December '08 - I would like to mention two of my favorites this month, firstly I would like to mention two of my favorites this month, firstly The Bottle Brush (Callistemon Viminalis), an excellent evergreen shrub with exceptional large red bottle brush flowers, flowering spring, summer and autumn, the weight of the flowers making branches hang down.  Semi ripe cuttings can be taken. Prune the shrub to keep it tidy and prune any dead wood. The shrub is evergreen, drought tolerant but would appreciate a little water during the hot summer months, Makes an outstanding hedging.

Another popular shrub Plumbago Capensis - Years ago I struggled to grow this lovely climber in a sunny conservatory, never thinking I would one day grow it outside. The Plumbago an ideal round covering plant or a quick growing climber, semi-evergreen with sky blue or beautiful white flowers, both proving an excellent plant to mix with other shrubs. Try growing as a climber with yellow or red rambling roses, what a contrast! The shrub can grow to some 5 meters in full sun and again drought tolerant but some summer watering is welcomed. Flowering in spring, summer and Autumn, semi-ripe cuttings for propagation with spring pruning.

These are two very popular shrubs, always catching admirers eye and yet two shrubs which normally give few problems.

November '08 - November here again, a busy time in the garden and thankfully cooler temperatures to work in. The majority of shrubs are requiring some trimming and reshaping. The Mimosa in our garden was really screaming for trimming back, especially after the terrible winds we have experienced lately. Not an easy job, but the long handled shearers came in very handy. The Mimosa can grow some 12 meters high in a full sun position, evergreen with attractive scented yellow flowers in early spring.

Special care should be taken with the Palm trees; the lower long stalked fans which have died and wilted during the hot summer should be removed to improve the look of the palm. The Desert Fan Palm can grow 20metres high and again a full sun position is no problem. This is a beautiful evergreen palm which is drought tolerant.

Sago Palm, a magnificent plant, sun or shade, evergreen and requires only minimum water. I have been fortunate the Sago palm in my garden has developed suckers at the base of the plant so with great care I managed to dig beneath the sucker and broke the root ball and sucker from the main plant, re planting in pots with good quality compost. This is my first attempt so I will let you know how they progress.

More tips next month from Rosie or email: rosie@thesentinellamalaga.com

October '08 - The long hot days are finally over and we can start to enjoy the Spanish gardens again. My first project has been the tidying of shrubs, especially the Ficus Elastica, commonly known as the Rubber tree. This enjoys a superb position in my garden in full sun, but it was only when I could no longer see the view beyond that I realised that a pruning session was well overdue.
The rubber tree can be a magnificent tree which can tower some 30 metres high with the shining leathery evergreen leaves growing to 25-30 cm. Once established the tree is drought tolerant and loves a full sun position. Pruning is a gradual process, the tree will bleed a white milky sap which can weaken the tree, so care should be taken. However the summer tip cuttings can be planted in pots and good quality compost, watered well each day and within only 3/4 weeks these are healthy young plants which can be replanted into larger pots and then the garden.
Alcea Rosea, the Hollyhock, also loves the full sun position, almost drought tolerant with occasional watering and can grow to almost 2 metres high creating a breath taking display of colour. From late summer remove the dead flower spikes, but carefully collect the dried seed heads for future propagation. Sow in a pot of compost with a thin covering of compost over the seeds and water each day, seedlings will appear within days.

August '08 - The most admired of all climbers has to be the Bougainvillea, so rich in colour with magnificent flowers. Colours, golden yellow, white, orange, lilacs, pinks to deep red and purple. This is a semi evergreen perennial climber growing to some 10 meters plus which can be planted in full sun becoming drought tolerant. As a new plant moderate water is required and they can be slow to establish themselves, however the perseverance is well worth it. What I must add, is from previous experience this isn't a climber to grow near the pool, flowers fall creating problems in pool filters etc. Also be careful when handling, they have very sharp spines which help it to cling to fences and walls. The Bougainvillea can be grown against garden fences, house walls and even just tumbling down banks making a great ground cover. If grown against fences and patios you will need to add strong support. Cut back in early spring.
Continue to dead head roses and geranium's to promote further flowers. Watch for geranium moth and control with insecticides.

July '08 - San Juan the 23rd of June and the beginning of a busy summer social calender.
However with a buy social life you have to remember the watering in the cool of the late evening's or up early in the morning to water before the temperature has soared. Watering in the midday sun rather than in the cool evenings and watering with scalding water from the hose that has been lying in the sun for the most of the day will damage plant foliage and roots. Always ensure that you run off the hot water onto a terrace before starting to water.
Failure to water hanging baskets, remember to water containers and beds of annuals daily, even twice daily on the hottest days. Useful tip, move containers and baskets to semi shade, don't leave in full sun. When buying new plants do not let them dry out before planting, keep moist and soak well before planting.
Shallow daily watering instead of deep watering twice a week will reach the base of the root ball and tap roots. Spend time cutting off dead heads of roses and geraniums, encouraging further flowering. The failure to weed during the summer will allow thirsty fast growing weeds to smother and starve your annual plants, so an early weeding session once a week is well advisable.
AGAPANTHUS are flowering beautifully at the moment, well worth considering for the garden next year. Grown in full sun or part shade and drought tolerant once established. Exceptional stunning pale blue through to the deepest blue and pure white flowers with evergreen foliage, ideal as pot plants or grown in great clumps along walls or under greater sized trees.

June 08 - Firstly, the roses are flowering beautifully, so spend a little time this month snipping off the old flowers and breaking off those little buds growing around the centre bud, ensuring good size roses, and continuous flowers, well worth the time.
Not to be forgotten, Pelargonium (geraniums) what a blaze of colour during the summer months these plants provide, requiring only moderate summer watering, and planted in the full sun. Deadhead regular to tidy the plants and promote new flowers throughout the summer. Unfortunately the geranium moth can be a problem, but this can be controlled with insecticides, available from most garden centres. If you have hanging baskets and pots, plant up with Ivy leafed trailing geraniums, available in whites, pinks, reds, salmon and lilacs, providing an excellent display.
If you are considering planting borders with smaller bedding plants this year, eg. petunias, how about creating "cold beds" choose the flowers of white and mauve and blue grey foliage's or "hot beds" planted with plants that have masses of the most vivid reds, orange and yellow flowers.
As an added feature how about trying a tasteful selection and placement of ornaments and groups of pots, some can be left empty maybe at an angle and others planted up. The use of plants and unusual architectural shapes give those borders extra interest to the passing eye.
Carefully sited groups of succulents provide further interest, possibly the Spanish Echeveria Elegans commonly known as Hens and Chicks. This can be situated in full sun or part shade and is drought tolerant flowering with pink with red or yellow tips. Ideal for propagation, simply detach a "chick" and replant. Also the Spanish Lechetrezna, which is Euphorbia Characias, with blue-green narrow evergreen leaves on the branches followed by broad flower heads of a bright green in the spring and summer, this requires only the occasional summer watering and should be planted in part or dappled shade.
So be adventurous, you will be surprised at the difference.

How to grow vegetables in Spain? - May '08

You may answer this, "Why would you want to when a visit to the market is so much easier" But just remember how those new potatoes tasted with your salad and you may decide to read on. Because of the climate in Spain it is possible for most of us to grow and harvest a wide range of vegetables every day of the year even if living in an apartment or small town house without the space of a large garden.
One square meter of space will grow a dozen types of vegetables. Consider growing potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, spring onions, radishes, beetroot, runner beans, broccoli and peas. For those with limited space the use of containers solves many problems, container growing of tomatoes is usual, a grow bag is a container and so is a large pot, there are few vegetables which you cannot grow in a container. Some crops do much better in containers than natural soil, like carrots, potatoes, all salad crops including spring onions and radish.
If you are cultivating a new area of land, you may well have to remove weeds before preparation of soil. Careful preparation is important, soil needs to be loose and free of rocks, dig in several inches of compost and some sand if you have heavy soil.
Water the seed bed before planting, sow seeds in a 1 inch furrow, an inch apart, with 6-12 inches between rows. Cover the seeds with light compost. Water enthusiastically, light watered plants scorch in the sun, so water in rain quantities.
Potatoes - With a hoe dig a flat trench four inches deep, place potatoes about a foot apart in the trench, cover with three inches of soil. When potatoes are a size of eight inches tall, hill them up by hoeing soil dug from the trench to just below the lower leaves of the potato plants. Repeat in two to three weeks, this keeps the roots cool and prevents potatoes turning green due to sunlight exposure.
Finally consider encouraging the children's involvement, you may find an improvement in their eating of vegetables and salad.

For more garden tips you can email: rosie@thesentinellamalaga.com