Can anybody tell me what the name is of the what looks like some sort of pine tree that is popular all over the Algarve. It's the one with branches that grow nearly horizontal to the trunk. It looks like a monkey tree but isn't!

Thanks

From your description Mike..think you mean the 'Norfolk Island Pine'....ellie

Wouldn't be the Umbrella pine tre?

I can only say that Lesley Jean sent me a photo of this tree..that is common to Algarve..
and I got expert advice(as I wasn't sure myself)from a TV gardener..who sent me e-mail back saying it was a
Norfolk Island Pine(Araucaria heterophylla)..you can look it up online to see if it matches! ..there are all types..can even be grown in pots!
I seem to have mislaid the pic that Lesley sent me but Im sure its the one that Westy is describing!

yes sounds like the same tree Ellie.

Hope so Lesley.we wouldn't want to lead Westy 'up the garden path' would we?
But its funny the arguments you can have in gardening isn't it?
On my walk this afternoon..I saw a 'garden' friend in her front garden and stopped for a chat..
its a small but very pretty one and she has raised borders (cos of back prob.)..I pointed at a plant saying"I love that..Jacob's Ladder"..
she looked at me saying thats Polemonium..I said "Yeah I know..also called Jacob's ladder"..
she said"No Jacobs Ladder is Tradescantia"..I said "Don't think so..thats spiderwort" (wandering jew)
Blimey..and so it went on.......
but altho I was sure..I still looked it up in my book when I got back
P.S. Sorry to go off the tree thing Westy but..look out for the 'Genesis Rose' that will be available this summer/July..salmon pink with light fragrance(£6-95)..its to raise cash for Breast cancer prevention care!

I will keep an eye outfor that one Ellie, I am looking for two roses to go into two large tubs, would they be suitable, ie. are they standards or bush or climbing??

Need to start to plant up my tubs and baskets for the summer, have already got loads of veg coming up in the greenhouse.

Bit cold today though for the garden, we have a very cold wind blowing today

Morning Lesley
The Genesis rose is a miniature/small blooms.. about 18in by 18in..so would look nice in pots? (or a border?)..
Ive got a very nice rambler thats been in for over 4 years called 'Albertine'..also richly scented....the buds are a sort of salmony red..but when flowers open they're a coppery-pink colour..goes up to 20ft..I have it over an old fence ..do you know it?
don't know why..but its never had any disease(unlike some of my other roses)..I.E. blackspot..ever..but I have a large clump of mint growing near to it..could that be reason d'you think?
Beautiful day here..so Im off outside to to do some tidying up
happy gardening
p.s.Hope Westys ok with us talking gardening?

es we have rather taken over the original subject somewhat, hope you don't mind to much Westy, you get Ellie and me talking gardening and we can go on for hours!!

Lucky you with the weather Ellie, it has been very cold and windy here in Somerset and since lunchtime it has rained, temp somewhere between 10 - 12oC brrrrrrrrr.

It is strange how some roses are more susceptible to disease, I have two climers either side of the kitchen door, both very old, one hardly gets any black spot etc and always looks really health, the other, which has nicer blooms, has real problems with black spot and rust. Does the mint help then do you think??

Just come back from 4 days at the house in Lombos, and am missing the weather and the relaxation already.

Think maybe the mint is helping Lesley...its said that growing garlic near roses helps too..greenfly etc...
I bet you are missing those temps in Lombos...its been really nice here today..working in just T-shirt.
but don't suppose it'll last
BYW ..hows the Lombos garden coming on?

Hi Ellie, well we havn't done a great deal with the garden except plant out a small, tumbling garden with geraniums and nasturtiums and marrigolds. Also weeded and re planted some of the raised beds around the veranda. The main garden is still in my head! until we can get out there for long enough to get the irrigation system up and running I don't think it will go any further yet. And with the drought this year looks like we will not be doing it until maybe next year.

I will send you some pics by e-mail