Torrential rains, snow, the hottest summer and autumn, the wettest couple of weeks – we’ve had all sorts of weather and all sorts of statistics thrown at us! I’m like a caged animal when shut in for too long, so as soon as the rain eases up I’m out there and I know that many of you gardeners have also been sitting waiting for the lull.
Now the ground is perfect for planting – easy to weed, soft to dig and we know that just around the corner will be springtime with its warmer breath. Trees are the major protagonists now – get them planted to give you shade, shelter, privacy and encourage wildlife. Shrubs, perennials and smaller plantings will thrive in the protection supplied by their big brothers.
We all know how lovely it is to look out upon a tree-covered hillside as against a mess of weeds but, with huge expanses of land to fill, it can seem rather daunting and expensive on the purse. At the garden centre, we’re working on saving you money. So, from February onwards, we’ll have available a good range of bare-rooted fruit trees and forestry saplings so that you can plant lots of trees of all types without spending a fortune.
The bare-rooted fruit trees will only be available for around a couple of months, so get them in quickly. As temperatures rise, bare-root planting is far more risky and not such a good idea. Fruits such as peach, nectarine, plum, pear, apple, cherry, apricot, walnut and almond will all be less than half the price of their potted counterparts. Success rates should be good now that the soil is so wet. Planting them is easy: simply soak them overnight in a bucket of water and prepare a hole approx. twice the size of the root spread. Position your tree, ensuring that the roots are well-spaced and that the finished soil level will not cover the graft line. Put in a strong stake, then backfill with a half and half mix of normal garden soil and compost, firming as you go. Secure the tree to the stake and water well. You can either form a watering well around the tree (but do make sure that the trunk is not going to be constantly wet) or sink in a plastic bottle to water directly down to the root area. Make sure your new tree never dries out in its first year, keeping the soil just moist and, by about May, start applying fertiliser on a regular basis. From their very first year, your fruit trees will produce that beautiful springtime display of blossom that we all love so much and after another couple of years, you’ll be cropping fresh fruits from your garden.
The forestry saplings are another of our ideas to save you money; they’re very rarely available at other garden centres. Ok, you’ll need a little patience but most trees grow quicker here than people generally realise and there is such satisfaction in nurturing young trees, watching them grow and develop – whether you’re planting for a huge specimen tree or foresting a bare hillside – it’s a delight for us and for the world around us.
So, what will we have to tempt you? We’re, initially, largely concentrating on autochthonous trees (those that are natives) because they’re adapted to the Mediterranean climate. They’ll be easy, not requiring any special care or attention and they’ll become drought resistant too. They’ll also blend into the campo, melding together with other traditional plantings and restoring some of the forest that once covered most of Spain. I’ve said it before, but I think it’s worth repeating, that we are only caretakers of our little plots, so let’s do it well!
We hope to have cork oak, holm oak, carrasco pine and the stone pine (for edible nuts), blackthorn tree for sloes, the lovely pink cascading tamarix, the Mediterranean tall thin cypress and the lovely blue/grey Arizona cypress (not a native but well-adapted). Additionally we will be stocking, as large plug plants for bulk planting, Spanish broom, rock roses, myrtle and esparto grass which is brilliant for preventing soil erosion – and you’ll be able to weave your own mats, baskets and shoes too! Prices will start as low as €0.75 for large-size plug plants.
We’ll be adding to our stock of this range and are always pleased to try and source any tree. If you’re wanting really large quantities, come and discuss it with me. Don’t forget, if you need some help or advise on what to plant, where and how, come and have a chat with me at the garden centre.
Lorraine Cavanagh has lived in Spain for 23 years; a mother, grandmother and hispanófila, her passions are plants, the environment, food and drink, and travelling within Spain. A landscape gardener and writer, she’s always happy to give advice. Call and see her at Viveros Florena, 2km from Cómpeta down the Sayalonga Road – have a free coffee and cake in their tea-rooms.
Hours: October – May, 10 – 4, closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Her book Lorraine Cavanagh’s Mediterranean Garden Plantshas been nicknamed ‘the bible’. The new edition at €24.90 is now generally available throughout Spain.
Tel: 689928201 E-mail: florenaspain@hotmail.com
