Working with the Land - February 2018

Our first event for 2018 was an interesting visit to Julia de Jesus Palma´s land, Terra Robinia, in Messines, on Wednesday February 14. Some of you will remember Julia from a talk on Permaculture that she gave at the Spring Fair in Silves in 2017. This visit gave us the opportunity to see various methods of working with the land, including permaculture, water conservation and recycling, berms, chickens and goats. 

  

We were shown the Neolithic burial site gouged out of the great red sandstone belly of a rock next to the house very intriguing. All in all it certainly was a most interesting morning as we scrambled down rough terrain past chickens and ducks kept for meat and eggs and goats kept for their milk and were shown trees and shrubs that are grown for their fruit or their ability to introduce and fix nitrogen into the soil The talk on biochar was also very stimulating.

Building swales to harvest rain water 

Julia gave a talk titled Working WITH the land, explaining the philosophy behind the project. Martijn Macaopino gave a talk on biochar. Martijn is a 30-year-old self-taught permaculturist from Holland with a passion for biochar. He started with permaculture about 5 years ago and became interested in biochar because of his fascination with the soil.

Julia´s land is practical and functional, not ornamental, and is on a slope. Those attending needed to be fit enough for rough terrain and prepared for muddy conditions with rain. Participants also all needed to be prepared to use a dry (compost) toilet.

Following the visit, MGAP members Sue and Mike Lis gave us a very tasty lunch and it was delightful sitting on their shady terrace and looking onto the olives and small hill opposite. Sue then took us up to the other side of the hill to see some hoop petticoat daffodils in flower.

Due to the size of the land and area for the talk, numbers for this event were limited, so it was a small group who attended but everyone had an inspiring and informative opportunity to see this special way of managing gardens and land.

Burford Hurry 

Trees and their Fungi - December 2017

We were lucky to have Herr and Frau Gronek, two experts in trees and their fungi, giving us an illustrated talk at the Quinta da Figueirinha in Silves on Tuesday December 12th. The talk was on The Caring and Cutting of Trees and Their Interaction with Fungi / Bäume: Ihr Schnitt, ihre Plege, und ihre Interaktion mit Pilzen. Frau Gronek spoke about the cutting and care of trees, Herr Gronek about fungi. The talk and supporting information were in German and English. After the talk, we took a tour around the Quinta looking at examples that illustrated the topic of the talks. 

Frau Gronek opens the talk 

Todays presentation was interesting but on a more theoretical and principal background of tree growth mechanisms. The different layers of a Tree/a branch were shown, where is living and growing and regenerating tissue and where is dead but nevertheless necessary wood. The difference of length and thickness growth was shown as well as its relationship to carbon storage. From this theoretical understanding of tree growth pruning thechniques were derived without going into detail for specific trees. 

  

We were shown examples of correct and incorrect pruning of small and big branches on trees on the quinta. I did not agree with everything the referee said but there were a lot of interesting and new informations. The most important thing is to respect and not to disturb the self repair mechanisms of a tree when it loses a branch naturally or when it is pruned artificially. In a correct cut or a naturally shed branch the tree will completely close the scar within a relatively short time with some kind of callus. What I concluded for myself is to find the best compromise to cut a branch as close to the trunk or main branch as possible but at the same time keeping the diameter of the cut as small as possible. If the stump left after the cut is too long it cannot be covered with callus, will die off and will be an entry point to fungi. But if the branch is cut too close to the bifurcation the wound will become unnesesarily large and, even worse, the cut destroys the zone auf auto-regeneration which exists at the base of every branch. These zones were new to me and were clearly shown in many examples and I can show them to you when we meet next time. These zones are more pronounced on branches that the tree will eventually shed itself. Literally translated they are called 'fairwell collar', Abschiedskragen.

  

The referee also explained the hierarchy of a tree crown and the canopy of a forest. Growth is controlled by plant hormones, but also by availability of light and also by the ability of the roots to deliver water and nutrients. Depending on all these factors a tree will develop its typical shape or become distorted if lack of light or water or nutrient implies this. We were shown a small group of evergreen oaks that behave like one big tree crown, giving itself protection from wind and drought and competing for light at the same time. Human interference would only result in the trees trying to grow back into what they "feel" is THEIR best compromise. The main issue for a tree is the uptake of sunlight to produce storable energy. if parts of the tree would not produce any more energy but on the contrary consume energy like for a example a branch in dense shade the tree would "decide" to get rid of this branch and start a shedding process.

  

It was also shown that even badly damaged trees can regenerate very impressively as long as their roots remain intact. There were some beautiful examples of very old carob trees which had formed new trunks alongside rotted but still present old ones, or that had even formed a growth of several trees after the initial tree had fallen in a storm and the branches on the ground rooted and grew into new trees.

There was a discussion fuelled by the question if suckers from the base of a tree should be removed or not. From the point of view of the tree suckers mean regeneration so if the sake of the tree has priority these suckers should remain. But depending on human needs it might make sense to remove them but this may impair the lifespan of a tree. The motto was: What do YOU want, what does THE TREE want. The discussion also touched the point of suckers in grafted trees which are a different issue.

  

During a long personal discussion with the referee I raised the question on how and when to prune Olive and Almond trees. The referee replied that her studies mainly deal with north european trees but she would try to gather infomation on the requested species and send it by mail. She also said that her presentation will be translated into English and sent to Gerhard Zabel. The presentation was held in German and was simutaneously translated. This will of course be more detailed than this abstract. She also said that she would come back to Portugal next year to give a talk on more specific pruning techniques for specific trees.

Ulrich Urban 

What Grows Where - Soils and Plant Communities in the Algarve

A report on our first event of the new gardening year in 2017, an illustrated talk by Marilyn Medina Ribeiro on this important topic held on Saturday 23 September at the Municipal Library, Loulé 

We learnt more about creating a beautiful garden in harmony with our soil and the plants it will support and discovered how this understanding of our soils and plant communities will help us to improve and enrich our gardens and save water. 

The Algarve has a Mediterranean climate - long, hot, dry summers with an average range of 20 – 30 °C, and cool, wet winters with an average minimum range of 4 – 10 °C. Its westerly location bordering the Atlantic means that the Algarve is generally wetter and windier (especially in the far west) than Mediterranean regions further east. Most plant growth ceases during the summer, with many plants surviving as dormant underground bulbs or corms until new growth is triggered by the first rains in the autumn, for example the native bulb, Paperwhite Narcissus. Winter rains usually begin in late September or early October, with showers continuing to March and April. There can long dry spells during the winter months but the first rains produce a dramatic greening of the landscape. The first spring flowers appear in late January, and from mid March to late April the flowering period reaches its peak and the region is covered in a glorious blaze of colour. 

As is typical of the Mediterranean climate, frosts are infrequent in the Algarve, allowing the extensive cultivation of tender fruits such as Citrus and Olives. Indeed the distribution of the frost intolerant olive (Olea europaea), which roughly tracks the winter 7 °C isotherm across Portugal and the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, is a good proxy for the extent of the Mediterranean climate and the associated flora.

Such tender crops are usually grown along the warm southern coastal regions at lower altitude. At higher altitudes in the Serra (over 600 m), e.g. the Monchique region, the climate is much cooler and occasional frosts are possible. More hardy fruits, such as cherries and plums, are grown along with vegetables, olives and citrus being restricted to the most sheltered valley terraces and lower slopes. Throughout the Serra and lower hills of the Barrocal, cork oak, maritime pine and stone pine are extensively cultivated for bark, timber and seeds (nuts) respectively. Alongside them, ever-increasing quantities of Australian eucalyptus are grown principally to supply wood pulp for the paper-making industry. The fire risks presented by extensive monocultures of eucalyptus are the subject of national debate.

The interrelated influences of geology and climate allow the definition of three broad geographical regions of the Algarve: Littoral, Barrocal, and Serra, each with its own characteristic vegetation and flora. The Littoral consists of the coastal land running along the southern-most strip of the region and up its western coast above the Cape St. Vincent peninsula. It has a mixed geology of sedimentary rocks, alluvia, and sand of relatively recent origin. Inland, the Barrocal is an area of rolling hills, composed principally of limestone, that increase in height upon moving north, where they merge with the mountainous Serra. The Serra is composed of older rocks, particularly shale and syenite, mainly carboniferous in origin. The high (300 m) Serra is predominantly shale with occasional igneous intrusions, most notably the large mass of crystalline syenite at Monchique.

Through its influence on soil, particularly soil pH, the geology of these three regions has a significant effect on their respective floras. Thus, the Barrocal is dominated by plants that thrive on alkaline limestone soils, such as some Cistus species and Lavandula luiseri, with lime-intolerant and acid-loving plants being confined mainly to Litoral sandy areas and shale outcrops, such as gorse species (Ulex). By contrast the acid Serra is dominated by plants that prefer lower pH soils, for instance Ericaceous species such as tree heath (Erica arborea), the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) and the iconic Cistus ladanifer.
  

Cistus ladanifer 

In common with other Mediterranean climate zones, rainfall is predominantly during winter months. The amount varies between the Atlantic western coast and the drier eastern Algarve. The Algarve receives on average 453 mm of rain annually but this can vary locally between 300mm and 600mm. Irrigation water is available via an agricultural system in some areas, private boreholes and by municipal systems. The latter is very expensive and is not recommended for irrigation as it is drinking water. There are many homes with no access to a bore hole or the municipal systems and they have large tanks which can be filled by rainwater harvesting or by the local firemen who deliver water at a cost. Careful plant choice according to your soils can deliver a sustainable and beautiful garden using native plants of the Algarve.

Peony broteroi 

With grateful thanks to Chris Thorogood and Simon Hiscock, authors of the Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Algarve, Kew Publishing, 2014 Available from Mediterranean Gardening Association – Portugal Book Shop by post or at our events.

Rosie Peddle September 2017

 

Learn to Love Brown - Midsummer Brunch 25th June 2017

A very successful first Midsummer Brunch was organised for MGAP members and friends by our events coordinator, Tessa Hearn. Brunch was decided on rather than lunch as it was thought that by lunch time we would all be burnt to a crisp by the summer sun. As it turned out it was a perfect morning, overcast to begin with and even some spots of rain. The event was held in the natural style dry garden of Rob and Rosie Peddle, very relevant in summer as the garden was filled with plants in all shades of biscuit browns, silver and gold and demonstrated our theme for the day of ´learning to love brown´.

Phagnolon seed heads 

Cutlery and crockery was provided by our hosts and all we had to do was to bring a plate of food and talk about plants. Our hosts had thought of everything. Helped by Teresa and Zé, there were enough tables both inside and out for members, while the outside tables were provided with shade, and there was water, coffee and cold drinks on arrival. There were about thirty five enthusiastic members and guests attending, some of whom had travelled to the brunch from the western Algarve. As a result the kitchen table groaned with a wonderful array of food from quiches to salads.

Before our brunch a walk through the garden was given by Rosie who pointed out and identified various interesting native plants. Members had been given a map of the garden and a sheet with a list of plant names which they could use for reference or to make notes on. There were lots of questions and comments during the walk. The Barrocal Thymbra capitata was in flower and looking good against the silver grey background. An interesting observation made by some was the very blackened aspect to the bark of the almond trees, this is completely natural and not the result of fires – it also does not mean that the tree is dead ! 

Cistus albidus seed heads 

There are various strategies adopted by plants to cope with the summer heat and drought. Phlomis purpurea puts it leaves upright showing only the silver backs to reflect the heat until the cooler more humid days allow it to unfurl and show once again the fresh green top surfaces. The many Cistus species in the garden made a lovely show of their bronze ´basket´ shaped seed heads, contrasting with the silver grey of the foliage. 

Phlomis purpurea foliage in summer 

We were shown an area under pines which was filled with interest, bronze, silver and gold seed heads of Phagnolon saxatile, Cistus crispus and the lovely tall native grass Hyparrhenia hirta.

Planting under pines 

Brunch went very well and in no time we had settled down to eating and discussing the day. Those present representing, and sharing, their great range from experienced to new gardeners on the Algarve. After the meal members were invited to identify twenty plants in jars on a nearby table all of which we had seen on our earlier walk. This certainly encouraged members to participate and talk to one another. The answers were then checked and prizes awarded.

Thymbra capitata 

Everyone was also invited to help themselves to plants before they left. All in all this was a very successful and pleasant morning spent with members and friends of MGAP. 

Time once again to congratulate all those who helped make the brunch such an interesting and entertaining occasion. It is to be hoped that this will become an annual summer event not only in the Algarve but throughout Portugal wherever there is more than one member living in a province. 

Burford Hurry – President of MGAP

Report on AGM 1st April 2017

Sue Parker 

Odysseys & Oddities of the Wild Orchid Hunters

Ophrys bombyliflora 

“Go to the right places in the Algarve at the right times of year, and the most amazing orchid sights will greet you.” Sue Parker

The AGM 2017 business meeting for MGAP took place at the Paderne Sports and Social Club on Saturday 1^st April and was followed by an illustrated talk from Sue Parker. Following lunch, Sue Parker and Pat O´Reilly also led a guided walk along the Algibre River. As you can guess, orchid spotting was high on the agenda but we also saw Cistus albidus performing well, Lavenders and Scillas in profusion as well as some early flowers on the lovely yellow Genista hirsuta. The range of orchids on show included Ophrys speculum, O. lutea and O. fusca as well as Serapias lingua.  Early emerging buds of the bright red parasitic Cytinus rubra were also seen.

Spring 2017 is proving to be a bumper year for the spectacular wildflowers of the Algarve and in her talk, Sue Parker took us to some of her favourite places on the Algarve for orchids as well as some European hot spots, including many stories of the trials and tribulations encountered along the way.

Sue Parker shares her time between homes in Wales and the Algarve and travels, mainly in Europe, to see, photograph and learn more about wild terrestrial orchids. Her passion for wild orchids dates back to her childhood in the Far East, where epiphytic orchids grew on the fence at the bottom of her garden. To date Sue has written eight books about wildflowers, including three that are devoted to terrestrial orchids. She has also made radio and television programmes about orchids and contributes articles to journals and magazines.

Her talk gave us an insight on some of the unexpected things that happen while searching for wildflowers.  Including how very useful it is to have full body rubber fishing waders with you for river bank searches and a whole new use for carpet fitters knee pads !  Sue did not recommend wearing shorts when embarking on any plant expeditions in Mediterranean climes as the general vegetation tends towards the extremely prickly !

The lovely photos included some familiar friends from Algarve landscapes including Ophrys speculum and some of its interesting hybrids as well as the rarer butterfly orchid, Anacamptis papilionacea. Sue was keen to hear from anyone knowing of good orchid sites as these fickle beauties have a habit of disappearing for several years before making another appearance on the same site. Another threat to orchid sites was highlighted by Sue, the constant pressure on coastal sites and urban fringes for development, either for homes or for jobs. Understandable when the national economy is so fragile but the special habitats of the Algarve also have a huge economic value and the recent surge in nature tourism proves the point that we have here a very special botanical region within Europe. A member of the audience confirmed that a wonderful display of several species of wild orchids had recently been ploughed up in her area close to Loulé.

The full range of natural history books by Sue Parker and Pat O´Reilly on the Algarve are available from MGAP and this includes the NEW EDITION of Wild Orchids of the Algarve as well as Fascinated by Fungi by Pat O´Reilly  

Ophrys speculum 

Fungi Foray - Monchique, December 30 2015

Fascinated by Fungi ?

As any mushroom enthusiast will know, the recent unseasonally warm weather, coupled with copious amounts of rain, created perfect growing conditions for wild fungi. So, on a dry but grey late December morning, a group of about 18 of us met at a (top secret!) woodland location just outside Monchique for a “fungi foray” organised by MGAP (Mediterranean Gardening Association Portugal). The walk was led by charming couple Pat O´Reilly and Sue Parker. Pat, a naturalist with more than 40 years of fungus foray experience, has been broadcasting on this and other countryside topics and written over 20 books. His latest publication “Fascinated by Fungi” is a brilliant introduction to more than 400 mushrooms, toadstools and other fungi.

Pat came prepared with a selection of mushrooms we were most likely to encounter on our walk, explaining first basic rules of safety when collecting wild mushrooms and then giving a brief introduction to their basic biology, how they propagate and grow and where and how to find them. As we set off , the clouds cleared, letting sunrays beam through the tall pines and eucalyptus trees – it was magical. Amazingly, and thanks to some super sharp eyes amongst us, some 60 species were identified and some of us – clearly knowing where to look, filled their baskets with chanterelles, saffron milk caps, pied de moutons and others.

Available from MGAP 

Our diverse group (Danish and Dutch, English, Swiss and Germans) all came for one reason: a passion for wild mushrooms. There were those with a keen botanical interest wishing to learn more about the local Algarvian fungi, others came prepared with wicker baskets and knives, obviously with a clear culinary interest, and then those who simply wanted to enjoy a different type of walk in like minded company. After a very enjoyable 1 ½ hours of searching, photographing and collecting, we rounded the morning off over lunch in Restaurant A Luar da Foia – one of whose specialities is a delicious concoction of mushrooms cooked with port, rosemary and honey!

Fungi Foray group with Pat O'Reilly in red

We were privileged to have had Pat and Sue with us, they created an informative, intelligent and above all fun excursion. This, coupled with foraging with an interesting and friendly group in magical woodland and last but not least finding and identifying local fungus was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Purplepore Bracket fungus on cork oak log

There is a PDF list available on request from rosie@thebtf.net prepared by Pat of the fungi species recorded during the walk in the woods at Meia Viana, near Monchique.

Coral fungus - Ramaria species 

Pat says “The list is of the 60 or so species identified during or subsequently to the Fungi Walk. (I am sure there were others that I failed to record, however.) In addition we found two more shield mushroom (Pluteus genus) that I am still trying to identify to species level; another cavalier mushroom (Melanoleuca species) that I didn’t take a sample of so it will have to remain simply a Melanoleuca sp!; and a huge creamish mushroom that might have been a Dermaloma species, but I can’t be at all sure about that one; plus several other brittle gill mushrooms (Russula species) that would need detailed microscopic study to identify to species level.

I think the results of our foray are very impressive indeed, so well done all those super-sharp eyes! Surprisingly absent, however, but often to be seen in the Monchique woodlands, were Red Cage Fungus Clathrus ruber, Dog Stinkhorn Mutinius caninus, Giant Club Orange Clavariadelphus pistillaris, Orange Peel Fungus Aleuria aurantia, Eyelash Fungus Scutellinia scutellata, Deathcap Amanita phalloides, and Caesar’s mushroom Amanita caesarea.

The woods around Monchique really are fungal diversity hotspots, so if you do get a chance to visit again between October and April I am sure that you will see many more fascinating fungi there.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us on the Fungi Walk.”

Pat and Sue Email: enquiries@first-nature.com
Web sites   www.first-nature.com         www.algarvewildlife.com

Many thanks to Jeanette Fahlbusch for suggesting and organising this event and for writing this report.

MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN FAIR 2015

Sunshine and Home Made Cakes, some cooked by solar power !

John & Becky Hook with roses for mediterranean gardens

Thank you to everyone who supported our seventh annual Mediterranean Garden Fair held on Saturday 7 November. What an amazing day we had for this special event, but, thank goodness we had sunshine – it was a great bonus to have good weather this year after so many rainy days in October - the best preparation for planting !
The shuttle bus was once again very popular and allowed everyone good access to the site from the market place car park near the school. As we cannot have general parking on the site of the fair it is essential to have the cooperation and agreement with the Junta to use the market place for parking on the day. There were MGAP bulbs for sale as well as new and second hand books, and the new West Coast Wild Flowers book on the MGAP Info table inside the building. This year we also had a good selection of native plant seed available to buy. 

The advice panel was ably led by our President, Burford Hurry, a new idea for this year and many visitors made their way up to the building to ask for the friendly help of our experienced gardeners in topics such as fruit and vegetable growing, herbs and native plant gardens. In addition we had a tree surgeon with us and displays on worm composting, something for everyone we hope. The hardworking ladies on the Charity food stall sold out completely and no wonder when you saw the tempting range of cakes and savouries they produced. The Tavira Orphanage and animal charities will benefit. Once again we had the chance to sample solar cooking and cakes so a sunny day was a real bonus.

We had 710 paying visitors so an excellent and very pleasing response for the nurseries and the selection of plants on offer. After expenses, we raised just over 2000 euros on the day so a fantastic boost for our funds and for the projects we are planning. The sale plants looked lovely and the nurseries took a lot of trouble with their displays, labelling and information. If the plant crèche was anything to go by, there were a lot of plants bought on the day ! If you have some good photos please send them to me, it would be great to put a gallery on the web site. Did anyone get a pic of the lovely man on his bike, 

with a large back pack holding a very tall palm tree ? ....

Solar cooking and new way to transport palms

The strong interest in Mediterranean gardening and the need for good quality information, and appropriate plants, has been proved – and now we have had the best start possible for our gardening year. I am sure everyone was keen to get planting their new purchases, it was a lovely sunny day and I hope you all had a lot of fun.

As usual we will be holding a volunteers/helpers get together for a soup and sandwich lunch, feedback and talk about next year so please send us your comments. Without the valuable time and patience of our marvellous band of volunteer helpers we could not stage this event. This is our main fund raising effort for the year and gives us the opportunity to support our learning initiatives, student visits, projects and the events held throughout the rest of the year.

Succulents in the sun

It will get this big !

choose your plant