Vale of the Stars: May 2015

The Bounties of Beltaine

May is a luscious month to be in Portugal, everything feels as if it is celebrating, the fauna and flora seem to sing along with the multitude of birds perching and nesting amongst the tall pines surrounding us. At first the ground suddenly sprouts to knee height and there is an urge to get the strimmer out to tame the familiar paths and terrain that used to be passable. But then you realise that it's a hopeless cause, there is just too much land to deal with, it's better to surrender and succumb to the immersion of the green.

Below are some photos to show some of the progress and abundance of our farm.....Dove Farm or Quinta da Pomba in Portuguese, which is the name previously given to it, we haven't decided yet if this is the name to stay. The previous owners left us with a legacy of mature fruit trees and grape vines dotted along the terraces, the veg garden I have started there too, offers no resistance to the enchada (hoe) and I am reminded again of all the years of tending to this earth that must have bore them their valuable crops.

We have made a little more progress on our bathroom, that you can see below, we used a natural pigment made from iron mixed with lime to create the colours. We will need to get a good run at it soon to finish off the interior, then we can enjoy warm solar showers and a wash basin area with mirror, surfaces and cupboards.

Our water reservoir area is lacking water now, we hope to fix it one day, but in the mean time it is a bounty of wonderful plants peeping from every crevasse

I wasn't too sure about the colour I had mixed for the lime render on the compost loo, but the sun has softened the tones and I'm beginning to like it.

Trevor has started to build the sink area, he created the floor from lime crete then sprinkled the floors with a natural iron oxide pigment powder.

I painted these walls, and like the warm tones, but it will need another coat as the whiteness of the lime has seeped out of the dried paint.

Love these steps that Trev has made (soon to be sanded). He also created the impressive stone step.

The greenery and plum trees are moving in on the bathroom. Looking forward to landscaping the area around.

Thought I better put a photo of me to prove I exist !

So exciting to get the veg patch started, especially when I can grow peppers, aubergines and tomatoes outside....AND... I haven't seen a slug....bliss.

The panoramic shot of the veg terrace in relation to the house.

baby peaches

Amazing amount of plums this year...pruning pays off.

Here come the cherries ! Maybe a week or two until red and ripe.

The vines and the cherry trees that sit at the edge of the terraces

Looks like it's going to be a good year for grapes, we may need to develop a taste for wine making and drinking, like a lot of the locals.

The dome in flower. I forgot to mention it's been very hot for May, and it's quite an effort to keep everything watered, we conserve all our washing up water for the pot plants and flower beds.