la horta urbana - Pedreguer

In the last couple of years there has been a huge increase in " huertas urbanas" or public allotments both in uptake and supply.

Pedreguer has just opened it´s "plots" next door to the eco park with agricultural water installed. The project is in it´s infancy as one can see. One negative, from my viewpoint is that they have not installed a hedge of any form. 

It will be interesting to follow their progress

starting out

                   Rheum rhabarbarum

Rhubarb

red lettuce and onion

a tasty salad

"Magical Encounter" in the Costa Blanca

Whilst on sabatical I have some time to get out and about and look at some of the horticurtural projects on the go at present in the Marina Alta. 

A "magical encounter" was had today in "el jardin de los lirios" in Marnes. We found it a little difficult to locate, well we didin´t think to look for directions before we set out, so a tip here is have a good look at the map before you set out. The garden is open from 28th March until 31st May.

Although the Spanish name for the garden mentions lirios, it is escentially a wonderful collection of bearded iris with more than 500 varieties on display and many of those varieties on sale. A number of spring bulbs have been planted so a good show of tulips and ixias would have been had earlier in the season. Along terraces of olives are salvias buddlejas rosas all planted in a natural harmony.

la huerta 4

La Huerta 2013

Unas cositas en el patio

Some pots in the small patio

A ver que puedo hacer con 4m² de terraza.

Let's see what we can do with 4 square metres of patio.

So far 2 red cherry tomatoes plants, 1 yellow mini plum tomatoe (seed from Mallorca - Gracias a Tomeu Morro), red curly lettuce, green cos lettuce, 2 types of radish, greek basil to keep the mosquitos away, a couple of dhalias ( the tubers are edible) and I am a sucker for their showy flowers, 1 chilli pepper, 1 ñora pepper and some corriander. To be continued.

la huerta 2013 parte 3

La Huerta 2013

The produce

Un poco de todo

la huerta 2013 continued

La Huerta 2013 continued.

Lettuce garlic onions koli-rabano and spinach.

Lechuga ajo cebollas y koli-rabanos y espinacas.

Los pimientos con su casita termal.

Peppers protected with termal fleece.

Koli-rabano

Courgettes with ground cover plastic to stop mildew splash

Calabazas con plastic para ayudar contra el mildeu.

La Huerta 2013

Sembrando rabanos
Radishes sown

Tomates- semilleros de pepinos salvia oregano marjoram lechugas puerros calcots koli-rabano calabazin calabazas alfabaga nicotiana calendulas cilantro maize perejil.

 Perejil y espinacas.

Parsley and spinach grown planters.

Greek basil - Albahaca griego

Rabanos y lechuga rizada roca

Red curly lettuce and radishes.

2013 and Cancer

Hello again to Blogland.
I have not beeen near "blog world", as in September of 2012 I was diagnosed as having an aggresive throat cancer that needed serious and immediate intervention. Oops I thought !
Now some 6 months on after surgery chemiotherapy and radiotherapy it is time to take tentative steps back into full scale life.

Some professional changes have been made already. The maintenance side of the business has been sold on to a local Spanish firm and they still offer the same reliable service as ever. The enforced change of life has made me think about the things that motivate me and make me tick and to give these things priority, hence I will concentrate only on design orientatd projects as it is what I do best and enjoy most. I will miss the regular contact with many long-standing clients, but then many have become freinds.

The "green" side of GreenIdeas carries on as ever in the production of top quality worm castings and worms from local sourced spent coffee grounds.

To be continued