June 2012 | Green Patches - Mediterranean Gardening

Saturday, June 23, 2012

To Water Or Not To Water In The Sun

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portulaca flowers
My Portulaca Flowers in a Summer Day Before Closing In The Evening


When I first started out gardening, the first advice I got was to never water plants during the day.  It had to be either first thing in the morning, or in the evening.  Unfortunately, these times also happen to be when I am most forgetful so I hate to admit it, but I have broken this rule often for the sake of my plants.  In the summer heat, this piece of advice comes more as an impostion for me, it is the time when the plants needs most water, but it is also the time when I am hardly around to do that.

So why is it bad for plants to water them in direct sunlight?  It was never quite explained to me. This was like a defacto standard around our house when I was young watering my father's plants, no questions asked.  This afternoon as I was trimming down my Plumbago I was tempted to water it, and I remembered this rule.  I decided to do a little search on the net to better understand this.  

It was always my silent understanding that it was bad to water the plants in the sun because the water simply evaporates too quickly.  It did not make much sense, therefore, because the plants would not be getting their full share of water, and more water would be wasted in the process.

Apparently, however, there is another debate going on on the Internet. Two conflicting articles written in 2010, one from the Daily Mail and the other from the Daily Telegraph helped in this confusion.  The Daily Mail claims that the reason it is bad for the plants, researchers found, is that the tiny droplets of water on the leaves of the plants act like a magnifying glass, intesifying the heat, and could also lead to leaf burn.  The Daily Telegraph on the other hand claims that this myth has been 'debunked', and that researchers have proved that this is simply not true.  So I'm back to square one.

Another reason I found online is that the plants open up their pores when they are watered, because they think that it is raining.  Since it is actually scorching hot, this may damage, and burn the plants.  Someone else argued that watering the plants in the morning, or evening allows the water to sit longer in the soil, or plants, which may lead to root rot, or fungus to develop.

As I was thinking about watering my Plumbago this afternoon, a very simple fact made me decide not to.  As I opened the tap to fill up my watering can, I realised that that the water was boiling hot.  I couldn't even touch the first few litres of water until the pipes cleared.  My plants would surely suffer if I gave them that water. If I had to throw away a few litres of water every time to let the cool water run down the tap I would be wasting more water, and money.  

After all this, I came to the conclusion that it all depends on the intensity of the sun.  If it's too hot, don't bother.  Save yourself some sweat, and do it in the evening.  If the plants are just wilted with the heat, but they are actually in a shady spot then I guess it won't do much harm.  In my case, I guess the water is just too hot for them, best to do it when it's cooler.  

What's your opinion?  Feel free to share, as always :)


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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

A Maltese Mediterranean Climate - Four Seasons In The Garden

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Coming from an island smack in the middle of the Mediterranean, we learn from an early age in school that our climate has mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.  I have discovered, however, that the Mediterranean Climate is also shared by other countries that are  very far away from this tiny island.  Places like South Africa, Australia, Chile and California.  I have also learnt that despite having the same climate, each country has a different version of it depending on its geographical location.
So here is some geography to start off with.  We live on an island which is around 320 square kilometers surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.  We have no mountains, no rivers and no lakes.  We are also one of the top countries in the world with the highest population density.   

The temperatures here can vary between 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) in a Winter night to 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) in a Summer afternoon.  We have never seen snow or frost, but we get the occasional hail storm.  Humidity can reach up to 99%, and we get gale force winds sometimes, which are becoming more frequent as time goes by.  

To the Maltese gardener, this means that we can garden all year round, but I must say, it is not always easy.  Here is one year in what I'm calling a Maltese Mediterranean Climate, and it's effects on my garden.  

Mild, Wet Winters

Winter is a very stressful time for us.  In December the weather is still pretty mild with temperatures hovering around 18 - 16 degrees Celsius.  We can have a week of blissful sunshine where you are required to water your plants, only to get two days of torrential rain in the weekend.  Here in Malta it never just drizzles, it's either cloudy or pouring down every half an hour.  I keep a good watch on my plants due to the sunny spells, but I  mostly never end up watering them unless it has been particularly warm.

This weather goes on well into mid-January when the temperatures start dropping, and we get more cloudy days than sunny ones.  January and February are the coldest months of the year, and the plants in my yard are all fast asleep by now. This year however, I had a few exceptions as both my Kalanchoes bloomed with flowers this Winter.  Rain is also on the increase in January, so I pretty much let everything be.

kalanchoe flowers
Kalanchoe in January

kalanchoe marmorata flowers
Marmorata Flowers in January

February is when it all goes haywire.  It can get very windy for days on end.  The plants here are at its mercy if you don't shelter them, blowing away every bit of moisture from the soil.  The only problem is that as soon as the wind stops, the heavens open, and it starts pouring down again.  This time of year I don't do anything to the plants in my yard because they are quite sheltered from the wind, the plants I keep on my roof however, appear windswept and lifeless this time of year.  

Spring

Just when you think you cannot get enough of the wind and the rain, March comes, and Spring comes along with it.  We still get windy days on occasion, but the rain starts slowing down, and we get frequent sunny spells.  As the temperatures start rising my plants start showing signs of life.  Small leaves and buds start to appear everywhere as if the plants are waking from hibernation.

April usually brings more rain, however, the days start getting longer, and the sun gets warmer.  During this time, I keep an eye on new growth on my plants, particulary the Plumbago, which is reduced to a few sticks in Winter, and now starts growing its first leaves again.  I still don't need to water them though.

May comes in like a blessing.  The rain stops altogether now, and we get sunny periods almost every day.  The temperature is around 20 - 25 degrees Celsius at this time, and the plants in my yard start flourishing.  For me this is the best month of the year, when it is not too hot or too cold (by our standards), and everything comes to life.

basil
Basil sprouting in Spring

plumbago flowers
Plumbago Starts Flowering

Hot, Dry Summers

June usually hits us hard.  We can get very hot days out of nowhere, and this is around the time I need to get my plants off the roof altogether.  The heat scorches the leaves which are still growing, and I need to get them in the shade fast.  Outside in the country you can see the flowering fields already losing color, unless they are tended to.

July and August are the worst.  We may get a rainy day on occasion, but if it does it is warm, and brings down a ton of dust that has accumulated over the country.  The wind also starts playing up during this time, and it is also warm and dusty coming in from our North African neighbors.

My plants are in a shady spot in the yard, but the lack of air flow, and the warm conditions make daily watering a must.  They are however in full bloom now, and I get lots of flowers on my Plumbago, the Schefflera keeps growing new leaves every day, and the succulents, well, they just love the hot temperatures.  This time I do the most trimming to keep everything in shape.  Our countryside has lost all its color now and everything is burnt to a crisp, except for the evergreens.

cactus
Best Plant of the Summer

spider
Spiders Love The Summer Heat

Autumn

Autumn for us is just an extension of Summer.  September is a little cooler, but people are still going to the beach, and we hardly get any rain.  I do some pruning in September to get the plants ready for the Winter months.

October and November are perhaps the worst months of the year.  The days get shorter, we are still lingering from the hot Summer days, and the temperatures are still warm, but we get howling winds and frequent rainfall.  Our countryside starts getting green again, which is perhaps the only good thing about these two months.

Some of my plants get a second growth spurge during this time, waking up from the hot summer sun glad to be getting some rainfall.  My Plumbago starts shedding its foliage, and the last remaining flowers lose colour from the lack of sunshine.  I take the plant back up on the roof to get the last bit of sun before it sheds all its leaves, getting ready for Winter.  The Schefflera may grow a few more leaves before going dormant.  Some leaves don't get to fully develop before Winter, so they stay small until the next year.  Just as they are about settled in for Winter, December comes once again with its sunny days, and we start all over again.


succulents
My Succulents Getting Drenched

schefflera
The Schefflera Just Loves The Rain

How's your climate?

So there it is, one year in a Mediterranean Climate, Maltese style.  What's your climate like? If you also share a Mediterranean Climate, is it any different, or the same?  Feel free to share, and no matter what your climate is like, happy gardening :)


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Thursday, June 14, 2012

A Tale Of Two Kalanchoes

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Mummy Kalanchoe

Ten days ago I decided to try to propagate my Kalanchoe Marmorata because it was spreading all over the place.  I now have two Kalanchoes and my visit this afternoon resulted in quite a few surprises.

kalanchoe marmorata
New Stems A Sprouting

kalanchoe marmorata stem
New Stems A Sprouting

I'm calling this one the Mummy Kalanchoe since it was the main plant that I cut the stem from, and it looks like the pruning has done it well.  I have a new plant sprouting from the base of the stem, and another stem sprouting from the bit of the stem that I cut off.  It is looking very promising, but it is also looking like the new stems are growing in opposite directions, meaning that I may have to take more cuttings from this one.  They will make lovely gifts :)

I wonder if the new growth at the bottom will now resemble what the Kalanchoe is supposed to look like.  I am still amazed at the way this plant has grown, it's hard to believe that the original plant looks like this:

kalanchoe marmorata
Grandma Kalanchoe, where I got the first cutting from


Baby Kalanchoe

The stem that I cut off is now fully speckled, as you would expect from this plant.  I am still unsure about this one.  The leaves look like they have grown 'old' overnight, wrinkle to the touch, but it still seems to be ok.  This one cutting will determine what I do with any future cuttings from Mummy Kalanchoe.  I hope that it survives and thrives.  The timing for propagation was good, it is suggested that you do this late Spring early Summer.  I guess only time will tell.

kalanchoe marmorata
Baby Kalanchoe fully speckled

kalanchoe marmorata
Baby Kalanchoe with some burnt edges

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Sunday, June 10, 2012

Malta Gardens: Chinese Garden Of Serenity

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This week I had the opportunity to visit the Chinese Garden Of Serenity in Santa Lucija, a small village in the South of Malta.  Opened in 1998 this garden was a collaboration between Malta and the Republic of China, and was designed and built by Chinese workers.  Sadly, few people seem to know this little gem exists and, luckily for me, it was completely deserted when I visited the place.


malta chinese garden
Driveway leading up to the Main Entrance

The first thing that caught my attention as I was walking up to the main entrance is a Maltese Rock-Centaury, planted right next to a commemorative plaque.  This is the national plant of Malta.  It is endemic to Malta, and considered critically endangered.  This plant is a rare sight, and grows naturally on coastal limestone cliffs, so I was quite surprised, and delighted to see it here.  

maltese rock centaury
Maltese Rock-Centaury

The main entrance leads on to a lovely courtyard, where a large rock structure greeted me.  The rock symbolises a god surrounded by trees and flowers.  There is an inscription behind the rock which translates to 'the pleasure of heaven'.  This place is a good introduction for more beautiful places to come, and it certainly helps to set to mood as I absorbed the peace and quiet, and a sense of tranquillity set in.

malta chinese garden
Courtyard off the main entrance

malta chinese garden
Gorgeous Pink Flowers

Leading off to the left is a zig zag of small courtyards all adjoining by flower shaped entry ways.  Each small courtyard has its own small garden, like small little surprises as is typical of a Chinese garden. The entryways form a sort of passage way, and as I progressed I started hearing the sound of water splashing.  I headed towards the sound, and finally came out of the last opening on to an impressive pond and waterfall.


malta chinese garden
Entry way onto the balcony with the Main Hall on the other side

malta chinese garden
Waterfall at the far end of the pool

Coming out of the balcony, a passageway leads to a zig zag bridge crossing over a small stream.  The bridge leads to a passage going right around the pond, and crossing it is like crossing over to a different world altogether.  Here the terrain changes to beautiful mosaic laid entirely by hand.

malta chinese garden
Hand laid beautiful mosaic on the ground 

malta chinese garden
Zig zag bridge crossing a small stream
malta chinese garden
View of the pond from the bridge

As I walked across to the other side of the pond, the Main Hall with a lovely terrace is the perfect spot to stand and admire all the surrounding buildings.  As I was standing there, listening to the water fall and gazing at the green water, a feeling of peace and awe hit me. My mind drifted off, and I could just imagine myself wearing sandals and a geisha looking over at the surrounding buildings like I owned the place.......

malta chinese garden
View from the terrace
malta chinese garden
Side View of the Pond

Just as I was feeling all important something in the pond caught my attention.  I was brought back to reality, and I quickly grabbed my camera.  I came face to face with the true owner of the pond. A turtle jutted it head out just in time for me to grab a quick shot of it before it disappeared once again underwater.  Dragonflies were also present here, but they were too quick for me. I was completely mellowed down, and couldn't face up to the challenge of chasing them around to get a shot.

malta turtle
Quick shot of a turtle swimming in the pond

Moving on behind the Main Hall another garden presents itself in a maze of hedges and pathways.  I came across what seems to be a Maltese Everlasting.  This is another plant which is endemic to Malta, and I was glad that I found it here because I never came across it in the wild.

malta chinese garden
Butterflies seem to love this plant

malta chinese garden
Maltese Everlasting?

One plant that is dominant in this garden, and is typical in Maltese gardens everywhere is the Lantana plant.  I came across hedges of the classic red and yellow flowered variety as well as bushes with pink flowers which are not as common.  It is a blessing that they chose this particular plant because butterflies were plentiful, and added to the serenity of the place.

malta chinese garden
Winding pathway leading away from the Main Hall

malta pink lantana
Pink Flowered Lantana Bush

Another plant which was also plentiful in this garden, and is also a common attraction in Maltese public gardens and households is the Hibiscus plant.  The flowers were rather wilted from the June heat, but I was able to get a picture just the same.

malta pink hibiscus
Pink Hibiscus Flower

As I was walking amongst the hedges I could hear the crackling of leaves as little critters moved about in the foliage.  I came across one of them, and managed to get a shot just before it noticed me, and disappeared from sight in a split second.  Lizards are plentiful in Malta, and you can find them wherever there is a spot in the sun.  Summer is their prime time, and they enjoy nothing better than to lay in the sun all day waiting for some unsuspecting insect to come along.

malta lizard
Lizard basking in the morning sun

Finally it was time to leave this peaceful place.  As I headed out I came across a trailing Lantana plant with yellow flowers.   There were so many butterflies on this plant I just stood there enjoying the moment as they flew from one flower to the next, going on with their business, completely ignoring my presence.

malta yellow lantana
Butterfly on the trailing Lantana

This is definitely a place to visit with a good book, and some time on your hands.  It is a place worthy of its name. As you sit by the pond overlooking the beautiful surroundings, you cannot help but feeling a sense of peace and serenity.


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Friday, June 8, 2012

What it Means To Be a Garden Blogger

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The reason I came up with this post is that lately I've been reading quite a few posts from fellow bloggers on how they blog, why they blog, and garden blogging's future in general.  I would like to share some of my own experiences with garden blogging, and what I have learnt along the way.  

Patience is a Virtue, so is Time

I suppose every gardener is blessed with patience, we are required to tune ourselves to nature's clock, and no matter how fast we wish to see the fruits of our labour grow, it just doesn't work that way.  When I first started out, I couldn't wait to see my first plants grow.  I obsessively went into the yard three times a day to check on them, make sure they have enough water, checking the soil, the leaves, taking pictures of flowers to monitor progress.  It took a few months for me to realise that unless I wanted to give myself a nervous breakdown, I had to let nature run its course.  The same thing goes for blogging.  

The art of creating a blog post requires the same amount of time and patience.  For the gifted writers, they can create an interesting and inspiring post in no time at all.  For the rest of us however, we need to sit down and take a couple of hours of our time.  I have also seen some amazing pictures on some of the blogs I read.  The pictures are taken at the correct time of day, edited and watermarked.  The dedication I see to some posts out there is incredible and it shows that the writer has really taken the time to write it.  I am not so blessed with my posts, they are short, pictures taken are only slightly edited if at all, and I do not have the time to wait for the right conditions.  This is something I need to work on in the future :)

Creativity, inspiration or silence?

There are bloggers who seem to have an unlimited source of ideas and content to write about.  They are never short of new posts on their blog, sometimes up to five new posts a week!  Others turn their attention outside their gardens, when there is nothing new happening there, and write about other gardens, parks, or public spaces.  They are able to find inspiration everywhere.  Then there are those like myself who go dormant with their gardens.  If there is nothing happening in the garden then nothing gets written.  I suppose this also depends on where we live, what we have accessible to us, time constraints, and possibly the gardens themselves.  This diversity is a blessing however, as it ensures that we all have new posts to read no matter what season we are in, or the state of our gardens.

Fun, fame and fortune (or all of them)

I have fallen victim of all three of the above in the past.  I first started blogging for fun, I wanted to create a journal for my plants with notes and pictures, so I thought an online repository allows me to do just that with ease.  Then I realised that I had a few readers on my blog so I turned my attention to fame.  Writing a post about my newly trimmed plant was no longer enough for me. I went out and got some new plants, I changed my blog template to a fancier one with social media buttons and what not, and started learning about keywords and SEO in order to make the blog more accessible.  In short, my journal turned into a full time job, and needless to say, it was no longer fun.  As the readership increased (slightly I might add), I took a shot at monetising the blog, thinking I could make a few bucks in no time.  For those of you who have adsense or other pay per click ads on their blog, you all know that's not quite how it works.

Finally I have learned that you cannot force fame and fortune, and in my opinion, that's not what a garden blog is about anyway.  They should be after effects, and considered as such.  My point here is to focus on what you love and stick to it.  If fame and fortune should follow, that's great, but as long as you are still enjoying writing for yourself and your readers, maintaining your status should not require that much effort.

Content Is King 

I cannot tell you how many times I heard or read this phrase.  If there was a course on how to write on the web, this would be lesson number one and THEY will make sure it is imprinted on your brain forever.  It is true however, and that realisation can be quite frustrating to say the least.  How many times have I sat down staring at a blank page, pictures on my camera, thinking why should I write about this?  What's so interesting about this plant that I should write a blog post about it?  Who cares?  

At this point I realise that I am doing this for the wrong reason. If there is no inspiration behind the picture other than to write another post, then my readers will know it, just as I know it.  Great content comes from within, not how good we are with words, but what inspires us to write those words.  We all know when we have written a great post, and the readers do too.  If you don't have anything to write then don't.  When you do, it will be easier and more satisfying in the end.

The chicken or the egg, the blog or the garden?

Do we blog because we garden, or do we garden because we blog?  I think I do a bit of both.  Sometimes there are some things I need to do in the garden which will prompt a blog post.  Other times I find myself trying to do stuff to it in order to generate a post.  This ties in with the previous sections, and I may be contradicting myself here, but it's true.  The advantage of this however, is that the blog has driven me to try new things.  It prompts me to research my plants, and to learn new things.  My plants have also benefited as I believe without the blog they would not have gotten so much attention over the years.

What about you?

So there you are, this is what I have learnt in my two years of blogging about my plants.  I have a few lessons yet to learn, and I have not quite mastered the art of writing a lengthy and inspiring blog post (this is possibly the longest one to date) Nowadays, however I'm happy to say I am enjoying my blog more than ever, and more importantly I am enjoying my garden.

What about you guys, do you have anything to add, or experiences to share? I'd love to hear from you.

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Sunday, June 3, 2012

How To Propagate a Kalanchoe Marmorata

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The time has come to do something with my Kalanchoe Marmorata.  I cannot leave it hanging on to dear life by a couple of bamboo sticks.  Tying it to bamboo sticks seemed like a quick solution at first, but looking at it now it looks miserable.  It looks like the sticks are not only holding it upright, but also holding it back from spreading out even further.

kalanchoe marmorata
Kalanchoe supported by bamboo sticks

Following some advice from Diana from Elephant's Eye, I cut off the stem right where the roots started coming out.  I should have done this a couple of months ago, but it is only now I found the courage to just snip it off.  No matter how many times I trimmed and pruned other plants, the first time with a new plant is always a bit nerve wrecking for me.  

kalanchoe marmorata cutting
Side view of the cutting - you can see the roots coming out

kalanchoe marmorata cutting
Front View of the cutting - clean cut
The reason I said I should have cut it months back is that now the plant has spread to two stems right where the roots came out.  This resulted in a very short stem where I cut it off.  In order to make some room for  the stem to be inserted in soil I had to cut off some newly grown leaves.  When I was finished, I had a stem of about three inches long.  This is much less than the original cutting had when I first got it, but since the roots are already out I have a head start so to speak.  

I got a new pot, similar in size to that of the original plant.  There might be a little too much soil for these tiny roots, but since the stems are quite long already I couldn't fit the plant in a smaller container to wait for it to take roots properly.  

kalanchoe marmorata propagation
Newly cut stem in container
So there it is.  My new cutting from the Kalanchoe Marmorata.  I now have two plants, provided that this one lives, and the other one does not go into shock, and dies on me.  I will not discard the original wooded stem because I have some new unexpected growth there too.

kalanchoe marmorata
New Growth at the base of the original plant

kalanchoe marmorata
New Kalanchoe plant in its original spot

I didn't water the plant thoroughly since the roots are still very small, and I didn't want to risk getting root rot, as the soil will take ages to dry.  I only watered it to about two inches down (roughly).  I placed the new plant in its original spot, so I don't disturb its usual dose of daily afternoon sunlight and shade.   I'll give it a couple of weeks test, hopefully it will make a full recovery, and I'll see more growth soon.

Update:

Just five days later I can see now that the leaves are beginning to speckle.  The leaves are becoming more wrinkled to the touch, its as if the plant has grown older overnight.


kalanchoe marmorata
Kalanchoe Five Days Later

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Saturday, June 2, 2012

Is This The End For The Mysterious Kalanchoe?

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Ever since the hail storm, my mysterious Kalanchoe has been on a steady decline.  I had seen some growth towards the base of the plant, and that made me hope that the plant was on its way to a full recovery.  Over the past weeks however, it has shed all its leaves and today I was greeted with a sad discovery.

kalanchoe stems

Two of the three branches coming out of the main stem have broken off.  This has left with all but one miserable branch which is already broken but is still hanging on there.

kalanchoe stems

I am uncertain about the future of this plant now.  The main stem has lost its rich green colouring and is now slightly reddish in colour.  I still have small bunches of flowers and small leaves on the stem, but without any leaves I don't know how much longer it can survive.

kalanchoe flowers


kalanchoe flowers


The plant is a little over 1 meter tall now, however the only growth now is at the bottom of the plant.  The fact that the stems are falling off like this is not a good sign I think.  The flowers as you can see are somewhat shrivelled, but since it has been flowering since January, it's possibly time for it to stop now.  I read that some Kalanchoes flower in Winter and then stop in Spring so this type might be just one of them.

It is also possible however, that this one is an annual.  It grew from a couple of inches to over a meter in no time at all.  It flowered in Winter just as it reached its maximum height and now it's time has come.  One other possibility is that the hail storm has defeated it after all.  It is definitely a far cry from what it was a few months ago in October.  

kalanchoe
Kalanchoe October 2011

Perhaps it's time to say goodbye.  It's sad though, it was such a beautiful plant with lush foliage.  It's a shame I never got to know what the plant is.  I had even asked the nursery and they had no idea :|

I will leave it where it is for the time being.  Just monitoring it, seeing what comes next.  I might just end up with one lonely stalk, tied to a bamboo stick which makes no real sense now.  Well not completely lonely, there is one leaf left, hanging on, telling me that its not over yet.  



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