May in the garden
- Written by Janet Johnstone
May is the time to finalise all the spring planting, as the increased heat boosts all plants to really take off. From now until November one key to success is to water deeply but appropriately for each plant.
April in the garden
- Written by Janet Johnstone
Of course, the Algarve boasts colour year round, but April has the strongest punch of colour of any month. March was the first spring planting month, but if you did not get it all done, there is time to catch up in April. April can bring heavy rain interspersed with warm sunny days, speeding growth. Pests also benefit from the increased warmth, so one should pay attention to early control to avoid wreaking infestation later.
The versatile, but rampant Eucalyptus
- Written by Clive Goodacre
It seems amazing that the tallest flowering tree in the world was only ‘discovered’ in 2008 less than 100km from a major city in an area visited by thousands of people every year. Now christened Centurian, the tree in question is Eucalyptus Regans otherwise known as the swamp gum which was found growing near the Tahune airwalk south of Hobart, Tasmania.
March in the garden
- Written by Janet Johnstone
This month is a good time to plant most summer annuals and perennials, lawns from seeds, many vegetables, and most trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines. For tropical plants, however, it is better to wait until April or May as they will take off better when warmer.
Gardening on the rocks
- Written by Clive Goodacre
Anyone who has experienced the magical atmosphere of Stonehenge or the dolmens and menhirs scattered across Portugal cannot help but appreciate the fascination of stone in landscaping. Garden designs incorporating rocks have long been regarded as an art form by the Japanese while centuries of European landscapers built grottos, fountains and terraces, drawing on ancient texts from the likes of Pliny and Hero for inspiration.
February in the garden
- Written by Janet Johnstone
After all the work required in January, it is nice to realise that February is more a time of waiting and patience. Some pruning can be done now, but wait for warmer weather before cutting back any frost-damaged branches.
