Velagota: August 2018

Friday, August 31, 2018

Day 319

The house desperately needs repainting after the fire- the heat underneath caused quite a few cracks in the joins of the plasterboard- so this week's task is to re-decorate the guest suite!

Day 317 Soapmakers fundraiser for Monchique fire victims

My contribution to a charity fundaraiser by soapmakers of Portugal for people affected in the recent Fires in the Algarve ( in conjunction with the ASMAA Charity Shop in Portimão)

Inspired by our garden here- the flowers and butterflies, and the recovery after the October fires

Day 316

Monday 27th august

Kniphofia (bees lemon?) orange zinnia and stipa arundinacea

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Day 314

The tree felling work continues...

with some help from our friend from Holland- Bas

Day 312

New Canna Lilies growing well in the hot tub garden

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Monday, August 20, 2018

Day 309

Finished Terrace- with planting, irrigation and mulch

Day 308

End of play Saturday- paving laid and grouted and some planting in

Day 306

Friday 17 Aug.

Project for this weekend is to build a small drinking terrace in the 'river garden'

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Day 305

Some time out from working (and cooking) - a takeout from the Pasteleria and a picnic in the field

Day 304

View of the side garden with new terrace for parking (will be clad in stone)

and replacement log shed in the distance

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Day 303

View of the valley from the house roof- a few patches of green- but still looking pretty devastated

Day 302

Monday 13th August
Sadly the hot summer weather we are having now is killing off the little shoots of green in the pine trees - we're giving a few water but it's not really having any effect

Monday, August 13, 2018

Day 301

Tree down!
Leaves us a little open- but we will have some lovely views down the valley once all the dead trees are cleared.

Day 300

Saturday Aug 11th- one of this weekend's projects is to remove this dead pine. Bit of a shame as it gave us lots of shade on the terrace.

For the first year ever we have Goldfinches here. A pair appreared this spring and built a nest in the oak tree outside the kitchen window (one of the first trees to come back to life). Now we have a whole family here enjoying the sunflower and zinnia seeds.

Day 298

In the original pig field some of our first pigs rooted up this old bell top, and it always sat on top of one of the fence posts.
After the fire there was little left of the fence- but the first day our new pigs were let out- they dug this up and were playing with it!
It's now back in it's place on the post again 😊