WELCOME TO Val's Alentejo -I write about my region of Alentejo. My art ,painting, my cottages, Family life, my animals -Travels And my love for Roses- and rural country life.

Thursday 10 May 2012

"Meanderings with Jeffrey -Cassidy part l.

Today, it feels as though summer has arrived. Although oficially still in spring, The summer weather begins just about now here in Portugal.
The temperatures have risen to the high 30's .
Everything is blossoming and blooming. The fields are high with crops and fodder and the farmers are getting prepared for hay bailing .

Here on my little quinta.. I do not till the land. I leave the fields to sew seeds and grow again after the winter rains. For some years, I did sell my fields to neighbouring farmers. This last two years I have kept it for myself. I want the pleasure of nature all around me.
I so much enjoy seeing the fields with all the different coloured wild flowers and even strange grasses that grow.
I went for a meander this morning with Jeffrey , somewhere Hardy his son was following..They were bobbing up and down amongst the long tall grass and the splendid wild flowers all around me. Wild open spaces of different coloured hues.
Jeffrey enjoying himself. He loves walking through the tall grass with me.
Yesterday my eldest grandchild Josie turned 16. My daughter took this of myself and Josie when she made her first holy communion.. yes! thats me with Josie in Lucern 2006. A special bowl of flowers for a special darling girl.
Shilah and Surprise and Pascoa.. In their element. I moved them two days ago to the front of the property. They have eaten most of the back pastures and now the back needs to grow again, while they savour all the delicious fresh green fields and flowers in the front pastures. Pascoa is somewhere the otherside.
Here I come to the part that I love. --- Every year i see lots of wild flowers in my fields and around me.
I took my camera with me this morning. I wanted to take some snaps of these lovely wild field flowers before the horses munch them up. I have no idea what the names of these flowers are ! but I think they are beautiful.
I hope you like them too. Maybe you have seen them before in your own gardens. or fields around.!
This one I think is a cornflower or thistle.! such a soft delicate lilac
This one looks like a daisy..but it seems like something else.

wild dandilions I think !
A little tiny delicate blue flower with a magenta centre..I need a better camera, as i cant get too close up.
!!!!!
!!!!!! the fields are full of this lovely lilac flower.
This one has the tinniest little white daisy like flower all over the head.
I am surprised to see how large the heads are on some of my roses.
This is one of my favorite rose bushes.. Its so perfect, its colours intertwine. red,pink,yellow, and salmon and has a deliriously fragrant smell.
A touch of spring and sunshine.

I enjoyed so much walking around this morning with my dear Jeffrey . I was more surprised this year than any other, how ,"if" one looks really carefully, its amazing what we can see and find amongst the long grasses.
I think my place is ideal for the fairies to dance around in at night. I sometimes even think I can hear them. This year they will have lots of fun and dancing.

Happy meanderings to you all. I would like to leave you with a question! Is it possible to transplant wild flowers?

29 comments:

  1. Hello Val:
    It is really very special to be able to surround yourself with fields of wild flowers. The photographs you show here are absolutely enchanting. How we too should have loved to be on that walk through them with you and Jeffrey.

    In the Hungarian countryside there are still many areas in which it is possible to walk through fields which are just given over to Nature. Sadly, in England, this is becoming all too rare a possibility. Enjoy your wild flowers while they last!!

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  2. Dear Jane and Lance
    I so much appreciate you always leaving such encouraging comments. How wonderful it would have been for you to join me. Afternoon tea, a sundowner and a splendid candelight dinner. !
    Yes, sadly summer with dry the filds and the circle of mother natures wheel comes around again.
    Until then. I wish you both happy warm days .
    val

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  3. Such beautiful flowers, you really can't beat a field full of wild flowers. x

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  4. Dear Val - your meadows are a precious resource with all of those wonderful wild flowers growing amongst the grasses.
    It is not too easy to see the flowers but will have a shot. The first looks like a Campion. Then you have a mixed bag of flowers. The third appears to be a Knapweed, the little very blue one is a Scarlet Pimpernel, in the blue form. Sometimes they are scarlet and sometimes they are a very bright blue. The bell flower looks like a Campanula, and lastly Plantain.
    As you are taking such an interest in flowers, perhaps you could get the family to buy you a wildflower and garden flower book for your birthday.
    Take care♥

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  5. Dear Rosemary,
    your naming of the flowers has helped me. I dont want to see them go. I felt like taking a blanket and lying down amongst them the smell from the fields at the moment is so fullfilling..
    What a fantastic idea.. i will most certainly pass the hint along to the children.. I would love a book on wild flowers of the fields..
    kind regards
    val

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  6. Rustic vintage cottage.

    I agree. i loved the walk this morning.. i will enjoy posting part ll..
    happy days

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  7. Val, I can understand why you wanted to keep those field for yourself, it looks magical. Your new banner looks great and I love those roses. Thanks so much for stopping by, Laura

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  8. Thank you for showing us your wild flowers they are so lovely. Lucky you with temperatures in the 30's! Just wish we could see some sun here too!
    Sarah x

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  9. Thank you Sarah.
    It really is lovely not to have to put on a pullover or the heating on.
    Its gone from 14 to 30's in 4 days.
    your comments are appreciated.
    val

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  10. Thank you so much Laura, your comments are most appreciated. I am glad that you liked my banner. I like to change it now and again.
    I too am happy that i have kept the fields.. i am loving it.

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  11. Hello Val
    Such a lovely post, your meadows are so special, I love the wild flowers,( I think I spotted a Mallow and a Teasel) When I lived in Cornwall the lady next door (Jenny) did the same she kept her remaining fields and gave them back to 'Mother' nature we used to walk together looking at all the different little flowers that popped up, she also had an old tin barn where a Barn Owl had made his home. Beautiful roses !
    Thea x

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  12. What a lovely photo of you with your beautiful granddaughter. She will be a young lady now....the children grow so quickly (or so it seems):)
    Your roses are glorious, both in the vase and in the other photos.
    I really love the idea of being able to wander through fields of wildflowers. You are so fortunate and it's great that you can share the experience with us. I don't know the names of any of those flowers, except the dandelion.
    Thank you so much for your recent comment on my blog. We are all going to enjoy this new garden in the hills:)

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  13. How wonderful to leave your meadows to grow wild flowers, it not only looks lovely but ecologically a very good thing. Jeffrey looks as though he's enjoying it very much:)

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  14. I so much agree Rowan,
    Its one of the reasons i have left the fields.. so many of the farmers plough and plough and the soil becomes infertile.. I am totally ecological here.. no chemicals at all used on my olives either.

    Its looking beautiful.. but will wither when the summer comes. I will enjoy it while i can.
    thanks

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  15. Dear Betty.
    I am truly lucky to live where i do. I think i planned my retirement very well. Its free open spaces.
    I am loath to cut the fields.. i love to see them.
    Thanks for your encouraging comments very much appreciated. Dear Rosmary named the flowers.. she is an avid gardner. I am wondering if i can transplant some to my inner garden.!
    enjoy your weekend.
    x val

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  16. Thank you Haworth.
    History has it, that The Portuguese, The Dutch and the English fought sea battles along the coast..
    They also fought for the new countries.. sort of pirates.
    It is a beautiful place.. we have many gorgeous villages by the sea..
    happy weekend.

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  17. Thank you Thea , for your lovely comments.
    I am pleased with myself, that i have left the fields. I really dont want the tractors and all the hastle that goes with it and it looks lovely. Your friend is after my own heart. more people should do it. The animals can still feed.
    love your blogs..
    happy weekend
    val

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  18. Val, I think it may be better to gather the seeds to sow in your inner garden. I guess you could try transplanting them, but I'm not sure about wildflowers.
    Betty

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  19. Thank you Betty,
    Much appreciated. I was told that i could do that with the poppy seeds. So i will do that. I am trying to leave the nice little "pimpernels" where they are..they will come back each year.
    xx

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  20. Val, how lovely are this fields ! I loved the wild flowers and the 2 colored rose in yellow and pink. Why not plant lavender? It's a lovely plant and smells great also when it blooms all the fields will be in purple color =) have a nice weekend!

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  21. Thank you Gorkçe,
    my flowers are looking nice the roses especially.
    Maybe you didnt see my post about rosemary and lavender.. I have both in my garden..
    happy weekend.

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  22. Dear Val - I am like you I love wild flowers. I think they are very precious and so natural. We have wild flowers here too but these days they are seldom as most meadows are fertilized and wild flowers need poor grassland. I am not sure whether you can transplant wild flowers but you can certainly buy seeds. I have seeded wild flowers but I am not sure whether they will grow - nature here is not yet as far as in your place. In case you go for a stroll again this morning - ENJOY! Christa

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  23. Thank you Christa.
    it is all beautiful and i am glad i am not bailing.
    Thea, gave me the idea that i can recover the seeds and then plant them, so i think what you say is true.
    dont think you can transplant wild flowers.
    Its a little overcast today.
    happy saturday..xxx

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  24. Dear Val

    Very beautiful surrounding area in which you live. The flowers are gorgeous this time, but unfortunately can not stand long. The photo with your little granddaughter is beautiful, I think that now she will be a beautiful young lady.
    Have a nice day
    Olympia

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  25. Hello Valerie

    Beautiful images. I love the field of wildflowers and how great that you keep it organic, without pesticides. You will find you will attract more birds too. The horses are very content too.

    Have a great week

    Helen xx

    PS. Thanks Val for the technical info on blogging. You have been a great help
    H

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  26. pleased I was of some help to you Helen.
    Its all so beautiful at the moment.
    completely wild.

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  27. Thank you Olympia..
    Yes, I will enjoy the green grass and wild flowers for about another month.. Then the real heat of summer comes. And so the wheel turns.

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  28. Wild flowers are difficult to transplant, Val. But it cannot hurt to try one or two and see if you have success. What beautiful photos! You live in a wonderful area with such lovely places to wander. I hope you're enjoying these last weeks of spring. Take care!

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  29. Val,
    I love the horses, the flowers, and especially the ROSES. Your new Header is wonderful. Me and the girls are going to change our Header soon. We are just waiting for that perfect picture. Hopefully, we will find it soon.
    ~Sheri at Red Rose Alley

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