Dolly's day in the garden

Looking around the garden and couldn't help thinking of my old pot plants, that I once had in the UK. Small cacti, Poinsettias at Christmas and other house plants. The same varieties now grow in my garden extremely large and profusely. You'll notice that I'll say other house plants, thats because I'm useless at remembering names of plants, or peoples' names come to think of it... It's a weakness of mine. I also have difficulty with the names of celebrities, singers and the famous... wonder if it's a condition or just a lack of concentration. Just as well Dolly has been given an easy name, she'd hate it I forgot to mention her. I've decided to give you a tour around the garden today so that you can see where Dolly lives.

The truth is we can't be out everyday in her, even if she does have a sulk. Today was one of those days when we just had to stay home and enjoy the garden. This Poinsettia once sat on our coffee table in a small ceramic pot, during the Christmas season. four years ago. It was planted out after the holiday but didn't do too well, it was moved again last year to a new location and take a look at it this year. It's really surprised us, so beautiful and probably one of my favourite plants in the garden.

 Behind the area where Dolly rests is an very old almond tree. This week it had to be cut back, some of the old branches were split and at risk of falling. It was so sad to see the grand old tree looking half its size. Sometimes we just have to do things we don't really want to and cutting the tree was one of those times.

 On a happier note look at one of my two money trees. Thats what we called them when I was young, we had one on the window sill. It's a succulent I know that much but no idea what the real name is.

 Now this one I know, it's a yucca, it's not the largest one in the garden but its the one that replaced our palm tree, which died of palm weevil. For me that was another sad event in the garden, I hate loosing trees, it looked fantastic by the pool and gave great shade. Yuccas done well and looks pretty good now.

 There are so many varieties of cacti and succulents in our garden, I'm sure they all have individual latin names. I haven't a clue and to be very honest, I've never taken the time to find out. I love the garden. I've enjoyed watching it develop over the years and I appreciate the amount of work thats involved, mostly carried out by my husband... I confess to having little input when it comes to the garden. Look at it this way, I appreciate art but I'm no artist, I enjoy listening to a piano concerto but I don't play the piano. I love the garden but I'm no gardener.

 This one is Rosemary. I know that because of the smell and of course I've used it over the years in the kitchen, it's great with lamb. That's probably why sheep keep away... Just in case.

And of course we have our orange tree, no garden would be complete in Portugal without at least one orange tree. However it doesn't seem to be giving very sweet fruit this year. 

We can't leave the garden with out giving Dolly pride of place, she's been working very hard finding out about the Victorian Christmas. I'm sure she will be posting very soon.

Bye for now xx