October 11 2019
In October, a small group of us visited Jardim Seco, a small specialist nursery near Tavira run by Joanna Foster and Ben Hurst. Many MGAP members know this nursery from their participation at the Mediterranean Garden Fairs in Spring and Autumn.
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| Special fibre pots to prevent root disturbance when planted |
Ben started off our visit by talking about the history of the nursery and its philosophy – growing plants from Mediterranean climates and others suited to our conditions here, i.e. needing little or no water once established. Ben explained how the plants were grown and sold, what pots and potting mediums are used, the difficulty of keeping Mediterranean plants growing well let alone looking nice in pots, especially without the growth hormones and retardants used by many garden centres, and much more. After that, we were invited to look around the nursery with Ben and Jo on hand for advice and information.
The nursery is not open to the public, so the number of visitors at any one time is usually very small, but Jo and Ben had gone to great lengths to make it safe and easy for us to get around. They had sent us a list beforehand of plants that they grew and which ones they had in stock. Unlike many garden centres, they grow most of the plants themselves and often have only a few of any one kind. They can, however, with a bit of notice, grow a larger number of a plants to order.
Jardim Seco is one of several specialist nurseries in the Algarve and Portugal which are worth seeking out and visiting. There is a list of some of them on the MGAP website under Information – nurseries – Portuguese nurseries. (Jardim Seco is listed under Paisotec Lda, but the web address is forwarded to Jardim Seco, although their website is currently under construction.)
This was an interesting and rewarding trip, which we hope to repeat both to Jardim Seco and to other nurseries in the future. Thanks to Ben and Jo for taking the time and trouble to accommodate us.
Tessa Hearn
The nursery is not open to the public, so the number of visitors at any one time is usually very small, but Jo and Ben had gone to great lengths to make it safe and easy for us to get around. They had sent us a list beforehand of plants that they grew and which ones they had in stock. Unlike many garden centres, they grow most of the plants themselves and often have only a few of any one kind. They can, however, with a bit of notice, grow a larger number of a plants to order.
Jardim Seco is one of several specialist nurseries in the Algarve and Portugal which are worth seeking out and visiting. There is a list of some of them on the MGAP website under Information – nurseries – Portuguese nurseries. (Jardim Seco is listed under Paisotec Lda, but the web address is forwarded to Jardim Seco, although their website is currently under construction.)
This was an interesting and rewarding trip, which we hope to repeat both to Jardim Seco and to other nurseries in the future. Thanks to Ben and Jo for taking the time and trouble to accommodate us.
Tessa Hearn
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