Open Garden Weekend December 2014

Open Garden weekend, 6th and 7th December, Moncarapacho 

 Many thanks to everyone who came along to support this event, it was glorious weather for garden visiting and it was very good to see so many keen plant buyers ! The full range of publications was available to buy and the Clematis was full of flower and even the swimming pond looked very inviting although it was a little too cold to swim. 

A warm welcome to our new members who joined over the weekend and there was lots of garden gossip to enjoy with the tea and buns. If there is anyone else out there willing to have an Open Garden visit from members then please let us know. It is good way of exchanging ideas and information.

Species Count Day

“95 per cent observation /5 per cent  glue and sticky tape”

A species count sheet

The day started with a few words from Udo Schwarzer (Algarve Biologist based near Aljezur) on the approach he would use to teach us how to observe and learn from the natural vegetation. He emphasised that it was not important at this stage to know the names of the plants we would see, it would be more important that we observed closely the differences, and collected specimens of foliage/flowers of each individual. These specimens should be an accurate record of trees, shrubs, climbers, bulbs and annuals which were in the marked areas of the Barrocal garden near Moncarapacho. Udo had previously marked areas of typical vegetation types for the workshop.
The group was split into teams and sent to the selected parts of the garden, a large A3 sheet of white paper was used to collect single specimens of every specie distinguishable in the selected vegetation area. The sheets were folded by four and then numbered one to  four. These areas on the paper were to allow collected specimens to be divided between the most dominant (area 4) and least dominant (area 1) on the vegetation sampling site.

When this task had been completed the teams returned to the shady terrace to stick down their collections.  Udo was kept busy running between each of the areas to help out when necessary and to check that useful specimens were being collected.

Each sheet from the groups was then laid side by side for everyone to see. Udo emphasised again that we should closely observe the similarities and the differences between the sheets. It became obvious that the six study areas of vegetation types were three pairs of equal vegetation because the participants recognized that there were three pairs of sheets with similar plant composition, both in species and in abundance/domination.

With guidance from Udo, the significance of the selected areas became clear. Woodland, edge of woodland, and exposed areas all had their own plant communities relevant to the conditions of each area.  The relevance for those trying to establish natural gardens or use native plants in the garden was discussed. If we can properly observe what plants we have growing already, then we can make an assessment of the plant community and encourage/add the relevant plants.  In this way we can increase the bio-diversity of our gardens in one of the richest botanical areas in Europe,  this would also mean  a flowering garden without any irrigation.
Useful Books - to order from local bookshops

Flora e Vegetação,  Barrocal Algarvio (Tavira – Portimão)
Carlos J. Pinto Gomes & Rodrigo J. P. Paiva Ferreira
Published 2005 by the CCDR (Commissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Algarve)  ISBN 972-95734-9-2

This is the definitive flora for the Barrocal with a full listing by botanical name of trees, shrubs, bulbs and plants. Available directly on application to the CCDR Biblioteca at the  Museo Regional do Algarve in Faro.

Plantas do Algarve com interesse ornamental/Algarve´s Plants with ornamental interest  Fernando Santos Pessoa, José Rosa Pinto, José Rocha Alexandre 2nd Edition 2007 ISBN 978-972-36-0715-4

Wild Flowers in the Algarve, an introductory guide
Pat O´Reilly & Sue Parker 2008 www.first-nature.com  

Wild Orchids in the Algarve
Sue Parker 2009 www.first-nature.com

Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean – a complete guide, over 2700 colour illustrations
Christopher Grey-Wilson and Marjorie Blamey 2004 A & C Black (Domino books)
ISBN 0-7136-7015-0

More photos from the day on www.gardeninginportugal.com

FEIRA DE JARDINAGEM MEDITERRÂNICA, 2014 – Recorde batido !

Obrigada a todos quantos vieram apoiar a nossa sexta Feira de Jardinagem Mediterrânica no dia 1 de Novembro. Que dia maravilhoso o que vivemos no Sábado, e felizmente tivemos um dia de sol - muitos dos que vieram recordaram o dilúvio em 2012 no mesmo local, de modo que foi uma grande ajuda termos tido bom tempo este ano. Este foi o nosso primeiro grande evento após o recente registo da nossa associação portuguesa. O novo grupo adquiriu um estatuto jurídico e fiscal completo em Portugal, o que afasta as anteriores preocupações relativamente ao facto de as nossas actividades serem postas em causa.

Redimensionámos a instalação dos viveiros, juntando-os, o que originou uma magnífica exposição de plantas de boa qualidade. Os destaques foram os excelentes exemplares de Yucca rostrata, a raramente oferecida Dracaena cinnabari e o viveiro especializado em plantas nativas, SIGMETUM, com sementes de plantas nativas de Portugal, disponibilizadas para venda pela primeira vez no nosso evento. Houve uma excelente selecção na oferta de suculentas em todos os 18 viveiros. Distribuímos uma grande quantidade de folhetos gratuitos da MGS com conselhos sobre jardinagem, e também demos muitos conselhos gratuitos sobre jardinagem! As palestras foram muito concorridas, e foi um enorme desafio realizar o workshop sobre propagação em duas línguas, mas felizmente as nossas ajudas visuais (tesouras de podar e composto empapado) funcionaram na perfeição! Houve uma palestra especial sobre Hoyas, a cargo de Alan Butler, dos Viveiros Brookside, agora sedeados em Espanha. As outras palestras tiveram como temas as Dez Principais ervas medicinais do Algarve, a cargo da Ervanária Daisy Mae, e as plantas comestíveis e ervas aromáticas que, na sua palestra, Fernanda Botelho nos incentivou a consumir. As medidas tomadas quanto ao estacionamento de automóveis resultaram bem para os visitantes, e outra novidade deste ano foi o shuttle bus. Teve grande popularidade e foi muito eficaz no transporte de quem precisava de boleia para ir e voltar do parque de estacionamento. A “Creche de Plantas” foi outra das novidades, e permitiu que todos pudessem recolher as plantas para os seus carros no final da visita. Estes novos procedimentos constituíram uma grande ‘experiment’, e tornou-se evidente que há trabalho a fazer relativamente ao estacionamento dos automóveis, quer para os nossos voluntários quer para os proprietários dos stands. Os nossos visitantes com mobilidade reduzida acolheram com satisfação as medidas que tomámos quanto ao estacionamento reservado a pessoas com dificuldades de andar, e estas medidas deverão ser igualmente aplicadas no futuro. Obrigada a todos os que foram afectados, pela compreensão demonstrada.

O stand da MGA foi uma das grandes atracções deste ano com a deslumbrante selecção de Sálvias, incluindo a S. discolor, a S. involucrata, a S. guaranatica e a pequena e encantadora S. x jamensis. Disponibilizámos para venda bolbos de Amaryllis belladonna e de Scilla peruviana, bem como livros em segunda mão, e o novo livro sobre Flores Silvestres do Algarve na mesa de informações da MGA, no interior do edifício. Nem todas as receitas constituem lucro, uma vez que tivemos de comprar os livros e algumas plantas expressamente encomendadas, e foi necessário proceder-se à limpeza do parque de estacionamento, mas esperamos reunir uma soma significativa após termos tomado tudo em consideração. Nos precisamos a trabalhar afincadamente no sistema contabilístico necessário para a nossa nova associação, de modo que é importante mantermos os nossos registos rigorosos para a A em 2015. Este ano houve também custos de instalação consideráveis para a nova associação, e por isso era duplamente importante fazer deste evento um sucesso.

A grande notícia foi o elevadíssimo número de visitantes pagantes no evento deste ano: 921 pessoas !! Se a elas acrescentarmos todos os voluntários, os proprietários dos stands e os ajudantes, tivemos cerca de 1000 pessoas no local durante o dia. Muitos rostos sorridentes, muitos sacos cheios de plantas e, o melhor de tudo, um tempo magnífico para o nosso encontro anual.

O interesse cada vez mais forte e crescente sobre a jardinagem mediterrânica, a necessidade de uma informação boa e de qualidade, e de plantas adequadas, ficaram demonstrados – e agora tivemos o melhor arranque possível para o nosso ano de jardinagem. Todos ficarão desejosos de plantar as novas aquisições, foi um dia muito bonito e todos nos divertimos bastante. Como sempre, por favor façam-me saber o que pensam, e dêem-me os vossos comentários e sugestões se estiveram presentes.

Muito obrigada, mais uma vez, por nos ajudarem a obter este extraordinário resultado!

Sixth Mediterranean Garden Fair - 2014

Thank you to everyone who came along to support our sixth Mediterranean Garden Fair. What an amazing day we had on Saturday, but, thank goodness we had sunshine – many of those attending remembered the deluges of 2012 at the same venue so it was a great bonus to have good weather this year. This was our first major event under the banner of our newly registered Portuguese association. The new group has fiscal and legal status and removes the concern of being challenged about our activities.

...

A new layout for the plant nurseries put everyone all together which made for a spectacular show of good quality plants. Highlights included good specimens of Yucca rostrata, the rarely offered Dracaena cinnabari and specialist native plant nursery SIGMETUM with seeds of Portuguese native plants offered for sale for the first time at our event. There was a very good selection of succulents on offer and in all 18 plant nurseries attended. We distributed a lot of free garden advice leaflets and a lot of free garden advice too ! The talks were popular, and the propagation workshop was quite a challenge to do in two languages but fortunately our visual aids (secateurs and soggy compost) worked just fine ! There was a special talk on Hoyas from Alan Butler of Brookside Nurseries, now based in Spain. The other talks were on Top Ten herbs for the Algarve from Medical Herbalist Daisy Mae and Fernanda Botelho gave us all encouragement to eat our flowers with her talk on edible flowers and culinary herbs.

The parking arrangements seemed to work well for the visitors, another first for this year was the shuttle bus. It was very popular and did a good job in ferrying those who wanted lifts to and from the car park. The Plant Creche was a new feature and allowed everyone to collect plants with their cars from one point at the end of their visit. These new arrangements were a huge experiment, and it became obvious that there is work to do on refining the arrangements for parking for our own hard working volunteers and for stall holders. Our less mobile visitors welcomed the provision of disabled parking on the site and this must be part of plans for the future. Thank you to anyone affected for your understanding on the day.

The MGAP Plant Store

The MGA plant stall had a wonderful response from you and a big attraction this year was a stunning selection of Salvias including S. discolor, S. involucrata, S. guaranatica and the lovely little S. x jamensis. We had Amaryllis belladonna and Scilla peruviana bulbs for sale as well as second hand books, and the new Algarve Wild Flowers book on the MGA Info table inside the building. Not all proceeds are profit as we have had to pay for the books and some specially commissioned plants, and the cleaning of the car park, but we hope for a significant sum after all that has been taken into account. Our Treasurer, Richard Hickman, has been working hard on the accounting system that we must have for our new association so it is important to have our records accurate for the AGM coming up in 2015. There were also considerable set up costs this year for the new association so it was doubly important to make the event a success.

The real headline is the record breaking number of paying visitors to the event this year, a whopping 921 people !! Taken together with all the volunteers and the stall holders and helpers we had about 1,000 people on site during the day. Lots of smiling faces, lots of bags full of plants and best of all, fabulous weather for our annual bash.

A car full!

The event could not take place without the help and hard work of all our volunteers who turned out on the day, many many thanks to everyone who participated in making the event such a success. Many thanks also for the donations of nice clean plant pots in various sizes, they will go to good homes and be appearing at next year’s fair suitably filled with good plants !

The strong and growing interest in Mediterranean gardening and the need for good quality information, and appropriate plants, has been proved – and now we have had the best possible start for our gardening year. Everyone will be keen to get planting their new purchases, it was a very beautiful day and we all had a lot of fun. As always, please do let me know your thoughts, comments and suggestions if you were present on the day.