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lisarosewright

A blog about home.

My July blog was going to be about our trip to Tui in the south of Galicia, a place we’d never visited – and still haven’t. Circumstances dictated that the trip didn’t happen this time, so my blog is about home instead.

To be honest, our back yard is one of the best places to be in Galicia in the summertime so I don’t mind a jot.

Home is best


The green grass has long since disappeared in the summer heat, which means no mowing – always a bonus. It also means that Larry, our adopted orange cat, all but blends into the background of the straw dry ex-lawn.

The greenery will come back with the rains, but for now the lawn is spiky and rough – and Larry coloured.

Although there’s no mowing to be done, there is plenty of watering. In this heat (now a pleasant 29ºC rather than the sweltering 38ºC of early July) the flower pots, the polytunnel, and the cabbages need regular injections of water. The thermometer in the polytunnel exploded some time ago, but I know it’s hot in there!

Spot the orange cat


Even the sun loving tomatoes need a little TLC in July.

The best time for watering is early morning or late evening, before the sun hits the plants, turning any water droplet into a magnifying glass to scorch the fruit or leaves. As our little valley runs east to west, the sun flows along it, meaning an early start (for me).

Its worth getting up early for these views


Larry enjoys helping me with the daily watering. He stalks around the allotment, jumping at crickets and trying to ferret out basking snakes, before collapsing in a heap for a wash.

Larry is the celebrity guest in my friend Alyson Sheldrake’s newsletter this month. He’s very excited to be interviewed by Kat, Alyson’s wonderful Spanish water dog, and asks that you go check it out (plus all the other incredible news and photographs in Alyson’s newsletter). Sign up HERE

Final Larry pics... for now!


The allotment is flourishing this summer. After a rather damp June, a few cases of early blight meant I had to pull up a quarter of my tomato plants to stop the fungus spreading. The drastic measure worked and the sunshine dried up any lasting damage. The remaining 57 plants are growing well, the fruits ripening nicely.

I tend to keep seeds from one year to another so my tomatoes are always a surprise. Just the way I like it.

This year we have a plethora of deliciously sweet, yellow pear tomatoes. I also sowed the seeds from a ‘black’ tomato I bought in spring from our local supermarket. The plants have dark green leaves and the fruits are midnight black. I’m looking forward to trying those ones. My favourite tomatoes though are still the tiny cherry ones. Perfect for popping in the mouth straight from the bush. Yum!

Early tomatoes


I’ve been hearing from friends across the globe, and even across the same province here in Galicia, about the dearth of butterflies this year. Yet here, in my less than tidy garden, they seem to be thriving.

The meadow brown flew away but...

...there he is on the sweet peas, sticking his tongue out!


Tiny blues and meadow browns feed on my flowering oregano plants (I rarely use the leaves, but love the delicate purple blooms). Hoverflies and solitary bees join in the fun, rising in a cloud when I push past down the overgrown pathway. The tiniest of those bees disturb our lunch, whizzing in and out of the ancient woodworm holes in the old rickety table where we eat outdoors.

I finally tracked down that meadow brown, on a plum tree

















On the allotment, the buddleia with its vivid purple racemes, attracts our largest fritillary butterfly, the queen of Spain fritillary, in droves (and in mating mode).

Queen of Spain fritillary coming in to mate


They flutter about as I water the strawberries in the shade beneath the spreading buddleia. A lone swallowtail butterfly, floats around, testing each bloom until it is satisfied.

I spent an inordinate amount of time racing round with my camera-phone to get a decent photo instead of watering the strawberries.

It was worth the dashing about to capture this beauty


Birds too are numerous this year. A parrot-like cawing heralds the arrival of a greater-spotted woodpecker in the walnut tree. I hope it’s not hammering a hole in it as this is the first time for four years we have nuts ripening! The bright hoopoes, pink breasted with black and white barred wings, poke amongst the dried leaves for leatherjackets. In the open fields, storks have meetings, all standing in a circle like bewigged lawyers. When they take off, they look prehistoric with their long wings and ‘S’ shaped neck. They are so numerous at one particular roundabout on our way to Lugo that we’ve dubbed it ‘stork island’.

Numerous nests on 'stork island'


Buzzards circle too low over our chicken run, their plaintive cry chilling my blood. We have lost too many of our hens over the years to these hunters, but thankfully our current three girls are jet black and very quiet; almost invisible to aerial predators and a difficult target under the fruit trees. I hope!


Those same fruit trees are full of ripening plums and greengages. If the blackbirds don’t peck them all, we will have a good crop. Already there are enough for breakfast, the sweet-sour tang delicious with my yoghurt and honey.

The blackbirds, which are as numerous as sparrows in England, stripped the cherry and fig trees before the fruit even turned colour. They are fast becoming a nuisance and I can’t cover a ten-metre-high fig tree! Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie is becoming a distinct possibility!


I did cover the raspberries, redcurrants and blueberries so they have given us a good haul. Most went on breakfast, the rest in the freezer for use in summer puddings (like this one, above, made with a sponge cake crust instead of the more usual stale bread), jams and pies.

Organic avocados from Spain


Some fruits I can’t grow here, like bananas and avocados (I have grown four or five of the latter from seed but they always turn up their toes and die after a winter frost here in the hills). For these, I have discovered CrowdFarming. An organisation started in 2017 to directly connect organic farmers to consumers, there are now dozens of farmers in eight countries, selling and delivering fresh produce directly to the consumer. My avocados and bananas come beautifully packaged in sustainable cardboard boxes and are delivered to my door by UPS for around the same price as organic goods in the supermarket. If you’ve not discovered CrowdFarming yet, why not give them a go?

Home is a pretty perfect place to be

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valeriepoore
valeriepoore
Aug 02, 2022

Oh Lisa, we too have had our holiday plans curtailed for health reasons (K's, not mine), but my tiny garden isn't anything to shout about. Like you, I have not grass (all brown), but I also have no wonderful veggies. Your tomatoes look amazing! I shall investigate CrowdFarming. Thank you for the tip. Larry is gorgeous and your butterflies are beautiful. We had a lot earlier in the summer, but they seem to have disappeared now. xxx

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lisarosewright
Aug 02, 2022
Replying to

Oh, I'm so sorry, Val. I hope K gets sorted out quickly and you can go faring again.

The tomatoes are delicious though say the onions I've pulled are no bigger than when I planted them...just too dry I fear!

CrowdFarming is brilliant. I hope they deliver near you. We are loving the avocados.

Larry send his thanks, and says you are welcome any time with that attitude🤣🤣

Seems we have everyone flutterbys this year.

Huge

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chrisdevine57
Jul 31, 2022

I'm sorry you didn't get away as planned, Lisa. Hopefully S is doing better now; maybe you can get away this autumn instead? Love to see all your produce growing nicely, but isn't watering a chore? Love the photos of Larry and your butterflies. So jealous, as ours are nowhere to be seen this year. I'm like you, home is my happy place, and I don't feel the need to travel anywhere.

Me and Chloe are quite happy where we are xx 💚

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lisarosewright
Jul 31, 2022
Replying to

Thank you, Chris. With the heat we've been having, it's probably as well. A city in the heat is no fun.

Like you, I love our home and it's so peaceful here. Larry enjoys us being home too!💚💚


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