants proves to be a useful experience for the neophyte gardener, so the knowledge gained in individual aspects of gardening quickly builds into a fully rounded understanding of gardening as a whole. A little knowledge and experience will enable you to channel your energy directly towards successful outcomes.

Doñana National Park: Huelva Province

Virgin beaches and mountains are the chief lures of this under appreciated corner of the Andalucian region.

Andalucia's westernmost province features on relatively few foreign tourist's itineraries. Part of this is understandable, part is just ignorance. We took a break in Huelva province this summer and spent a week camping in the Doñana National Park.


With Portugal on its western flank, Extremadura to the north, Seville to the east and the Atlantic to the south. Huelva has long been thought of as little more than a region to pass through in order to get somewhere else. Apart from the many wonderful beaches, much of the southern part of the province is scenically dreary, yet the hilly north is hugely beguilling, and, if major blockbuster attractions are few, there is plenty of interest for the visitor who cares to look......

Huelva City and Coast
Visually, Huelva is the least appealing of Andalucia's provincial capitals, with its small but attractive historic centre surrounded by modern apartment blocks and an ugly industrial fringe. However, the area immediately south of the city is rich in maritime heritage, particularly in relation to the pioneering voyages of Christopher Columbus. And much of the coastline is blessed with superb white sand beaches, and resorts that boast some of Spain's best seafood restaurants.

Although somewhat dull out of season, the resorts burst into life from Easter onwards, with mainly Spanish visitors. The most significant attraction on the coast is the immense expanse of the Parque Nacional de Doñana, a rigourously protected haven for birds and wildlife and one of Europe's most important wetlands. The curious Wild West style town of El Rocio, on the park's western edge, is the most interesting settlement in the area.



Without doubt, the most alluring region of Huelva province is the mountainous Sierra de Aracena in the north. Part of the huge Sierra Morena range that defines the northern boundary of Andalucia, the Sierra de Aracena is a rewarding and relatively compact area of modest peaks and wooded valleys, of friendly, pretty villages and memorable walking. This is the home, too, of the internationally salivated-over Jabugo ham. Tourism in these parts is low-key, though attractions such as Aracena's Gruta de las Maravillas (Cave of Marvels) are the equal of any in southern Spain.

Extending from the Portuguese coast in the west to the Doñana National Park in the east, the Huelvan coast is essentially one endless stretch of exposed virgin beach, punctuated by mostly modern resorts (at least there is not an English breakfast in sight!!). Apart from tourism, the area relies on fishing and strawberry growing, and there's also evidence of declining mining and thriving petrochemical industries to blight some of the best views.

Huelva Resources:
Police Station: Avenida Tomás Dominguez 2 - 0034 959 210 211
Post Office: Avenida Tomás Dominguez - 0034 959 540 361
Tourist Information: Avenida de Alemania 12 - 0034 959 004 433

Columbus Trail
Apart from the world beating Jabugo Ham, the province of Huelva is chiefly famed as the starting of Christopher Columbus's first historic voyage to the New World. La Rábida (seven kms/four miles south of Huelva) is the main site for Columbus related sightseeing. Take a monk led tour through the simple, whitewashed Monasterio de Santa María de la Rábida, where Columbus (Cristóbal Colón) spent time waiting for the go ahead for his epic voyage. The monastery's church holds the tomb of local hero Captain Martin Alonso Pinzón (accompanied Columbus across the Atlantic), as well as the only image of the Virgin Mary in Spain to have been blessed by the Pope. The flag room contains the flags of Latin American countries and coffers of sand from each land.

A day in the life of a Spanish Garden

Boy am I glad the weather has cooled down, I just couldn't wait to get back in the garden!

Granted the weather hasn't been so hot for a while now in Spain, however, it took me and Campo Girl a while to get motivated to get back out in the garden.

We have both started planting again and potatoes have been the main issue for us both this Autumn, with the credit crunch evident all around us, growing vegetables and fruits ourselves is paramount.

This is my first attempt at growing potatoes and thank goodness we have a valued member on our gardening forum to help us out with that, good guidelines and help where that is concerned!

I also planted Bell Peppers, Cauliflower, Leeks, Tomatoes and Carrots, I really hope we have some success with this little lot, it all went in from seed so who knows!

We turned over all our soil before planting and spent a good hour or so weeding the area and preparing, hard work but if we get good veggies from it I am all for it.

On another note, we had 2 very gorgeous birds land in our garden on Saturday and then again on Sunday, we think they are from the parrot family but not sure which exact breed.

We have posted pictures on our Flickr album of these beautiful birds and we have also posted pictures of a Gold Finch on a thistle.

Any tips for gardening potatoes? Come join us in the forum, discuss and help others.

Walking - Campillos, Andalucia, Spain

The time of year has come where it is a little cooler to be more active, walking has become a favourite hobby of ours, considering, we live in a wonderful part of Spain, Andalucia.

There is much to do in Andalucia if you like the great outdoors so we decided to take a journey out to Campillos and walk a ruddy great mountain!



The 5 of us headed off from Monda and Coín, passed through Villa Franco and headed for the A-384 Antequera-Campillos road. Originally the plan was to go and vist the Laguna Dulce which is 2km outside of Campillos, however, after driving around for some time, even stopping and askig directions in a petrol station, we didn't find it!

We changed our plan and went to visit the smaller Laguna called the Laguna Salada, unfortunately the Laguna was bone dry so there was very little wildlife about, we decided to walk round it anyway to get back to the car.

As we were driving to Campillos, we passed a Laguna on the right hand side that we believes connects to the "well known" Lakes so we decided to head there as at least there was water present and we were drawing blanks at the Lagunas we had chosen for our original activities of the day.



We noticed a sign saying "Parque Guadalteba" and thought we would just go there, we were itching to just get out of the car and walk! We did just that, off we went with our back packs full of food and wine, the park is very well laid out, clean and has easy paths to follow. As soon as you head off you will come to a bird hive which is just absolutely lovely, there is information next to the bird hive detailing all the local wildlife living in this area and a small picnic table made from rocks, this is where we sat and had lunch with a bottle of wine - lovely!

After lunch we decided to climb the mountain, we spotted a cave and decided that we would head for that first and decide from there if we wanted to continue, the climb was hard going as parts were almost straight up!

When we got to the cave we realised that someone actually lived there, a BBQ was set up, blankets and pillows were stuffed into a makeshift cupboard in the rocks and a ladder was laid up against the wall that went into a deep crevice in the rock - amazing place.



Gina, Chris and Dan didn't want to walk any further so Mark and I left our belongings with them and carried on ahead, with water in hand. The climb was hard going and the sun was beating down on our heads but WOW what a view from up there, we could see windmills on a mountainside in the distance, the Laguna that we drove past earlier in the day all of a sudden became enormous because we had climbed higher than the mountain that onstructed the view of the Laguna from the road.

After we had been walking some 20 minutes we spotted a mountain goat with it's kid who were clearly a little spooked at seeing us there and ran for cover, what a sight to see though, proper wildlife for once without having to go to a zoo!

We stopped here for a while, had a rest and a water top up and I decided that I couldn't go any further and stayed here while Mark went for more of a mooch further up - I was knackered!

The return back to the others was harder going than the walk up, the gravel on the rocks made for trecherous walking, we took our time. We stopped just for a second because I wanted to take a picture of the valley below when all of a sudden a kid (baby goat) jumped out from a hole in the rock, we were both shell shocked for half a second before we realised what had just happened, Mark and I looked at each other in utter amazement and shock, it took a few seconds for it all to register before I started taking pictures, I could have got better images if I had just been more awake when the kid jumped out at us!!!!!! We had no idea that goats take shelter and sleep in holes in the rock face and to this day I am still wowed over that.

When we met back up with Chris, Gina and Dan it started to rain and we still had the rest of the mountain to climb down. Still, no one actually fell over so we did very well on the climb down, however, it was quite funny because we all kept slipping a little and of course you throw your arms out when you slip for balance so we must have looked like we were all auditioning for the ministry of funny walks!

We saw many vultures and ravens flying over the top of the mountain and they were enormous and the ravens were extremely noisy, although I took many photos only 1 turned out well, where you can see the head, body and distinguish the colour of the feathers, I need to keep trying with this digital photography!


Campillos Village, Andalucia

With less than 8000 residents, Campillos lies between the Costa del Sol, Granada and Sevilla. Campillos is an important area of Andalucia for cattle farming, leather production and the mining centre since Roman times. Campillos is situated on the N342 which continues on towards Olvera, Arcos de la Frontera, Jerez de la Frontera and is also well connected to the nearby La Fuente de la Piedra - home to the brilliant pink flamingos.

Iglesia Parroquial Nuestra Señora del Reposo is the most important monument in Campillos, situated off the town's plaza central.

Ermita de San Benito is the town's patron saint and is worth seeing. Built between 1578-1569 originally the Ermita looms over the town centre. Extensive work was carried out in 1756 and 1814.

A good time to visit Campillos to celebrate the patron San Benito would be July 10-11th every year. Their summer feria happens in the first two weeks of August, yearly.

If gastronomy delights is all part and parcel of your travelling bug then Campillos is famous for it's drying soup or stew with tuna, eggs and ham, known as Porra Campillera. The regional speciality is Salmoreja, consisting of oranges, fried fish, cod and tuna.

It's been a long summer!

Well first of all I would like to apologise to our members and viewers for my lack of hard work since July! I have not blogged for some time because life just got a little hectic, work load was heavy, it was far too hot outside and I just couldn't get enough done, I was very lax in the garden - again too damn hot!

I did, however, manage to keep everything alive, just! I had irrigation on twice a day for 20 minutes at a time and then I was watering even more, my strawberries stopped producing fruit very early because I think they were feeling the same way, in fact we have new fruits growing now the sun has eased off now.

Refugio de Juanar, Monda
We went for a walk in the woods on Saturday afternoon, Refugio de Juanar is a national park in Monda and literally 10 minutes drive from our front door, I have been banging on about going there for a mooch about since we moved here and finally the fella gave in and off we went. With bird book in hand and back pack on, we ventured into the woods.

Refugio de Juanar lies in the middle of a nature reserve, 800 metres above sea level, with the forests showing off their pine, eucalyptus and olive plantations, through this forest is various tracks leading you off into the wilderness and a Mirador that looks over Marbella which is truly stunning.

Refugio de Juanar is a rustic and grand hotel that is built on the site of an old hunting lodge, that once belonged to the Marqueses de Larios family who are well known in the city of Malaga.

Famous guests of Refugio de Juanar have included Charles de Gaulle, who in 1970 finished writing his memoirs here and Alfonso XIII, for whom the hotel was one of his favourite retreats. The hotel has space for 56 guests, offers a wide range of gastronmy delights, speciality dishes include marinated pheasant, wuail, mountain goat, Sergovia style suckling pig, lamb and roast kid, along with an array of international dishes.

A visit to this delightful hotel in Monda is the perfect occasion to rediscover the joys of outdoor living. The surrounding forest, with its well-marked paths and fresh air by the lung full, is a paradise for trekkers and nature lovers alike.

Unfortunately we did not see the wildlife we were hoping to come across, the only bird we did see was a Chaffinch and although he was a pleasant little chappy and very colourful, I was ever hopeful of seeing one of many resident Griffon Vultures!

Birds of Refugio de Juanar:
Tits
Warblers
Hawfinch
Thekla Lark
Woodlark
Robin
Black Redstart
Rock Bunting
Hoopoe
Black-eared Wheater
Woodchat Strike
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
ChiffChaff
Linnet
Great Grey Shrike
Stonechat
Sardinian
Dartford Warblers
Whinchat
Owls
Great Blue
Coal
Chaffinch
Serin
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Jay
Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard but never saw)
Short-toed Treecreeper
Firecrests
Crossbills
Rock Thrush
Bonelli's Eagle
Buzzard
Peregrine
Kestrel
Booted Eagle
Short-toed Eagles
Griffon Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
Crag Martins
Alpine Swift
Swallow
House Martin

When to Visit Refugio de Juanar?
The area is very popular at weekends and on national bank holidays, I would advise avoiding these buy times as the Spanish can be known for being rather noisy and this could prove frustrating if you are wanting to see some wildlife. The highest part of this site is 900 metres above sea level so it is advisable to take some form of warmer clothing, in case it is a little chilly.

Refugio de Juanar Hotel
Refugio de Juanar email
Telephone: 952 881 001
Fax: 952 881 001

Birdwatching Book

Get in shape, lose the fat and get gardening

Working a hard day in the garden is more beneficial to our bodies than we care to realise. We regain balance, physically and mentally, when we work in our gardens.

We have so much to learn from our gardens and we never get bored, we ponder this and try that. Working the soil tunes us into nature's comforting rhythms, the ebb and flow of the seasons, the ripening and renewing of plants and soil. Every autumn we plot the resurrection of our gardens, and each spring we're wildly optimistic over the delights of the new season.

However, all this work can be hard on our bodies and I particularly struggle because my spine is bolted together by rods and screws and bending all the time isn't great! Us Campo Girls do Yoga to help keep us supple enabling us to stay in our gardens from dawn til dusk. Trust me there is nothing worse than a lower back cramp, spasm or twinge to get you out of the gardening flow (coming from the Queen of lower back pain!), or even worse an injury that prevents you from gardening at all!

The new book "Garden Your Way to Health and Fitness" is a manifesto for keeping gardeners injury-free, a road map to fitness through gardening. What a timesaving concept — work out as you garden rather than work out in order to garden.

Did you know that 1 hour of gardening burns 300 calories? Excellent news, I worked in the garden yesterday from 9am until 9pm, I cut down 2 massive conifer trees using an axe and a hacksaw! Then I cut down a fir tree, planted 10 news shrubs and then the usual cleaning etc, while swimming in between to keep myself cool.

Why am I not slim!!!!!!!!! LOL

Guinness writes that gardening not only engages our creative juices and helps us focus. Routine tasks like mowing, weeding and digging offer sufficient resistance to tone muscles as well as burn calories. Think of all the plants you can buy with the money you spent on that gym membership Wink

Here's is a basic routine: warm muscles up with a short, brisk walk, do a few lunges and step-ups using whatever you have at hand. For those with especially tight hamstrings or vulnerable lower backs, (remember we MUST stretch the hamstring to PROTECT the lower back).

Most useful may be the advice to pace yourself, drink plenty of water and know when to stop. A growing sense of discomfort in your lower back or a stiffening neck is a sign you need to take a break. When you're through for the day, put off that hot bath until you've stretched long and slow.

We should all be aware that we can hurt ourselves while gardening and we need to use Knee Pads, Sturdy Boots and protective gear as needed. When you are lugging around heavy pails or watering cans, you should carry one in each hand and distribute the weight.

I use Draper Knee Pads and find them comfortable, I also have some old large sofa cushions that I use to sit on while I am weeding, I wrote about the shoes I wear and they protect my feat and help keep me grounded.

Happy gardening and remember to LISTEN to your body!!!!

Balloon Race

O2 have created the World's First Balloon Race.

Campo Girls are of course going to join in the fun that starts in 3 days time, we have added the balloonacy icon to our blog so that you may come back in 3 days, select your balloon and start the race.

The further you travel the more internet miles you receive, gain 5 stars in one day and win prizes!!!

We know this will be a ton of fun and we look forward to seeing your balloons flying across the sky to the winning posts

Happy Ballooning!

Our Balloon is here Campo Girls Balloon

Gardening Definitions (R-T)

Radical
Usually used to describe the basal leaves of biennials or perennials. The leaves arise at the base of the plant or near to soil level.

Ray Floret
Small flower with long strap-shaped petals. Typical of the daisy family where a ring of ray florets surrounds the central boss of disc florets to form the flowerhead.

Remontant
Flowering at intervals throughout the growing season, as in repeat flowering roses.

Resting Period
The period when a plant is either dormant or making little or no extension growth.

Rhizome
A horizontal,creeping underground stem, which acts as a storage organ.

Rootstock
A propagation term for a plant upon which another is grafted. The term also applies to the crown and root system of herbaceous perennials and suckering shrubs.

Rosette
Ring of leaves that all arise at more or less the same point on the stem, often basal.

Runner
Prostate stems, such as those produced by strawberry plants, which root at the nodes to form new plantlets.

Scion
A shoot, part of a shoot, or bud of one plant that is joined to a rootstock of another as a propogation technique. Scions and rootstocks are the means of propagating fruit trees by grafting, and roses by budding.

Scree
A heap or a slope of rocky detritus eroded from mountainsides or cliffs. Since some types of plants require these conditions in a garden, a scree bed can be created by mixing coarse gravel or stone chippings with soil.

Selection
A particular variation of an existing variety or species that is selected for its desirable characteristics. It is always raised from seed. Also incorrectly referred to as a "strain".

Self Coloured
A flower having a single uniform colour.

Self Fertile
A plant, particularly a fruit tree, that does not need pollen from another plant to set seed and produce fruit.

Series
A selection or colour mixture of a plant variety (usually an annual, bedding plant or vegetable variety) raised from seed. A particular named series or mixture raised by two or more seedsman may vary slightly.

Serrated
The sharply cut indentations in the margin of a leaf - like the teeth of a saw.

Sessile
Stalkess - a leaf or flower that arises straight from the stem.

Shrub
A branched perennial plant with persistent woody stems.

Spadix
A fleshy flower spike with small flowers embedded in shallow pits. It is primarily found in members of the Araceae, or arpoid family, such as anthurium and zantedeschia, where it is surrounded and protected by a white or coloured bract called a spathe. In some cases, the spadix terminates in a naked club or spindle-shaped organ which may heat up, giving off a fetid smell that attracts pollinating insects.

Spathe
A modified leaf or large bract, sometimes coloured, which surrounds the flower spike (spadix) in members of the Araceae, or aroid family.

Species
A unit of classification applied to an individual, or a group of closely allied plants, within a genus. Species have unique characters, which consistently breed true to type from seed. The type species refers to the original plant collected and described.

Specimen Plant
Ant plant, but usually a tree or shrub, which is grown where it can be viewed from all angles, as when planted in a lawn.

Sphagnum (moss)
The generic name for bog mosses. They have unique water holding, aerating and cleansing properties, and are frequently used as a growing medium for orchids.

Spit
The depth to which soild is dug with a spade or a fork - about 25-30cm.

Spore
A minute dust like body composed of a single cell, by which lower plants - such as ferns, fungi and mosses - reproduce. A spore gives rise to an intermediate generation upon which the sex organs appear and which eventually produce plantlets.

Spur
1) A short lateral branchlet of a tree - particularly on apple and pear trees - which bears flowers buds
2) A tubular outgrowth of a sepal or petal that produces nectar

Staminode
A non fucntional, rudimentary male reproductive organ, sometimes similar to a narrow petal, as in pulsatillas.

Sterile
Plants that rarely or never set seed. Many double flowered varieties are sterile, as the reproductive organs have become petals.

Stipule
One of the pair of leaf like outgrowths at the base of a leaf stalk, for example, as in rose and potenilla.

Stolon
A stem which, on contact with moist soil, roots at the tip and forms a new plant - for example, the cane of a blackberry. The term is sometimes incorrectly used to mean RUNNER.

Stool
Often describing a tree or shrub which is maintained as a clump of young stems by annhual pruning clsoe to ground level. Stooling is carried out to provide young growth for propagation purposes, or to maintain a foliage effect, such as thr juvenile state of some eucalyptus. Also called 'coppicing'. The stem also applies to crowns and rootstocks of some herbaceous plants - dendrathema (crysanthemum) for example.

Stopping
Removing or pinching out the growing point of a stem, either to promote a branching habit or to induce flower buds.

Stratification
A method of breaking the dormancy of seeds born in fleshy fruits of many hardy plants. The seeds are exposed to a period of low temperature prior to sowing.

Sub Alpine
A plant native to mountain regions just below the alpine zone.

Sub Shrub
A low growing shrub, or one with soft stems and a woody base, such as argyranthemums and many pelargoniums.

Succulent
Plants with thick fleshy leaves or stems adapted to life under arid conditions. Cacti, with leafless stems swollen with water storage tissue, are examples.

Sucker
A shoot which arises from below ground, usually from the roots of a plant.

Synonym
An alternative name for a plant. Sometimes a plant has been named by more than one botanist or has been reclassified in the light of further knowledge. In such cases, the oldest or most taxonomically accurate name takes priority.

Tap Root
The main anchoring root of a plant, particularly applied to trees.

Tender
A term to describe any plant vulnerbale to frost damage.

Tendril
A modified stem or leaf that twines around supports, enabling certain plants such as sweet peas, grapes, hops and passionflowers to climb.

Tepal
A term used to describe petals and sepals where they are indistinguishable, as in lillies and tulips.

Ternate
In groups of three. Trillium has leaves and floral organs in groups of three, and laburnum leaves have three leaflets.

Terrestrial
Used in reference to plants, such as bromeliads and orchids which are primarily epiphytic, that have become adapted to living in the soil.

Tessellated
A term that describes petals which have a distinct chequered pattern of a contrasting shade or colour -, as for example, Fritillaria meleagris.

Toothed
Teeth like indentation, usually along the margins of leaves, also described as dentate.

Truss
A popular term used to describe a cluster of flower or fruits.

Tuber
A thickened fleshy root as on a dahlia, or an underground stem, such as a potato, which serves as a storage organ, and as a means of surviving periods of cold or drought.

Tufa
Soft limestone which, because of its ability to absorb and retain moisture, is often used in rock gardens or troughs, where small alpine plants are able to grow on it.

Tuft
Bristly, sometimes mat like, habit of growth, found particularly in alpine plants.

Climbers - Versatile plants for versatile sites

A mantle of gentle flowers or luxuriant foliage brightens up dull walls and adds beauty to many other garden structures.

Practical and ornamental climbing plants bring a pleasurable extra dimension to gardens, clothing walls, arches, pergolas, screens and even trees and shrubs with their flowers and foliage. They can be used to conceal unattractive features, provide privacy and help to integrate house and garden.

Many climbers produce spectacular blooms, including Clematis and Rosa. Others are grown for their attractive foliage, such as Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper), or for their colourful fruits, such as Celastrus orbiculatus.

Some climbing plants will cling unaided to a support; Hedera (ivy) uses aerial roots and Parthenocissus has sucker pads. However, most ascend by tendrils, like Lathyrus, by curling leafstalks, like Clematis, by twinning stems, like Lonicera (honey-suckle), or by hooked thorns, like roses. All these plants will climb unaided through the branches of trees or shrubs but need training on wires or up a trellis if grown against a wall.

Although they are not true climbers, some shrubs, including Ceanothus (California lilac) and Jasminum nudiflorum (winter jasmine), can also be trained against a support.

The extensive range of climbers means there is a choice of plants for most garden situations. Pasiflora (passion flower) and Trachelospermum require a sunny and sheletered site but Jasminum officinale (summer jasmine) and Clematis montana thrive in shady or sunny areas. Ivy or Hydrangea anomala sp petiolaris (climing hydrangea) are tough enough to cope with an exposed, shady position.

I have 2 Bougainvilleas - one purple and one pink. 2 Jasmine plants, a Plumbago. One white and one purple Pasflora.

Gardening - The fruits of labour

One of the most divine rewards of gardening is picking and eating fresh, home grown fruit straight from the tree. Watching your own fruit mature, looking forward to eating a particular orange or gorging on strawberries are pleasures only available to the dedicated and patient gardener; growing fruit trees is a long lasting, initmate affair.

For the average sized garden there are many fruits and nut trees to suit. Although the fruit tree tends to be low, nut trees, on the other hand, can grow into beautiful shade trees - the walnut tree is a perfect example of this.

Many discussions about fruit trees going on at The Gardening Forum Spain come join in the fun and share your images!

Choosing your tree
There are two main factors when considering buying your trees, location and soil type. Try, if possible, to avoid planting in really exposed areas, as the wind will pull off the flowers and the tree will never fruit. Planting a mimi orchard creates a micro-climate, which generally greatly extends the variety of fruit a garden can accommodate.

Buying your tree
Choose a local supplier as they are likely to have suitable cultivars for your climate; you could try nispero (Achras zapota - the other CampoGirl has one of these growing), apple, pear, guayavo, fig, plums or almond on heavier land or citrus fruits, kaki, membrillo, mulberry, nispero, walnut, where the soil is sandier and lighter.

If you have limited space and an orchard is not quite possible, make espaliers from apples, plums and pears against a wall or fence. Wire the desired branches against the wall in the form you want and then prune the remaining branches each autumn. Continue to remove the vertical water shoots as they appear. In time, the tree will get stronger, and the chosen branches will thicken and bear fruit on the spurs, and the tree will no longer require support, you could also try growing this up a trellis - giving extra support.

Grafting is another way of maximising variety and yield from the garden. Keep like with like - oranges and lemons or limes; stoned fruits together, apples and pears etc. The only trouble you may find is one graft dominates the others and doesn't allow an even development.

For a conversation point you could put 3 trees in the same hole and let them grow together, this is prone to chaotic growth but promotes a long fruiting season.

So, enjoy the fruits of your gardening labour and lets get busy!

Gardening Definitions (N-P)

Naturalising
Growing plants, particularly bulbs, in simulated natural environments, such as grass or woodland conditions.

Node
A stem joint, which is sometimes slightly swollen, from where young leaves and side-shoots arise.

Offset
A young plant that arises naturally on the parent, as with many sorts of bulbs, or on short lateral stems, as with sempervivum.

Opposite
The arrangement of leaves in alternate opposite pairs, as on ligustrum and syringa.

Organic
Any chemical compound containing carbon. The term is applied to substances derived from the decay of living organisms, such as garden compost. It is also applied to a style of gardening that rejects the use of synthetic chemicals and products.

Pedicle
The stalk of an individual flower - applied particularly to branched flowers.

Peduncle
The stem that supports a flowerhead.

Perennial
Any plant that lives for three or more years; usually applied to a non-woody plant.

Perianth
A term used when sepals and petals are indistinguishable from each other. The combined sepals and petals of a tulip or hyacinth flower are known as the perianth.

Perlite
Lightweight expanded volcanic rock in granular form, used in place of sand or grit top open up or lighten composts used for pottings and cuttings etc.

Petiole
The stalk that attaches a leaf to the stem.

Pinching Out
Removing or pinching out the growing point of a stem, either to promote a branching habit or to induce flower buds.

Plunge
To set a pot or any other plant container up to the rim in the soil, or in a special bed of ashes, peat, grit or sand.

Pollard
A tree cut back to the main trunk and maintained in a bushy state by regular pruning at intervals of between one and a few years.

Pollen
The male cells of a plant contained in the anthers or pollen sacs.

Pollination
The transference of pollen grains onto the stigma of a flower. The resulting plantlets are later moved into larger pots, pans or trays, or set out into a nursery bed or into their growing position.

Provenance
The place where seed originated in the wild. Knowing the provenance will have a bearing on this conditions under which the progeny will thrive in cultivation.

Carpenter Bee (Mijas Bee) Spain

The Carpenter bee, otherwise known as the "Mijas Bee" here in Spain, I must admit it is a scary looking creature and certainly makes a heck of a noise, leaving people running away screaming! LOL

These Carpenter Bees are large, hairy bees distributed worldwide. There are as many as 500 species of the Carpenter Bee in 31 subgenera.

They are aptly named the Carpenter Bee beacuase nearly all the 500 species build their nests in burrows in dead wood, bamboo, or structural timbers, their smaller cousins, otherwise known as "Small Carpenter Bees" - very fitting, LOL, build their nests in the ground.

Carpenter bees prefer to attack wood which is bare, weathered and unpainted. Therefore, the best way to deter the bees is to paint all exposed wood surfaces, especially those which have a history of being attacked. Wood stains and preservatives are less reliable than painting, but will provide some degree of repellancy versus bare wood. To further discourage nesting, garages and outbuildings should be kept closed when carpenter bees are actively searching for nesting sites.

Many of these Carpenter Bee species live next to one another, well the females does anyway - she will live in tunnels alongside her own daughters or sisters, creating a sort of social group. Between them they make partitions for privacy using wood bits between the cells in the nest!

Carpenter bees should not be dismissed entirely though, they can be important pollinators on open-faced flowers, even obligate pollinators on some, such as the Maypop (Passiflora incarnata), though many species are also known to "rob" nectar by slitting the sides of flowers with deep corollas.

You will start to see the Carpenter Bee in the late-spring and early summer, this is because the Carpenter Bee starts its quest for a favourable site to make a nest and meet a mate.

The male Carpenter Bee can be very aggressive and if you are anywhere near his nest you will see him hovering in front of you. The males, however, are quite harmless as they lack stingers. Female Carpenter Bees can inflict a painful sting but seldom will unless they are handled or molested - similar to the honeybee.

Damage Control!
You can buy many different types of damage control for Carpenter Bees and for the wood they are attacking.

Liquid sprays of carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Dursban), or a synthetic pyrethroid (e.g., permethrin or cyfluthrin) can be applied as a preventive to wood surfaces which are attracting bees.

Be aware that these sprays and treatments may only last for 1-2 weeks and you may have to repeat the treatment if the problems persist. You may find tunnels which have already been excavated - you're best bet here is to buy an insecticidal dust (e.g., 5percent carbaryl) and get it into the nest opening. You may also wish to choose sprays that you can buy from garden centres that are labeled "wasp and ee control".

When you have treated the holes where the Carpenter Bee is resting, be sure to leave the hole open for a few days, this will allow the bees to distribute the insecticide throughout the nest galleries, once that is complete, plug the hole with glue etc to protect the wood from being invaded again.

Although carpenter bees are less aggressive than wasps, female bees provisioning their nests will sting. Treatment is best performed at night when the bees are less active, or while wearing protective clothing.

Garden Deifinitions (J-M)

Juvenile
Plants which have a distinct early phase, when either the habit, leaf shape or some other characteristic differs from those of the adult. Eucalyptus tress commonly bearjuvenile and adult leaves.

Lateral
A stem or shoot that branches off from a bud in the leaf axil of a larger stem.

Leader
The main stem (or stems) of a tree or shrub that extends the existing branch system.

Leaf-Mould
Partially decayed dead leaves which have broken down to a flaky condition resembling peat. Oak and beech leaves are the most suitable materials.

Lime
Calcium, a chemical used in horticulture, particularly to neutralise acid soils.

Loam
A reasonably fertile soil that is neither wet and sticky, nor dry and sandy. It is moisture-retentive and contains a blend of clay, silt, sand and hummus, and is rich in minerals.

Lobe
Descriptive of leaves, stipules, bracts or petals that are cleft into separate areas that are still united by part of the surface.

Maiden
A nursery term for a young grafted tree in the process of being trained. Applied particularly to one year old fruit trees.

Monocarpic
A plant which dies after flowering and seeding. Annuals and biennials are true monocarpic plants, but the term is also applied to perennial plants which grow for a number of years before flowering and then dying.

Monocotyledon
A group of flowering plants that have only one seed leaf in each mature seed.

Monoecious
A plant that bears bisexual flowers or separate male and female flowers on the same plant; for example, corylus (hazel) and juglans (walnut).

Mulch
A layer of organic matter, such as decayed manure, leaf-mould, garden compost, straw or composted bark, which is spread on the soil around the plants. A mulch conserves moisture in the soil, adds nutrients and suppresses weeds. The term is also used for inorganic material including gravel and black polythene sheeting.

Red Weevil in Spanish Palm Trees

Gardening Forum - Discuss the red palm tree weevil

The Red Weevil has been making its way to the western world since the mid 80s. It was captured in Egypt in 1992 and then seen in Spain in 1994, it is thought that the Red Weevil made its way to Spain from Egypt by way of human intervention, by being transported on date palm trees.

The Red Weevil is starting to cause havoc on Palm Trees across the Spanish region, unfortunately the Red Weevil's devastating effects are only noticeable when it is too late and the Palm Tree is dead. The late detection of the weevil constitutes a serious problem in the fight against the Red Weevil pest. Although, much research has been carried out, no safe techniques for early detection of the pest have been found.

Despite the attempts to kill these pests more than one thousand Phoenix Palm Trees have been killed and it has cost millions of euros in damage and is continuing to spread.

The Red Weevil originated in southern Asia and Melanesia, where it is a serious pest of coconuts. In 1985 the Red Weevil had reached the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, spreading to the whole of the United Arab Emirates and into Oman. It was recorded in Iran in 1990 before being discovered in Egypt at the end of 1992, it is also found in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority Territories.

The red palm weevil is a member of Coleoptera: Curculionidae. The male and female adults are large reddish brown beetles about 3 cm long and with a characteristic long curved rostrum; with strong wings, they are capable of undertaking long flights.

It is the larvae that produce the damage to the palm. Adult females lay about 200 eggs at the base of young leaves or in wounds to the leaves and trunks; the grubs feed on the soft fibers and terminal bud tissues. They reach a size of more than 5 cm before pupation. Just before they pupate, they move towards the interior of the palm making tunnels and large cavities. They can be found in any place within the palm, even in the very base of the trunk where the roots emerge.

Pupation occurs generally outside the trunk, at the base of the palms. The larva pupates in a cocoon made of brown dried palm fibres.

Have you found this red palm weevil in any of your palm trees - let me know your story, I would love to hear from you. We are running a discussion about Red Palm Tree Weevils on our gardening forum.

Gardening Definitions (G-I)

Genus
The category in botanical classification below family. A genus is a group closely related plants known as species. All the species of beech trees (for example), are grouped under the genus Fagus. Related genera are grouped in turn into a family, in this case Fagaceae. The common beech is identified by a genus and a species name, Fagus sylvatica. A natural variety is identified by a third name, such as Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla, and a cultivated variety (or cultivar) by quotation marks, as Fagus sylvatica 'Dawyck'. A cross (or hybrid) between two species is identified by a multiplication sign: for example, the hybrid willow Salix x rubens
Germination
The initial stage of a plant's development from a seed. Germination periods vary: given the right conditions of temperature, moisture, light and oxygen, it may occur within days or take weeks or months.
Glabrous
Smooth or bare - used to describe a part of a plant that is hairless.

Glaucous
Describing the grey-blue colour of some plants, or the grey or white waxy bloom on them. An example is the white bloom on the leaves of some brasicas, particularly cabbages, and succulents such as sedums.

Grafting
Propogation plants by joining a stem or bud of one plant to the root of another so they unite to form a new individual. It is widely used in cultivating fruit trees and roses.

Habit
The characteristic shape and growth form of a plant.

Half Hardy
Frost tender species of plants that can only be grown in the open reliably during summer - for example, canna and French and African marigolds.

Half Standard
A tree or shrub, usually with a single stem growing 75cm-1.2m high before the head branches.

Hardening Off
The gradual acclimatisation of tender and half hardy plants, grown under heated glass or other forms of protection, to outside conditions. Plants are usually placed in a coldframe in late spring, with air gradually admitted until the lights of the frame are left off entirely.

Hardy
Plants which survive frosts in the open, year by year.

Herbaceous
Any plant that does not form a persistent woody stem. Botanically, the terms applies to annuals, biennials and perennials - but by common usage is chiefly associated with perennials which die down in autumn and reappear the following spring.

Hose in Hose
An abnormal floral mutation in which flowers appear to grow in pairs, one arising from the centre of another. Primrose and polyanthus are examples.

Humus
The dark brown residue from the final breakdown of dead vegetable matter. The term is often used to describe partly decayed matter that is brown and crumbly, such as well made compost or leaf mould.

Hybrid
The result of crossing two distinct varities or, occasionally, genera. Hybrids may either show a blending of characteristics from each parent or favour one more than the other.

Incised
The margins of the leaf, stipule or bract that is deeply and sharply toothed or lobed.

Inflorescence
The arrangement of flowers on a stem, often referred to as a flowerhead.

Inorganic
A chemical compound or fertiliser that does not contain carbon. The term is applied to synthetically produced fertilisers, although some naturally occurring plant nutrients have inorganic origins, as, for example, the mineral fertiliser rock phosphate.

NEW Gardening Forum for Spain

Campo Girls & Hoes launch their first Forum for the Spanish gardening community!

Gardening Spain & Forum

This is a new forum that we have just started this week and we look forward to meeting new people, we have some members from the USA already (as we share similar climiates to some parts of America).

As much as we love writing the blog and keeping up with the gardening community we needed room to grow and a Gardening Forum seemed the perfect opportunity for us to do just that - we will keep up with the blog but also continue to work on the forum.

We look forward to seeing you all and please do come and introduce yourself!

Technical Stuff - Gardening Abbreviations (D-F)

Gardening Abbreviations (A-C)


Before we head on into the Glossary for Gardening - I wanted to post the link to Jeremy Clarkson's Gardening Tips :D

Damping Down
Watering the floor and benches of a greenhouse to create a humid atmosphere.

Deadheading
Nipping off the dead or faded flowers from a plant to prevent seeding and to encourage new flowers. Roses and many bedding plants need regular deadheading.

Dicotyledon
All flowering plants are botanically classified into two main groups by the number of cotyledons (seed leaves) present in the seed at maturity. Monocotyledons have one seed leaf, dicotyledons have two.

Dioecious
Plants having male and female flowers on separate plants, such as willow and holly.

Disc
The flattened or doomed centre of a daisy flower, composed of tiny tubular florets.

Dot Plant
An isolated specimen plant - usually tall - in a formal flowerbed, selected to emphasise contrast in height, colour and texture.

Drill
A straight, narrow, furrow in which seeds are sown outdoors.

Epiphyte
A plant, such as an orchid or bromeliad, which has adapted to living above the soil, adhering to tree branches or rocks.

Ericaceous
A term used for plants that grow best in acid soil, such as ericas (heather). Also used to refer to lime-free compost used for growing ericaceous plants.

Etiolated
Growth which has become long, thin and pallid because of lack of light or as a result of blanching - as in forcing rhubarb.

Eye
Immature growth bud, such as the eyes of potato or dahlia tubers. The term is also used to describe the centre of a flower if it is different in colour from the petals.

F.Hybrid
Seeds obtained by crossing two pure bred closely related varieties which have been inbred for several generations. The plants produced tend to have an increased level of vigour and uniformity.

Fastigate
Erect habit of growth developed by some trees and shrubs, such as Lombardy poplars.

Feathered
Lateral shoots on the main stem of a young tree. They are left on the tree until the trunk is fully established - about a year or two - when they must be removed.

Floret
A small individual flower which is part of a large head or cluster.

Flower
The part of a plant concerned with sexual reproduction. The essential parts are the female ovaries (or carpels), which eventually bear the seeds, and the anthers which produce pollen, the male sex cells. The carpels and anthers are usually surrounded by an inner ring of coloured leaves, known as petals, and an outer ring of protecting sepals, usually green. There are, however, a great many variations to this basic pattern. The great majority of plants bear flowers with both male and female organs, but others have single sex flowers on separate plants (dioecious).

Fruiting Body
The reproductive organ of a fungus, such as a mushroom or toadstool. Also the pin-head-like growth on bread mould.

Fumigate
A system of destroying pests and diseases to a greenhouse or coldframe with poisonous fumes. Canisters or pellets are ignited to produce dense smoke.

Still raining!

Well what a storm we are having at the moment, one of my Palm Trees has snapped and I am a little upset about that - especially as they are brand new!

Some of my other plants down the bottom of the garden are not having a great time with this wind either and looking rather beaten!

It is most unusual to have rain in Spain at this time of year and it has been really treacherous, I had to drive to Casabermeja (well, their post code is Almogia) yesterday to visit an old friend who was having some family troubles - anyway I couldn't have picked a worse day to drive over 80 Kilometres, Casabermeja is really high and I was quite scared driving up the mountainside where the roads have no crash barriers - just sheer drops and lorries coming at me every few minutes, never mind the fact I could hardly see 2 foot in front me because of the mist/fog that was coming down the mountain. An achievement for me as that is the furthest I have driven in Spain ever on my own!

I made it home safe and sound though and I just love the scenery up there, we almost moved there 2 years ago and now I have just been back I am glad we didn't! As lovely gorgeous as the countryside is there, it is just that too much away from civilisation for my liking, we have a track but it is not 5 kilometres long!

So, due to the rain we have not been doing the gardening that we would have liked to be doing, Gina took some great pictures though of what she says is a "perfect rose" - what do you think, post in your comments on her Rose.

We are in the middle of upgrading our Flickr account that contains all of our Spanish Gardening Images - when that is complete we will let you know so you can see the new ones we have taken :)

EEEK - it's raining!

After a wonderful weekend gardening with nice weather to top that off, we had a real downpour today, it was like Winter all over again!

The rain was lashing everything around the garden and the palm trees were almost touching the floor, it was such a change around from the day before.

We did, however, manage to get out in the garden, I tended to a Passionflower that is growing over an Olive Tree that I have at the end of the garden (near the bar), and was really pleased to see that it is a different plant to the purple passionflower I have growing over the fence by the pool - while all this activity was happening in my garden, the other Campo Girl; Gina, was being entertained by a rat!

Due to the heavy rain the rat thought to himself "bugger this, I am going indoors!" and proceeded to try and get into Gina's house - luckily for us Gina grabbed the camera and managed to get a great picture for us to share with you all - we present to you

CAMPO GIRLS RAT - RONALDO! :D

Technical Stuff - Abbreviations

We try to avoid as many technical terms wherever possible, but sometimes they are unavoildable and manage to slip into the posts - the definitions below will help make them clear.

Alpine
Any plant that is native to montainous regions (as a general rule), growing between the tree line and permanent snow line. 'Alpine' is also loosely applied to any small plant suitable for growing in a rock garden.

Alpine House
A greenhouse that has continuous ventilation along the eaves, vents at a bench level and, ideally, a door at each end. Not heat is necessary; however, as alpine plants dislike cold wet conditions, some growers maintain their alpine houses at 1ºC (34ºF).

Annual
We al have these in our garden! A plant that completes its life cycle in a sungle growing season - from seed to floweing, to setting seed and dying.

Basal Leaves
Leaves arising directly from the crown of a plant or a very short stem.

Biennal
A plant which takes two seasons to complete its life cycle - i.e., the foxglove. In its first year it forms leaves; in its second year ir forms flowers and seeds, then dies.

Bract
A modified leaf which is sometimes brightly coloured and conspicuous to attract pollinating insects, such as the scarlett bracts of poinsettia.

Bulb Frame
A coldframe in which bulbs in pots can be plunged in sand, soil or gravel for winter to protect them from frost. A blub frame can be used instead of an alpine house.

Capsule
The dry or nearly dry fruit containing loose seeds. When the capsule is ripe the seeds may be shaken out by the action of the wind or passing animals, or it may split, forcibly rejecting the seeds.

Chitting
Sprouting tubers, particularly potatoes and dahlias, before planting. Also applied to seeds germinated before sowing.

Chlorosis
The loss or insufficiency of chlorophyll - the green pigment in the cells of leaves and young stems. The lack of chlorophyll causes the leaves to appear bleached or yellowish. Chlorosis is usually due to mineral deficiency, but viruses may be a cause.

Cloche
Sheets of clear glass, rigid or plastic film that are used for raising early crops in open ground, and for protecting plants from bad weather - alpines, for example.

Clone
A group of identicial plants raised from a single parent plant by cuttings or division rather than by seed.

Compost
A mixture of loam, sand, peat, leaf-mould or other materials used for growing plants in containers. The term also refers to organic material obtained by stacking plant remains such as vegetable trimmings, straw and grass mowings until they decompose.

Compound
Leaves, flowers or fruits having two or more similar units.

Conifer
Tree or shrub, usually evergreen and having linear or needle-like leaves, and which usually bears its seeds in cones.

Corm
The underground storage organ of some plants, including crocuses and gladioli. Similar to a bulb, it consists of a swollen stem at the top which produces shoots and a new corm.

Corona
The trumpet or cup like flower part of such genera as Narcissus and Hymenocallis.

Cotyledon
The first leaf or pair of leaves to appear when a seed germinates. They are also called seed leaves because they are formed within the seed. In some cases, such as the broad bean, the seed leaves remain underground - the first shoot to appear bears the true leaves. Seed leaves frequently differ in shape from true or adult leaves.

Crown
The part of an herbaceous perennial at soil level from which roots and shoots grow.

Cultivar
Cultivated variety; a variant of a plant produced in cultivation as opposed to one that occurs in the wild.

D-F coming next week - anything you would like to add to our garden abbreviations?

Cyclamen - Lets get elegant!

Elegant flowers in shades of pink, mauve, crimson or white rise above rounded or heart-shaped leaves, often finely marbled with silver or white. We both love our Cyclamens and both have them growing in our gardens - I have favoured the Cyclamen for my borders where I have a few bare spaces against my rockery.

The flowers have reflexed petals, gracefully curved backwards, and many are fragrant. By carefully selecting species according to flowering period, these beautiful, lowe growing plants can be in bloom during most months of the year, and their patterned foliage sustains a long period of interest. Not all are hardy but several of the finest are fully hardy, flowering even in the depths of winter.

The hardy Cyclamen are excellent for naturalising in groups among trees and shrubs. They thrive in sun or part shade. A border devoted to one species can be an interesting and colourful feature in the garden. Cyclamen are also good for pockets in a rock garden (like mine) or for growing in troughs and containers. The less hardy types are perfect for pot culture in an unheated greenhouse.

The rootstock of the Cyclamen plant is a tuber, with leaves and flowers borne from the upper surface. Dried tubers are often sold, but planting is more successful from plants 'in the green' - growing in pots - as the tubers can dry out too much.

There are 20 species, which are mainly native to central and S Europe, the Mediterranean and Turkey eastwards to the Caucasus and N Iran.

Recommended Species and Varieties
C. Africanum
C.Cilicium
C. Album
C. Europaeum
C. Graceum
C. Hederifolium
C. Intaminatum
C. Latifolium
c. Libanoticum
C. Mirabile
C. Neapolitanum
C. Persicum
C. Pseudibericum
C. Purpurascens
C. Repandum
C. Trohopteranthum

Propogation
Sow seed as soon as it is ripe - in mid to late summer. Older, dried seed germinates eventually, particularly if given a soak in warm water for 12 hours before sowing. Place the sown pots in complete darkness to speed germinatation and move them into the light as soon as germination has occurred. Prick out the seedlings when the first true leaf appears. Alternatively, leave the pots for a year, then prise the small tubers apart and pot them up individually.

Pests and Diseases
The prime pests of Cyclamen are aphids, vine weevils and root eelworms. Diseases include bacterial rot of the tubers and virus diseases; in these cases infected plants should be destroyed. Grey mould may attack fading flowers or leaves, especially autumn and winter. Any portion infected should be removed to prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the plant, especially the others surrounding it.

Have you got any Cyclamens growing in your garden - any other tips you want to share that we have missed? Please do tell us :)

Cyclamen Tip
Never water your Cyclamen from the top, always water and let the Cyclamen drink from the bottom - otherwise you may kill him!

What a week

Well, we have had a busy week planting and weeding, our plam trees arrived that were given to my husband from his brother - Dan (the other hoe's son) started his new job on Saturday morning working 3 hours every week, helping us in the garden.

They had some initial problems digging the hole! Where we decided to place the palms is a rocky area at the back of our garden which is a lovely spot for the palms and some cactus but it is very rocky and the soil could be better, although, now it is all weeded (thanks to Dan!) the plants will have some room to breathe and grow now - lots of water and perhaps some compost this weekend - we should be rocking!

He was bought 2 palm trees (2 are 15 feet tall) and then 2 small ones (which we plan on putting into pots), along with cactus and an Aloe Vera.

This back garden is not very well protected (security wise) so we thought cactus would be a great way of deterring the robbers - let's face it would you walk through a load of cactus to steal a TV or would you go next door where you can just walk through the gate? I know which I would choose.

Gina's strawberries are growing strong and she should have some lovely fruit very soon - mine are struggling a bit, the plants themselves look good but the fruit is very small and I need more straw because they are starting to rot! My tomatoes are also drooping every day and I am watering them, the tomatoes are gorgeous and tasty though - complete opposite to the strawberries!

Got any good tips for growing strawberries? Please share them ;)

Along with the tomatoes, cactus, palms, strawberries we also planted an avocado tree and a graepfruit - again the avocado does not look happy since we have taken him out of his pot - he is irrigated well every day, surrounded by good old horse poo and still he is weeping - I am sure that it is because he has only just been moved from his pot and sometimes plants take time to settle into their new home.

Patio Gardens Spain

The very fact that the Mediterranean climate is so equable and agreeable means that land in the areas that enjoy it is highly priced. Few people, whether permanent residents or second-home owners, have pockets deep enough or areas large enough for extensive gardens. Together with the particular merits of enclosing space described in Courtyard Gardens, this fact makes the patio a highly attractive and practical proposition.

The patio has a very long history, dating back to Roman times when well-heeled citizens built their residences around a central atrium - an open court. The area might be graced by a central fountain, and was used as an extension of the house which gave onto it. Thus it would be used for relaxation or for taking meals in fine weather. The tradition was carried across Europe by Roman legionaires and found its way to Spain in the courtyards of the Arab conquerors from North Africa. Though the concepts were originally virtually identical, today the terms patio and courtyard are not synonymous.

Here we shall consider the patio principally as a paved area providing a formal or informal link with the house, and serving, in effect, as an 'outdoor living room'. In California the same purpose is likely to be served by a wooden deck.

Choosing your Patio site
if you are starting from scratch you may well have a choice of sites for a patio. However, quite apart from the fact that sitting it next to the house makes sense in terms of convenience and accessibility, this may well be the best spot in terms of land use. If you have engaged in any moderately extensive construction or reconstruction, the area immediately adjacent to the house is probably the one in which the builders dumped their waste. The soil will inevitably have been affected and it is far easier to pave over such an area than to attempt to improve it.

When choosing your site carefully consider how you will use your patio. Unless of course you just want to sunbathe and then a few pots dotted around the patio may be the ideal choice for you.

Large attractive containers with impressive sculptural plants - Chinese fan palms are delicious! (Livistona chinesis), a Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) or a Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), with its decorative and arresting leaves could form an exotic 'wall' of foliage. Alternatively - my favourtite - trellis or wattle fencing, supporting a vigourous, preferably deciduous, climber (such as Vitis vinifera - the grape vine) would give it a greater feeling of seclusion.

Perhaps you want to roof a section of your patio garden extending those days you can sit in the shade when the sun is beating down in the summer months or protect your plants in the winter months. The best permanent cover you can get is glass, but this is an expensive option and extremely heavy and would need strong support. Next best to glass is polycarbonate sheeting. It comes in varities of thickness and is very strong.

You are almost certainly going to be entertaining on your patio after dark and you must consider your lighting options (remembering the night skies and the astronomers!) The choice is enormous and we have already talked about lighting your garden - read our post about LED lights for the garden!

Choosing Trees

Create a balance
Trees surrounding a country garden, give shelter and privacy. Choose your forms and colours with great care, mix evergreens and deciduous to give your garden balance.

Planting Trees
When you buy young trees you may need to support them, as they may bend out of shape in wind. Hammer a stake into the base of the planting hole before putting the tree in and tie the tree to your stake (avoid the roots!). When you come to fill the hole look for the soil mark on the base of the trunk and plant at the same depth as it was before transplanting.

Hedging
We all plant for screening or hedging at some point in the garden. Fast growing, upright trees are useful for the former, and those with a dense, twiggy habit are ideal. Try to be patient when planting for hedging purposes, we can be impatient and go for fast growing poplars or Leyland Cypress. Both of these can grow rapidly and take over the garden, shading your garden and your neighbours, robbing your other plants of moisture, nutrients and light! Therefore, you should be patient and stick to less agressive, slower growing alternatives. Hedges are often a useful backdrop against which borders and groups of containers can be displayed.

Yew (Taxus baccata) is slow growing but is ideal for sheltering other plants as it forms a thick, impenetrable hedge that does not require a huge amount of attention.

Trees and Shrubs for colour!
Trees that flower are very popular and understandly so - cherries and plums are amongst the most widely planted. Ornamental apples (Malus spp) and rowans and white beams (Sorbus spp) are well adored too - they have a dual season and flower in Spring and Autumn. Autumn colour is a good basis on which to select trees; after all, at its best it can rival flowers for sheer impact. You will do well to remember that good autumn colour largely depends on there being sharp frosts at the right time in autumn, so areas with mild climates rarely see a good show of colour. Many of the best trees are large but you can get smaller ones, such as Bonzai, Amelanchiers and several shrubs, like Euonymus alatus and species of rhus.

Foliage Colour:
For dramatic colour in autumn, Japanese maples are hard to beat, they have a beautiful filigree leaves which turn from tones of scarlett to burnt orange - lush!

Happy Easter Gardening

Happy Easter everyone and sorry that we have not been around, we took Easter off and had a party in the garden that we have been lovingly growing!

I hope you all had a good Easter and didn't eat too much chocolate - maybe you now need to get in your garden and get digging to burn it all off!

I thought that now would be a good time to list the activities in the garden that will burn some fat off (I need it!) - I have not done a huge amount of gardening over the past weeks because we were building a bar in the garden to throw the party that we had. I have planted some tomatoes, 2 palm tress and we have 2 big palm trees coming later in the week.

So, per hour when doing the following we burn:
Gardening / Planting - 250 Calories
Gardening / Hoeing - 350 Calories
Gardening / Digging - 500 Calories

It has been calculated that 1 pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories. This means that in order to lose 1 pound we have to walk for about 12.5 hours. So don't expect fast weight loss and remember to eat sensibly.


So, perhaps the best way to eat chocolate is do gardening at the same time hehehe.

Get planting guys and girls!

Natural planting in your garden

Natural Planting
A woodland edge provides the ideal habitat for shade-loving perennials, including geraniums, ferns and those foxgloves.

The next time you take a country walk, or go on holiday, look at the plants around you. Notice how those that grow in exposed places usually have tiny, closely packed leaves, how those in hot, dry areas have a tendency to grey foliage or succulent leaves, and how woodland plants are often evergreen or dormant in the summer.

All these are adaptations plants have evolved over millions of years to enable them to grow successfully in different environments. It makes sense to take advantage of this, and select plants for our gardens that are naturally adapted to our particular type of soil and climate, whatever it is.

Gardeners often complain of bad drainage, or of dry, or clay, or limestone soil. They never seem satisfied, and are prone to label anything that is not a perfect loam as a 'problem garden'. However, that fact is that nature has developed a wonderful and beautiful flora for every 'problem', at least those that are of natural origin.

A good start is to consider growing more wild plants native to your region. They are often very beautiful, but underrated for being wild, and at least they are perfectly adapted and will not have difficulty growing. If there are no local nurseries selling local wild plants, you can collect seed (but NEVER dig up the plants) and propogate them yourself.

Dry or Damp Shade?
A number of plants enjoy shady conditions, but some prefer it dry, others damp. The shade created by walls, for example, is often dry as a rain shadow area is formed as a result. Damp shade is likely in a naturally damp garden, overshadowed by a few large trees.

Plants for damp shade:
Brunnera macrophylla
Dicentra formosa
Geranium phaeum
Hosta sieboldiana
Pachysandra terminalis
Trillum spp

Plants for dry shade
Alchemilla conjuncta
Anemone nemorosa
Epimedium spp
Euphorbia Amygdaloides
Hedera spp
Lonicera
Pulmonaria
Symphytum

Choosing your garden plants

Plants for dry sun
Many grasses like dry, sunny conditions. Big, clump forming Miscanthus sinesis 'Variegatus' is a handsome architectural plant for a dry border.

Any garden benefits from having a good mixture of plants, both in terms of height and shape, and in the variety of foliage and flower form and colour. However, it is surprising how much diversity and interest you can create without flower colour.

Plants for shady parts of the garden will inevitably major on leaf form and shape; plants for full sun will have more flower power. Make sure that you choose those that do well for these differing situations, and look, too, at the soil conditions. Some plants prefer acid soil, others alkaline.

Rhododendrons and azaleas, for example, refuse to grow on alkaline soil but will quickly provide useful ground cover for large gardens on peaty soil.

Hopefully, the differing habitats in your garden will allow you to choose a variety of plants from dry-loving to damp-loving, sun-loving to shade-loving.