tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-177618522024-03-14T04:13:26.327+01:00Costa de la Luz GardeningCreating a garden since 2003 out of an old orchard, a barley field and a building site on the windy coast of southern Andalucia, Spain.
Welcome. I hope you enjoy my rambles and pictures and, hopefully, a bit of warmth if you're in cooler climes.LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-72088073107405968342017-09-21T11:33:00.000+02:002017-09-21T11:33:59.253+02:00Sad timesEverything was going well in the garden and then a whole series of catastrophes: more Levante than ever, sky rocketing temperatures and el jefe exhibiting worrying symptoms. Finally we got him to the health centre. There had been a mix-up with our usual national health doctor and our info had been wiped from the computer. So we had to resort to the local semi-private Centro Medico. They ordered an MRI and a week later, we were told he had had a mini stroke and a subsequent MRI while in hospital showed a further incident - a cranial bleed. Poor love was very confused, weak, tired and spent 5 straight days asleep in bed on drips. BP was high, dehydration too. He had his own room with a bed for me, as Spanish culture is that the family provides what Brits regard as traditional nursing care: help with feeding, medications and morale boosting. Luckily step daughter was on holiday here and was of tremendous help.<br />
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What has this to do with the garden.....well, it went to pot for a while. Then a friend, D., started trying to bring it back to its natural beauty, doing things that I had neither the energy nor the time to do. <br />
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D is home now, has had another mini stroke and cannot walk, dress or shower without assistance. It is a chronic condition and there is no guarantee there won't be further "events". Life has become contracted with a lot of thought going into new routines to keep him safe. <br />
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I won't close the blog down, although I don't do much on here. I love looking at how things have progressed since 2003, although it does bring a certain sadness about current inabilities.<br />
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<br />LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-8888131608606585592016-12-24T13:05:00.001+01:002016-12-24T13:05:25.548+01:00Wall PlantsHattie in Hawaii, <a href="http://hattie.typepad.com/hatties_web/">here</a>, has wonderful blog full of interesting and informative stuff, and has given me a kick up the proverbial to carry on blogging. I know I've hardly done anything this year, mainly due to ill health but I do have something a bit out of the ordinary and a little bit naff to write about.<br />
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In the Spring this year, el jefe decided to paint some pots and mount them on the wall with geraniums and kalanchoe, and attractive they looked too.....<br />
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We had an horrendous summer - endless Levante and temperatures the highest for decades and the plants shrivelled before our eyes. We had a lance to water most of them, but for others, and for feeding, we had to get the ladder out and neither of us is safe on one these days. Those that survived were transplanted to big pots on the gravel outside the conservatory.<br />
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I hit on the idea of artificial plants and we found some very realistic ones on line. And here they are...<br />
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Daisies and geraniums, no maintenance, everlasting, lovely to look at and no-one the wiser as to their authenticity. I am pretty pleased with myself!<br />
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LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-23571940242878204682016-05-28T14:57:00.001+02:002016-05-28T14:57:35.601+02:00Grevillea RobustaI didn't know the grevillea robusta flowered until I saw it on Titania's blog <a href="http://titania-yesterdaytodayandtomorrow.blogspot.com.es/2010/07/skywatch-friday-new-zealand.html">here</a> some years ago. Since then I've waited patiently to see the flowers and they have finally appeared this year - about 12 years after we planted the sapling (6 ft high). What a beauty. It's also known as the silky oak and is native to Australia. <br />
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I am sorry folks. I've edited this in the photo software but it still comes out sideways on. Bloody nuisance. LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-24398752176663139482016-01-13T21:18:00.002+01:002016-01-13T21:18:25.382+01:00Amazing AmaryllisI've loved these whenever I've seen them: we've just never grown tthem before.<br />
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A couple of years ago, they were said to be overtaking Poinsettia as the plant of choice for Christmas. <br />
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El jefe planted giant bulbs in early December. They had to be kept inside in a temperature of 20C or above, and this is the result. <br />
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LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-39624858748793726402015-10-25T18:38:00.000+01:002015-10-25T18:38:42.876+01:00Vegetables v. FlowersThere is a slightly comical, silent war that goes on next door: G has contempt for any ground used for flowers, ornamentals and will commandeer all spare space. M loves to beautify her front area so tries to sneak in her lilies and roses. <br />
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Last year I was offered a bucket of bulbs by G. He didn't remember what they were but they were mine if I wanted them. I whacked them in a space by the citrus trees and lo and behold....Fleur de Lys after the big rains last week.<br />
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I see that all four lime trees are laden and, come January, we'll be swamped<br />
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LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-21401903122438892242015-10-18T12:55:00.001+02:002015-10-18T12:55:52.889+02:00WEIRD CACTUS<i><b> We have been monitoring the progress of this cactus and jokingly said, as the pods grew bigger, that it will give birth to an alien (yes, too many 1950s SF movies).</b></i><br />
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It looks rather toxic to us and here is what Wikipaedia says:- <br /><i><b><br /></b></i>
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<i><b> Stapelia grandiflora</b></i> is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant" title="Flowering plant">flowering plant</a> in the <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stapelia" title="Stapelia">Stapelia</a></i> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genus" title="Genus">genus</a>. It is commonly referred to as the <b>Carrion Plant</b>, <b>Starfish Flower</b>, or <b>Starfish Cactus</b>, although it is not related to cacti at all. The name "<a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrion_Plant" title="Carrion Plant">Carrion Plant</a>"
(due to the odor emitted by the flowers as a technique of attracting
flies in areas where other pollinating insects are scarce) can also
refer to similar Stapelia species as well as members of related genera,
including <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stapelia_gigantea" title="Stapelia gigantea">Stapelia gigantea</a></i> and <i><a class="new" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orbea_variegata&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Orbea variegata (page does not exist)">Orbea variegata</a></i>. Stapelia grandiflora sometimes also goes by the name of <i>Stapelia flavirostris</i>.<br />
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So, not a cactus at all. I take it that it smells of rotting meat but I didn't get close enough to sniff it (to be honest, if I had I wouldn't have been able to get up again).<br />
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This garden continues to delight and surprise us.<br />
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LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-6526495119760109232015-09-04T13:03:00.001+02:002015-09-04T13:03:12.000+02:00R.I.P.I know this isn't gardening, but would like this to be accessible, as an inspirational reminder of the infinite enjoyment I have had from his writing and broadcasts:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oliver
Sacks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today,
Oliver Sacks died, the great neurologist, author and wise man. I was
so moved to read what he wrote upon learning his life was coming to
an end:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Over
the last few days, I have been able to see my life as from a great
altitude, as a sort of landscape, and with a deepening sense of the
connection of all its parts. This does not mean I am finished with
life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">On
the contrary, I feel intensely alive, and I want and hope in the time
that remains to deepen my friendships, to say farewell to those I
love, to write more, to travel if I have the strength, to achieve new
levels of understanding and insight. ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for
anything inessential. I must focus on myself, my work and my friends.
I shall no longer look at “NewsHour” every night. I shall no
longer pay any attention to politics or arguments about global
warming.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
is not indifference but detachment — I still care deeply about the
Middle East, about global warming, about growing inequality, but
these are no longer my business; they belong to the future. I rejoice
when I meet gifted young people — even the one who biopsied and
diagnosed my metastases. I feel the future is in good hands.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
have been increasingly conscious, for the last 10 years or so, of
deaths among my contemporaries. My generation is on the way out, and
each death I have felt as an abruption, a tearing away of part of
myself. There will be no one like us when we are gone, but then there
is no one like anyone else, ever. When people die, they cannot be
replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate
— the genetic and neural fate — of every human being to be a
unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die
his own death.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one
of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and
I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and
thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the
special intercourse of writers and readers.</span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above
all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this
beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege
and adventure.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: small;">4.9.2015</span></span></div>
LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-3330518156041544042015-08-24T17:25:00.001+02:002015-08-24T17:25:41.958+02:00Bumper crops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Tv5WndF5uCEoUTz86pfZY_jeCjycfWY72-_n-cAVM30H4ELGIWCCk8XKOIlGcgWUBqcP_xzXrOsYcHfjT37pctmHWvY6VGJgaoBbuuHbxpaBPdsAaer5HOlKb1Ys6gE5UxZG/s1600/DSCF2117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Tv5WndF5uCEoUTz86pfZY_jeCjycfWY72-_n-cAVM30H4ELGIWCCk8XKOIlGcgWUBqcP_xzXrOsYcHfjT37pctmHWvY6VGJgaoBbuuHbxpaBPdsAaer5HOlKb1Ys6gE5UxZG/s320/DSCF2117.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Quadruple the number of crops this year and we managed to harvest some before the birds got to them. But as you can see, plenty left for all of us.<br />
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And as for the Moscatel grapes.....marvellous. Last year and the year before everyone's grapes went mildewy. Not this year - delicious. <br />
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When I left for the UK a month ago to be with a sick friend, these were all miniscule. What a change in a month. <br />
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I forgot to photograph the pomegranates. Again, so many this year that I must find some recipes. Up until this year we could count on one hand the number of fruits. I have no idea why this year is so different.LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-54594499270051266222015-06-24T22:09:00.003+02:002015-06-24T22:09:38.355+02:00Vanilla DelightFor 12 years we've lived with a dark terracotta villa with lemon top trim. Last time el jefe repainted about 2 years ago he said "that's it, I'll get someone in to do it next time". Well "next time" was this month when Paco and Manolo turned up to turn our house into a cream and green delight. Rain stopped play (in June !) for 2 days but now it's all finished, it's fabulous. <br />
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We found a forgotten box of beautiful Portuguese ceramic butterflies and they have been added to the house name, which means The Rainbows - we have crystals hanging in the windows which catch the early morning sun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGwes5ASdoDkTWIx_oXF9IU5W9BIMdiNzbwZmnaW7rmHthKUZvg_nMGGgjXpSvlQevYexdLmEsAOcwkwTUBT62huzNwjVi1Z13jL3SBo3wPR9eJ3zF_ht-wDJmEi80BYPk0UR/s1600/DSCF2056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">We go to North Wales this week. In our absence, Paco will pressure wash all around the house, weed and prune. <img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGwes5ASdoDkTWIx_oXF9IU5W9BIMdiNzbwZmnaW7rmHthKUZvg_nMGGgjXpSvlQevYexdLmEsAOcwkwTUBT62huzNwjVi1Z13jL3SBo3wPR9eJ3zF_ht-wDJmEi80BYPk0UR/s320/DSCF2056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-6934376787562385642015-06-20T14:11:00.003+02:002015-06-20T14:11:29.955+02:00Welcome, beautiesEl jefe planted these and forgot to label them up. They were in the same pot as freesias which appeared in the Spring.<br />
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Soon after they'd finished flowering, three strong looking plants made a start and at first we got this intense orange.<br />
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The red showed up a couple of weeks later <br />
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and finally, really late for the beauty contest, this yellow one. </div>
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I'd love to have more of these in the ground, if only I knew what they were. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42GfrQuNW9pOEPTE8lM4TI9Q6rD4e-AqbA1oCqZOCSVhtNDYOCqpaHX6bex4LFRUcBpwiQ_Q4VcLKL6f_7GlsNEXeGZ1rmYEB34l0Kna8GxPvb9dcCLyshNExU4bBTA9WRlKF/s1600/DSCF2050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42GfrQuNW9pOEPTE8lM4TI9Q6rD4e-AqbA1oCqZOCSVhtNDYOCqpaHX6bex4LFRUcBpwiQ_Q4VcLKL6f_7GlsNEXeGZ1rmYEB34l0Kna8GxPvb9dcCLyshNExU4bBTA9WRlKF/s320/DSCF2050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Please comment if you have the Latin and common name for them. xxxx LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-55227406901910817112015-06-15T17:44:00.002+02:002015-06-15T17:44:30.225+02:00Weird Weatheror as Paco, the gardener, puts it "tiempo loco". And I'm aware I'm being typically English to write a blog about the climate. But it has been so strange. Last month, we had temperatures in the high 30sC and chilly at night. The Levante appeared for a week and sucked the life out of everything the high temperatures didn't threaten. This week we have rain, at a time when the house exterior was to be painted. Two days is all that could be managed before the rains came. Temperatures plummeted and woollies had to be dug out. Fingers crossed, today is supposed to be the last day so the walls get a chance to dry out and we'll be spic and span in a few days.<br />
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We are losing the terracotta colour and substituting cream for the walls and green for the top edges. In the autumn, we plan to have the whole house fitted with guttering, instead of one corner. <br />
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Lilies which have lain dormant for a couple of years have decided to flower. And we now have a new hibiscus bed near the fountain.....they really like it there. <br />
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It's that time of year for soft fruit and, once again, we are drowning in plums. I'll have to get blanching and freezing for the winter crumbles.<br />
<br />LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-28366499044715904522015-04-18T19:03:00.000+02:002015-04-18T19:03:23.166+02:00More garden art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These are traditional Mediterranean roof tiles and Jackie, a local artist, has a large portfolio of her work, or will paint one to order. We saw the passion flower one and had to have it: the blue iris is stunning so we ordered one of those. Both are now hanging in the patio and are very at home with the rest of the plants......like this clematis which is still waiting to be planted in a bit pot, but decided to flower anyway:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1tP_53EW0qv57AMKNafCj5bapz_wbQW15wa8Mom0jj9K1z-S9DknTlsg9fAA-B0aCdbkohvAucSVJbkgEUUVOuExRx1zr-6snt279KJMsz_PtdH1zkQo8Uywjj9LZbhdyyQN/s1600/DSCF2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1tP_53EW0qv57AMKNafCj5bapz_wbQW15wa8Mom0jj9K1z-S9DknTlsg9fAA-B0aCdbkohvAucSVJbkgEUUVOuExRx1zr-6snt279KJMsz_PtdH1zkQo8Uywjj9LZbhdyyQN/s1600/DSCF2652.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
As every gardener knows, this is a busy time of year, weeding, mowing, propagating and planting - it is endless.....and endlessly satisfying.<br />
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<br />LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-15897843053964161172015-03-12T18:02:00.001+01:002015-03-12T18:02:58.944+01:00Flowers galore in March<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjJwdr17QMAXyWWd_kTi9XuvwS9c26MqP-EJS7OTRtbl_FjZGTmdr5dZXchdeVH5tB95dGH3xzQnJYLDuQCmYoCFR625DO8UEdq4KmD3mLbfkrBEjbgJEpgxY7b2NkiprHV_9/s1600/A+pinkier+margharita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">It's a while since I posted on here as I thought I'd said all I had to say about the garden over a period of 12 years. But we've had such wonderful Spring weather this last 10 days that a stroll round the garden revealed all these beautiful flowers, some of which I wouldn't have expected until beginning of May. <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjJwdr17QMAXyWWd_kTi9XuvwS9c26MqP-EJS7OTRtbl_FjZGTmdr5dZXchdeVH5tB95dGH3xzQnJYLDuQCmYoCFR625DO8UEdq4KmD3mLbfkrBEjbgJEpgxY7b2NkiprHV_9/s1600/A+pinkier+margharita.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
How lovely it all is.<br />
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<br />LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-64327490879152840812015-01-16T22:43:00.003+01:002015-01-16T22:43:39.741+01:00BLOOMING FOR A DAYI meant to show you these at the time, but I forgot.. I'm forgetting a lot of things lately.<br />
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It was a scruffy, tired looking cactus that a friend gave us. One of the leaves grew and grew, produced a green egg-shaped end, which suddenly blossomed into this beautiful flower. I had no idea such a plain looking plant could produce something so wonderful. I'm told that if we let the plant rest up against a tree, the leaves will attach themselves and eventually we'll have a flowering cactus growing up the tree. <br />
LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-76745576869624452952014-08-15T20:51:00.002+02:002014-08-15T20:51:54.700+02:00Days are shortening.Before today, I could have sworn Autumn was setting in early. We've had very weird weather for July and early August - cool westerly breezes, temperatures under 30C and sometimes quite nippy evenings with condensation on the car in the morning. Now, hey presto, the Levante is back and with it more typical August weather.....beached whale, reading on the bed - get the picture.<br />
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Nearly 3 months down the line and el jefe's back is much improved yet not back to normal. Weekly physio, massage, TENs and daily exercises have ensured a steady gain in independence to the point where I gently (as if) remind him not to lift anything nor do too much.<br />
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Paco and Manolo came and spent 5 hours cleaning up and restoring order in the garden - what treasures those two are. My Spanish has improved no end with the need to communicate with Paco and the masoterapia clinic where el jefe goes every week. <br />
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Ill health earlier in the year and el jefe's injury have been a wake-up call about waning strength and aging and we definitely need to take more regular, structured exercise to keep us supple. LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-33521620048867620942014-06-20T17:23:00.001+02:002014-06-20T17:23:49.281+02:00Glorious June, hotter than usualEverything's gone to pot! A month ago, all looked wonderful as we set off for Madrid to visit the art galleries. We were back within 2 days as el jefe couldn't walk without pain. He'd injured his back a week before we left by wrenching the rotivator around when the tines got stuck. We later found he had a sacroiliac strain and here we are, a month down the road and only now is he turning the corner. He hasn't, and still can't, stand independently although he's out of pain so all the little jobs I didn't notice he did (! LOL) I've had to take on. <br />
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To compound this, we had the painters in this week - the first year we haven't done it ourselves. There was chaos because all our clutter had to revolve from room to room as each one got painted. We daren't let them in the study, fondly imagining we'll do this ourselves. We will, we will, when we've got the strength to move 2 chests, 2 x 6 tier book cases, 3 long shelves, a filing cabinet and two desks stuffed with rubbish, not to mention 3 desk top computers and peripherals. <br />
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I've had a mini declutter of books, DVDs, ornaments and pictures so the charity boot sales will do well. And it's a lovely feeling to know that each room, bar the study, is pristine - everything swept, washed and polished as it was moved back in after painting. <br />
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As for Yin and Yang, the disruption to their routine is more than they can bear and they glare at us accusingly and disappear into cupboards and under beds. <br />
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Now to catch up with my blog reading, though the time for relevant comments is well out of date. LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-29666115043908640032014-04-28T17:00:00.001+02:002014-04-28T17:00:08.603+02:00Unusual bloomsGonzalo leapt over the fence just a few weeks ago clutching a bundle of greenery. With his mattock, he'd whacked at the soil, stuck in the plants and then demanded agua. Whenever I've remembered, I've given them more. So here is the surprise.....they are fleur de Lys - and so beautiful, so scarlet. Lucky they didn't need more cherishing otherwise I'd have missed this sight.<br />
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On the pergola shelf, once again, are the giant Christmas cactus-y flowers, but more of them. Very dramatic.<br />
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LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-53660496297037998352014-04-17T19:37:00.000+02:002014-04-17T19:37:00.168+02:00This 'n thatIt's so long since I fiddled with my blog that I've forgotten how to edit the side bars and add/remove bloggers and books. I can just about get my head round a new post.<br />
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Time whooshes by, the temperatures are in the mid to late 20Cs and I'm out most of the day labouring in the garden. The vibrant ice plants are out.....<br />
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The NZ bottle brush is back again and other stuff that looked as if it had died has miraculously reappeared.<br />
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What a pleasure it is to be out there, even though my old bones ache at the end of the day.<br />
LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-8048520321732550602014-03-03T17:35:00.001+01:002014-03-03T17:35:12.785+01:00MILD MARCHThe peerless Paco couldn't get to us until last week as the weather had been so wild and wet. Within 6 hours, the orchard was reduced from knee-high weeds to looking a bit more loved....<br />
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I see there is a goodly number of lemons ready to pick and I have just the recipe - lemon curd (called lemon cheese in some parts) only 10 minuts in the microwave and absolutely idiot-proof. El jefe loves it, as do I, but last time I had it my face blew up like a balloon. I rushed to the doctor who reassured me it was temporary - the salivary glands had become irritated. <br />
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The freesia seeds I put in at the wrong time last year have blossomed and what intoxicating perfume they have. <br />
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All the osteospurmums are out and the black-eyed Susans have not stopped flowering all winter...<br />
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And for the first time, the iris that has just sat there for 2 years gave us some blooms at the same time as the canna lilies..<br />
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We have a smart new colourful awning to protect us from the Poniente (the strong westerly Atlantic wind). The plastic window in our original awning got ripped to bits in a gale last month. Our new one has a smaller window and we love it, as we can still see the garden as we sit on the patio for our morning coffee. <br />
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There's still a lot to do (as ever) and I have more enthusiasm now to do it. Sadly, the days of spending hours working out there are gone. I can manage 3 hrs. max and then have to take a nap. I must get myself a hammock! LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-58046877945352918992014-01-31T09:50:00.000+01:002014-01-31T09:50:17.565+01:00more orchid trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A dear friend , to whom we gave an white orchard tree sapling a few months back, made a sentimental journey to Hong Kong before Christmas. She was delighted when she recognised the distinctive leaves of the tree and sent this pic of the fabulous pink variety. <br />
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We are waiting for the esteemed Spanish gardener, Paco, to come and tackle our neglected garden. We need a good kick up the bum to get going and a couple of days of Paco's ministrations should do the trick. It's the month to have a huge prune and gardeners are worried that the sap has never stopped rising - in bloom and never stopping are bouganvillea, Cape honeysuckle, plumbago, lilies and irises. LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-47720368841392767692013-12-14T16:05:00.002+01:002013-12-14T16:06:15.504+01:00To one and all who pass by<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The garden is waiting to be put to bed but the sun shines, temperature around 20C in the mid-day early afternoon and things will not stop growing.<br />
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See you next year.LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-56758539663661676052013-10-12T09:03:00.001+02:002013-10-12T09:03:33.185+02:00Correction to Christmas Cactus plant post.All this time I thought we had a magical plant that changed its appearance every season but on closer inspection, el jefe discovered that there are two different types in the pot! Obvious when you think about it.<br />
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Here's a lovely quote I saw on Titania's Australian gardening blog:<br />
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Cicero - "With a garden and a library, you have everything you need". LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-22535912371864845112013-10-07T20:20:00.001+02:002013-10-07T20:20:59.163+02:00ORCHID TREE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We got the seeds from an orchid tree on the banks of the River Iro in our home town and have nurtured this spindly thing for at least two years. A while ago we gave one burdgeoning tree to a friend. She planted it out in her drive, s.e. facing wall, very poor soil and below is the result. El jefe has protected ours against winter's westerly chilly winds with a mesh-clad cylinder. It's against a morning glory-clad fence. <br />
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We hope it will eventually do as well as the one we gave away. <br />
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<br />LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-72031157622559868342013-10-05T23:49:00.001+02:002013-10-05T23:52:10.661+02:00October wonders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I posted about this flower last year when, what I thought would be a flame red cactus flower blossomed as a white one. The true red colour appeared early this year and people I asked thought it was related to the Christmas cactus. Well, as you can see, it's bloomed again, several flower heads, all a beautiful white with a pink tinge. What an amazing plant this is.LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17761852.post-82347879054170966142013-09-08T09:42:00.000+02:002013-09-08T09:42:20.430+02:00September colour splash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ignoring the weed-infested gravel (must get around to it) I sat on the patio this morning drinking in the splashes of colour. Yang too sits alongside me, seemingly in admiration. The tacomaria (Cape honeysuckle) has never been so prolific and for the first time, a type of jasmine has produced heavenly-scented flowers. <br />
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There's such a haphazard mixture along this trellis - orange tacomaria, cream and pink bignonia, cream jasmine, orange black-eyes Susans and finally,, a self-seeded, additional clump of plumbago. No planning has gone into this: it's been a case of "stick it in and see what happens". <br />
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It's officially Autumn, but we are having a second Spring.LadyLuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01425624818859182752noreply@blogger.com2