CASA CONVENTO.

And here are a couple more pictures of this wonderful convent turned hotel/restaurant.

LA ALMORAIMA ESTATE - Antigua Casa Convento.

This is where we stopped for refreshments after our visit to the Vivero and luckily, it was just down a nearby lane as we'd had an unscheduled stop in the forest with a puncture. We went over a hidden boulder and heard a bang and a whoosh and knew something was wrong. By the time the puncture was repaired (with the help of a young Spanish couple whose exit we'd blocked down the lane) we were ready for our claras (shandies).

This beautiful building was founded in 1603 as a convent; 250 years later the Count of Castellar repossessed the lands and turned the property into a hunting lodge. Now the property belongs to the Almoraima estate and is a hotel/restaurant in its own parkland and in the heart of Los Alconocales Park. (Gosh, I sound like a travel brochure). No, listen, it is an exceptional place, very peaceful and we weren't surprised to meet a Dutch couple there trying to discover if they could hold spiritual workshops for a week or two for their students.....perfect environment.

CASTELLAR VIEJO out in the wilds of Los Alcornocales Park lies a secret garden centre used by the Province for their trees and shrubs for public parks. They sell to the public at very reasonable prices so we set off early for the 1 hr+ drive on a balmy sunny Spring-like morning.

Below is a small example of what they have. We bought some Melia, Gravillea and a Magnolia, plus phormium and agapanthas, oh an another bay tree which I'll try not to kill with kindness like the others. The propietor threw in three small wild pines as presents. Aint that nice.

These are some of the fruit trees before David, the Spanish gardener got cracking with his cutters and saws and knocked them into shape. All the trimmings went into an industrial-sized shredder and we now have two huge piles to put mulch around the trees once I've mattocked around them and got rid of the weeds.
As you can see, the bottom of the garden will be a great place for the new additions, so we have a busy week ahead digging holes, weeding and rotivating .....unless it rains: I haven't looked at the forecast yet.

On the same estate as the Vivero is a beautiful Antingua Casa Convento, an ancient convent now a hotel and restaurant. I will include pictures on another post, as we called in there for refrescos after our purchases.

MARVELLOUS MYOPORUM LAETUM (Ngaio Tree).

See how cuttings like those shown below have grown into this marvellous tree in 3 years.
It swishes and bends with the wind, is evergreen and at the moment has tiny white flowers all over it.


We put those size cuttings in the corner behind the pear tree last Spring - look at the size of it now. As long as it's pruned regularly at the base, it shoots up.

These myoporum laetum (ngaio tree) cuttings are waiting transplantation when we can decide where to put them.
Here's el jefe in a cloud of brick dust, cutting and shaping blocks for the new curved wall between the orchard/veg plot and the pretty sitting area. High winds and rain over the last 4 weeks has held up progress.

David, the Spanish gardener, has recovered from his pneumonia and will appear on Monday to give all the fruit trees a radical prune. I shall lurk in the background with my camera and try and pick up a few tips. We have hundreds of those yellow flowering weeds all down the orchard. They choke everything and we've found nothing to eradicate them. Gonzalo says don't worry, they'll die back and they won't do any harm.

HARDENBURGIA.

This beautiful climber, originally from Australia/New Zealand, which we put in last year has reached about 3 metres and its tassel flowers are almost in full bloom - in January. Must have something to do with the fact that it's summer now in the southern hemisphere.




And to add to the beauty, our apricot double hibiscus gave us one flower yesterday.

STORKS AND EGRETS.

We passed a row of egrets sitting on a wall today and, sad to say, I did not take the opportunity to photograph this lovely sight with my new camera. So when later we spied this stork on top of an electricity pylon, I didn't make the same mistake. It was very grey and overcast, temperature 18C though......amazing. I don't remember another winter as warm as this, although this is what I expected on arriving in Spain 5 years ago.
And look - the hardenbergia is blooming. Not in full bloom, but still you'll get an idea of its beauty.
Those of you who remember the Strelitizia last year will have seen the first three flowers. This year it has four and I hope, as before, they appear on St. Valentine's Day.

JANUARY EATS;

We've just had the last of last summer's apricots which I'd blanched and frozen and, my, they were delicious. Two bags of frozen yellow plums are left and that will be that until May and the new lot come along.

Poor David, who is meant to be pruning our fruit trees has pneumonia and is delayed. We saw Gonzalo in his garden for the first time in weeks, pruning his trees, so the time must be right. We've had torrential rain, followed by warm sun, not enough to dry out the land but all the veg is thriving and little hearts of cauliflower and broccoli are appearing. Yippee. The two buddleias, lilies and pittisporum that I put in are doing well and, allelujah, the hardenbergia is flowering and I will put a picture up soon. I have a new camera and still finding my way around it. It's smaller yet more sophisticated that the other Fujipix and my softening brain can only take in a bit of information at a time!



For those who added their pins to the Bravenet map in October, which I only saw today, sorry I missed you and have sent you emails in answer to your questions.

VIVERO EL LAGO, NEAR ROTA:




This is near the US Base north of Puerta de Sta. Maria and we were on the hunt for an unusual pot for mosaicing. Yes, we said "no more big ones" but pensionistos are allowed to change their mind. El jefe has plans for black with copper mirror lines snaking through. He's abandoned his plan, temporarily, to make his own sculpture. Here it is....


During our last visit, about 18 months ago, they were excavating to create a lake and above is the finished project. A haven for ducks, birds and insects. A tranquil place to rest before browsing their large selection of trees and shrubs. Very reasonable prices.

I said earlier winter hadn't really arrived and to confirm that we saw storks on the nest and flamingos in the lagoons on the way there. Too warm here I suppose for them to make the journey south.

FELIZ NUEVO ANO - SUNRISE.

And we are still waiting for winter. Daytime temperatures rarely fall below 15C and night around 5C. A lovely Spanish gardener has agreed to come this month and give the fruit trees a radical prune and he can do this only when the temperature has dropped sufficiently to avoid damaging the trees. He says there is a very short window in which to do the work so I'm glad we've made this arrangement to get help. I have neither the stamina nor strength to go gung-ho at things these days.

A good guide to what to do in a Spanish garden, and when, is to watch our neighbours - and Gonzalo has been very inactive lately. February will be the time everyone is going like the clappers - lots of rotivating, planting and big bonfires.

In between howling wind and lashing rain, we've managed to plant two buddleia bushes, some lilies and this year I'm trying out bulbs - tulips and daffodils. Some are making a modest appearance but by the time they flower, it will be warmer than is comfortable for them and they go over very quickly.

The pink trumpet vine needs a big prune but it's still flowering, also the tacomaria and plumbago. Osteospermums have woken up, lavender has not died off yet and the orange and magenta mesumbriathium-type flowers come out to greet us on a sunny day.

We've begun to pick our own lettuce and are waiting for the broccoli and cauli to form their little hearts. Swedes and kale are hanging in there but the parsnips came to nothing.

So there is a lot to see and tend to - it's like everlasting Autumn.

To those of you who stop by regularly and are kind enough to leave comments, apologies for not being a busy blogger. It was a bit frenetic leading up to Christmas and the New Year; there is still another festivo to get through - Three Kings - which is when the children receive their presents. I'm already all partied-out.

Felices Reyes to you all.