Gardeners corner

[piglet]

Hi Ellie

Knew you would know the answer Is there an evergreen variety of Hibiscus that grows in Portugal?

RE: bouganavillas I was designing my garden last night....and dreaming of the sun
Will they grow in large pots? Just realised the posts I was growing them up, minor detail...are set in concrete well away from the earth.

Pigs

[Guest]

I am trying to decide what type of grass to plant for low watering, anyone any suggestions please

[Guest]

The only grass that does not need copious amounts of water is plastic.

Why bother with something that is not natural to the region.

You would be better off and much better for the environment with gravel garden laid over a membrane ( plus micro irrigation system ) into which you plant drought resistant or low water requiring plants.

Look around you into Portuguese gardens ( not bingo villas ) and see what they have.

[Homme Poco]

RE Hedging shrub with red and yellow flowers? they are noy as freindly as they look.At certain times all the tiny"hairs"get blown off the braches and they stick in your skin,(like fibreglass,the type you put in yhe attic),they are in fact like tiny pieces of glass.I don´t suppose they do your lungs a lot of good either.A real pain near the patio or pool area.Sorry!,but this is what we have found.
HP

[nightrider]

Hi Guest, (amended)

Last year around January, on mentioning about trying to have a lawn to a very kind old Portuguese lady...she commenced I thought at the time to rip up half her garden to give us several black dustbin bags of grass..according to the following mentioned book the grass cutting given to me is called "grama-grass"(Bouteloua gracilis)

Western Garden Book,
Edited by Kathleen Norris Brenzel
Published by Sunset Publishing Corp,
Menlo Park, California
Price ($32.95US)

I think the book is a little expensive but we witches may have green faces but most certainly do not have green fingers...

The book says:-
Tolerates drought, extremes of temperature, and a wide range of soils. Does best in sun. Makes a better quality turf when blended with buffalo grass. Mow 2 to 3 inches.Sold as seed, sod, plugs. My grass was not moving very fast even though we had been watering it daily. But when the latest rain arrived well it really took off.

I of course was given cuttings and was told to plant the cuttings almost laying down (not upright) and it eventually creeps along (similiar to some types of rocky plants etc). It is very strong and bouncy when you walk on it. As it grows you can then take cuttings and put them into any area that appears to be patchy etc.

Buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides). The book says:-Very drought-tolerant lawn for sun; slow growing. Mow at 3 inches.Sold as seed, sod, plugs. I have not seen any of this here in the Algarve... but to be honest when checking the book for you, I had originally overlooked Buffalo grass.... so think I will when I am out and about, see if I can get hold of any and just throw it over the above mentioned grass as an add too etc.

If in the meantime if you find any I would appreciate you letting me know.
Thanks. (amended)

Regards,
Nightrider.

[Homme Poco]

NR
I posted about a shrub!
You been down the pub already??
HP

[Guest]

and I suppose gravel over plastic is natural to the region, is it???

Its obvious you know nothing so unless you can make a constructive contribution bugger off

[Guest]

sorry night Righeter was not referring to you..just the guest and his plastic grass

[Ellie]

[quote="Homme Poco"]RE Hedging shrub with red and yellow flowers? they are noy as freindly as they look.At certain times all the tiny"hairs"get blown off the braches and they stick in your skin,(like fibreglass,the type you put in yhe attic),they are in fact like tiny pieces of glass.I don´t suppose they do your lungs a lot of good either.A real pain near the patio or pool area.Sorry!,but this is what we have found.
HP[/quote
Think this might be the 'Wild Lantana' that you see growing a lot in the area H.P. Hairy, with prickly stems? and leaf has a strong smell if you rub it? Small yellow and red flowers that look a bit like Verbena?
Pretty but maybe a bit lethal ?:lol:

[Guest]

Thanks Nightrider for taking the time to look up in the book. This is the grass I was looking for. It is very robust and once it takes needs very little water.

Sorry if I was a bit short earlier...I ahve counted to 100 now, since my initial reply as it was not aimed at you or HP or other helpful posters.

I gave up posting on this forum becuase of the sarcastic pot shots some people feel obliged to make when all you want to do is draw on peoples experiences.

RE: dangerous bushes
I was going to plant the bushes with the yellow and pinky red flowers around our patio area they smell sweet, I thought these were called Oleander?

thanks for the warning HP

[nightrider]

I am trying to decide what type of grass to plant for low watering, anyone any suggestions please

Sorry H.P. I picked up on the above. Nightrider.

ps The problem we had in sorting out "grass" of any description really did take time to sort out...so hopefully, my posting maybe of some use to someone...at the moment we are having floor tiles laid and I gave the workmen a radio to listen to while they work....most Portuguese must need hearing aids (I cannot hear myself think and don't have the heart to tell them to turn it down a bit)....... by the time they have finished I believe that I too shall require such aid.

[nightrider]

Thanks Nightrider for taking the time to look up in the book. This is the grass I was looking for. It is very robust and once it takes needs very little water.

Sorry if I was a bit short earlier...I ahve counted to 100 now, since my initial reply as it was not aimed at you or HP or other helpful posters.

I gave up posting on this forum becuase of the sarcastic pot shots some people feel obliged to make when all you want to do is draw on peoples experiences.

RE: dangerous bushes
I was going to plant the bushes with the yellow and pinky red flowers around our patio area they smell sweet, I thought these were called Oleander?

thanks for the warning HP

Hi Guest,
No problem...we all get those days.

Regards
Nightrider

[nightrider]

NR
I posted about a shrub!
You been down the pub already??
HP

NO....but I am seriously thinking about half an empty bottle in the fridge or......... a hot chocolate (Cadbury's Ellie ) with squirt cream all over the top

Now if I play my cards right...put the kettle on to make the hot choc and whilst doing so push the wine in the fridge behind a Lidl's large lemonade bottle and if I am very lucky it might not get discovered by anyone else in the household until the choc drink has been throughly digested

[elle]

Hi Guest!
Oleanders come in different varieties but mostly are a sort of double pink with white streaks in flower(the most common you will see)
Its a beautiful shrub with long slender leaves..but! all parts of it are poisonous..
Ive just looked up my notes on Med plants and it states that you should even be careful if you burn the branches and not to inhale the smoke (I didn't know that!)..
I feel pretty sure the shrub HP is asking about is wild Lantana..judging by description..hairs/prickly stem..and the flowers.
Hi Nighty
well Ive just had a cup of Rosy Lee..and two small pieces of Cadbury's wafer bar !
Got Guinness for later though(well gardening is thirsty work )
elliex

[tbbr]

I see that the std of debate is as lively as ever, insults usually coming from " guests " who can,t or won,t be bothered to register or log on.
Could it be that the very same people who complain against wasted water rescources are quite happy to waste this precious commodity on their own
unnatural lawns.
As to mediteranean type gardens not being natural to the area , what sort of climate do they think that the algarve has ??
We have met a portuguese family in the landscape business who NEVER
put down lawns unless the client ( usually english " ) insists.
They know that they are a waste of time , water and money.
Plant using that which is natural to the region or climate tolerant and you will always have a decent gardens.

Lawns as we know them are an upper middleclass 19th century afectation only made possible after the invention of the cylinder lawn mower.