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.