The first day of Summer

It is a bright sunny day with blue skies punctuated by white and pale grey Columbus clouds. It is warm bordering on hot in the sun but with plenty of shaded places to keep cool, it is a lovely first day of Summer.

The first peaches were harvested today and although the tree doesn't produce much fruit, what it does produce is sweet, very peachy and juicy if left to ripen naturally. One or two have already been pecked at by the birds and then plundered by the ants but as today was getting breezy I decided to harvest the first of the undamaged crop before they fell in the gathering winds.

The mosaic terrace table top has been united with its long-awaited bases and it not only looks great, it is also functional and perfect for the glass of red as the evening sun sets. Needless to say, Luis has started another mosaic project and the list of projects in mind continues to grow apace.

One of the showiest plants we have is in full bloom near the edge of the pond. The angels fishing rod is heavy with bright pink flowers that droop towards the water and encourage lots of bees and insects.

Another plant that gives all it has when flowering is the cactus. This one is in full glorious flower, sadly they last only very few hours so to get to witness their show is a true privilege.

Other worthy contenders for showiest bloomer are the air hyacynth and the bottom meadow, both of which are at their prime.

The cats are spending most of their day in the deep shade of the bog garden where it is damp and cool but occasionally venture out from the shade of the giant Gunera leaves and soak up the warmth of the sun for a few moments but soon return to the cool and welcome shade. They are brushed daily from now on as it is flea and tick season and regular grooming means we can keep an eye out for attacks. They are also fast loosing their winter coats so they seem to welcome a daily brush.

You might have heard of the Andrex puppy? Well we seem to have an Aubretia pussy who has taken to finding comfort when relieving himself resulting in large dying patches...I won't publicly name and shame, I'll leave it up to you to decide who is the guilty party!

  

June in the garden

The weather continues to be cooler than usual with several days of prolonged drizzle and low cloud. Sunny days have been few and far between but never-the-less the garden is looking colourful and filling out at a pace; sadly, the flowers do not last long enough when they get saturated in the persistent drizzle. We tend to wander around the garden daily to spot what is happening, to see what's in flower, prioritise weeding and spot any potential problems such as infestations and damage. We noticed several heavy infestations of aphids on the fruit trees. We had been told about a soap based product (soft potash soap) that is supposed to help eradicate such infestations so we bought some and have sprayed all the fruit trees to see if it works (50g/litre of water). We will let you know how efficient it is.

There are several spectacular flowers and plants in bloom at the moment including: The bird of paradise which we rescued from a house in the next village. It was constantly on the floor, dry and in a bad way so we knocked on the door and asked if we could take care of it. The lady said yes and with a bit of tender, loving care, it is back in great shape. It just needs re-potting now in something appropriately splendid.

The bee orchid is common in these parts but we have found some in the garden amongst the flowers -  We are not sure if it is a bee orchid or a woodcock ophry (thanks Nigel) as they are almost indistinguishable, they are truly lovely and we will encourage their spread. We now have at least four types of wild orchids that grow in the garden.

The Alliums are in full spectacle. As you approach they appear like miniature galaxies suspended in green space. Their structure and form are fascinating and a wonderful distraction.

A few years ago we planted a series of terracotta roof tiles with succulents. These were easy to make by blocking off the ends with pebbles and cement, filling with soil, adding plants and a few decorative pebbles and topping off with fine gravel. We have lined the steps down into the garden with them and they make a lovely addition and need very little attention.

Luis has been busy making mosaics in between all the other things we get up to. He has just completed two column bases for a mosaic table he made some time ago. They are designed so that they can be used independently but we will use them with the top as intended. The are a lovely addition to the terrace. We will feature them in-situ once fully dry (currently sealed and awaiting positioning).

Elsewhere the garden continues to keep us occupied with lots of fruit and vegetables to sow, maintain and harvest as appropriate. The lawns need regular cutting and the flower borders need dead-heading to prolong the flowering season. There is always something to do but it brings with it the opportunity to savour the beautiful colours, shapes and structures that nature provides. What do you enjoy in your garden?

Winter flowers showing Spring is on its way.....

A few flowers from the garden, hedgerow and mountains....

Thinning and pruning

We don't have a massive piece of land, about 1500 sq m in total but what we have is certainly enough to keep us busy throughout the year and especially in winter. When we bought La Pasera we asked the builder to leave in situ, the existing orchard trees and any trees and shrubs that were on our borders. One of the first tasks we accomplished was bringing plants from our garden in Yorkshire to Asturias, some of which were successful and others not. After creating various planting beds, rockeries and borders, adding our UK stock and planting more plants, trees and bushes over the years, we have learnt a valuable lesson: living in a temperate climate makes things grow, spread and multiply with such vigour. This week we have been cutting back, pruning, thinning and disposing of many plants and shrubs that had become just too big or cumbersome for their allocated space.

The two dying apple trees - leafless

Sadly, two of the old apple trees have also come to the end of their life after hardly any leaf and no fruit last year. The woodpeckers have been visiting daily and stripping the bark and feasting on the grubs that have taken up residence in these dying trees. Fungus has claimed their bases and it will be sad but necessary to chop them down and replace them with young apple trees that will provide us with lots of fruit.

I have been trying to prune lots of our bushes that over the time have been cut back and have subsequently grown in not-so-pleasing shapes. It'll take a couple of seasons but with time they will grow into better shaped and more pleasing to the eye specimens. We need to tackle the north border of our land that has hazel, blackthorn, hawthorn and pyracanthus, all of which grow with great gusto and apart from the useful coppiced hazel, are difficult to handle and dispose of due to very sharp thorns. We will probably burn this in the garden as it is almost impossible to process into useful firewood. In Spain, it is recommended that you apply for a license to burn even the smallest amount of garden rubbish. If you burn without one, if your fire spreads you can be held liable for costs and fines so a (free) license is advisable... I'm really not sure as to why a free license and registering protects you but if nothing else it raises the issue of the dangers of fires in rural and wooded areas. You can only use the license between October and May which makes sense due to the cooler and wetter weather.

We will process the wood for kindling and firewood which will take up to a year to dry sufficiently. The plants, weeds and leafy off-cuts will be composted and provided us with much needed nutrients to add back into the beds in a few months time. Working in the garden is therapeutic on many levels and helps us fine-tune our ideas. It is now nine years since we bought La Pasera and looking back at old photographs certainly reminds us of how much has been achieved over the years.

2006

July in bloom

Flowers are an important aspect of any garden, from the insignificant to the big, bright and bold, flowers are special.

Flowers attract insects, aid pollination, create scent, display colour and provide structure and form and, they are beautiful to look at.

The flowers at La Pasera change throughout the months but July is certainly a time when the brightest, boldest and showiest blooms arrive. So much so, the smaller, delicate flowers often get overlooked.

The next time you are in the borders, look a little closer, stare a little deeper and you just might see a diamond amongst many other gems, a bit like life really...