CHAMELEONS IN WINTER.

Isn't he cute. He was nestling in the green trellis amongst the pink trumpet vine, which is still flowering. He blended in so well, it was hard to see him as he was perfectly still. We had a big one during the heat of the summer when creating a rock garden. He appeared in his green suit, starting climbing up the brezo fence and turned brown.... fascinating little creatures - and feisty too.


Here's the picture of the fountain I tried to post earlier. When the stones, pebbles and papyrus in black pot are added, I'll post another.

FOUNTAIN THINGY.

The mosaiced bricks can be moved around, and they will be as we want to put some large flat stones and pebbles around and a papyrus plant. Need to get the sound just right too, so a bit of twiddling is necessary....

SPANISH TOOLS.

So here is the mattock on the left, a small one just for me. It's necessary to stand with legs apart and move the soil towards you with the blade.

I don't know what the hooked one on the right is called but it's brilliant for going between rows of seedlings and aerating the soil. Also it was just right for whacking the soil and popping in the onions.

Here's where we've been twiddling round the back of the green shed, fixing up another deposito and guttering. We'll have to paint it to prevent the water going green. The existing green one has a tap and hose and will be the overflow from the white one.





The black hole is a work in progress for a rocky fountain with some mosaic tiles around .

Well, that is odd. Blue underlined words above and my deposito picture has disappeared. Let's see what the final thing does......

WOO HOO....WOULD YOU LOOK AT WHAT I'VE GOT! A new Mediterranean gardening book, all the way from Oregon, full of great ideas. Here is a quote from Marcel Proust - on a card which my sister sent me - "Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom".

Thanks to Becky at myserenitygarden.blogspot for this garden gift and the warm glow you have given me. The sunflower and marigold seeds you included will be started end February-ish.

(See the bourganvillea blooming still, as are African daisies, honeysuckle, passion flower and pink trumpet vine. Oh, and the solanum is fantastic under the pergola).

FELIZ NAVIDAD to you all from Spain, where - when it's not raining - the daytime temperature is still around 18C.

Last month after harvesting the potatoes, I put in peas, celery, broccoli and onions. All are doing well. I tried brussel sprout seeds and, sadly, they've come to nothing so I wonder if it just doesn't cold enough here. I'd love to hear from anyone in southern Spain who's managed to grow these vegetables, which are traditionally English with Christmas dinner.

All has been quiet next door in Gonzalo's and I learned he'd had minor surgery and was recovering. It's evident now that he's better.....he's back to leaping over the fence, mattock and a bunch of seedlings in hand to put in immediately. More onions! I have shingles at the moment so poor D had to get stuck in immediately with a special tool Gonzalo has presented to him. This and the mattock which may not be familiar to gardeners outside the Mediterranean or the Middle East, are the most popular here. In fact, I read that mattocks were being imported to UK as gardeners had discovered the versality of them. Gonzalo laughs at my garden fork and hoe and shakes his head, brandishing his various sized mattocks. I'll take photos soon and post them.

CUBE POT FINISHED.

This has now had its black grout applied and I think it looks gorgeous. We shall paint the inside as it helps terracotta pots retain moisture.


This next one, using up bits 'n pieces with the odd coloured glass pebble, is a bit of a disappointment



because the tiles get lost in the red grout. We have been reading up on oil-based grout stains, so will find a black one and go over this pot after experimenting on a trial piece.












And for Colin's benefit on mediterraneangardening.blogspot, here's the same pot before the grout was cleaned off. See what I mean about the tiles disappearing and that black grout would have been much better.

The days are getting colder now so I think this might be the last bit of mosaic work until Spring. Ooo, will withdrawal symptoms set in!

I don't know the name of this lovely trailing or ground cover plant. I have it in pink and mauve and it just keeps expanding.

When we bought this Bird of Paradise plant 2 years ago, it was flowering. Since then, nada....there are now two thin, hard new shoots - may be two flowers.

This asparagus fern is very pot bound but I think they like it that way. I have never seen berries on them before.

We've had rain, rain and more rain and I'm glad we've got two depositos connected up behind the green shed to collect it. The big job to come is fixing up the guttering round the house.

It will soon be time to get the log fires going - we have a pile of olive and eucalyptus all ready. Concrete houses get so cold in the short winters that sometimes it's warmer to be outside when the sun is out. One Christmas we had brunch outside on the butterfly table.

Well, would you look at this .......in a house that tries to avoid cakes, biscuits and pastry I go and win the "guess the weight of the cake" competition at a Christmas Bazaar in aid of the dog refuge! Sods law, eh. It looks too beautiful to eat.

It's so full of booze, it'll keep until next Christmas but as D usually feels so deprived in the naughty foods department, I know it won't last long!