June is the ideal month to simply enjoy your garden as most of the spring planting should have already been done but the hottest days yet to arrive.  With so much in bloom, there should be plenty of colour now but if not you can head for your local garden centre for a quick remedy.
Consider such June-flowering plants as Fushcias, Hydrangeas, Lantana, Jacaranda trees, Agapanthus and Mandevilla.

Fuchsias need regular watering, but don’t let the soil get soggy.  Feed often with fertiliser high in nitrogen.   Deadhead the seedpods.  All fuchsias need partial shade with white and pastel colours requiring a bit more shade than reds and purples.

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.

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.

When the rain stops, this month will be 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.

The Tenth Anniversary event for the annual autumn garden fair took place on Saturday October 27 in Sao Bras and celebrated the start of the gardening year. We were fortunate to have a dry sunny day following the first few rainy days of the autumn, encouraging everyone to get busy in the garden again.

Despite the run up to this years Spring Garden Fair being dogged by much needed heavy rain, not so welcome howling winds and even a mini tornado across the Algarve, the event went ahead as planned. On the day the rain held off until early afternoon, giving the 350 or so visitors the chance to buy from small nurseries and growers offering a wide variety of plants, shrubs and trees for sale. Some visitors, we learned, had travelled long distances to take advantage of the unique opportunity to buy from the specialist nurseries gathered together for the day.

Renowned landscape gardener Steve Townson, of Green Fingers’ fame, has launched a bespoke garden consultancy based on over 30 years’ experience designing, landscaping and maintaining some of the most prestigious gardens in the Algarve.

Working hand-in-hand with a keen, new landscaping and garden maintenance company, Steve offers everything from on-site consultancy to project management. Whether you are creating a new garden, or wanting to inject fresh life into an established one, Steve’s extensive knowledge and advice will ultimately save you time and money.

The Mediterranean Garden Fair held in São Bras de Alportel on Saturday October 28 was the most successful yet and attracted 1800 visitors, a record breaking attendance for the event in its eighth year. This is a wonderful response and we would like to thank everyone who supported our exhibitors and speakers.

The weather was perfect and the excellent help given by São Bras Camara, the Bombeiros and the Amigos do Museu all combined to make the day run smoothly. The organisers work with a wonderful group of volunteers who make the event very special by giving their time on the day to help visitors. When the gates opened to the public at 11.00 am the plant nurseries and other activities were all in place for the rush of enthusiastic gardeners.