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.

Monday 22 April 2013

Spring Sunshine and Flowers

It was only more or less over a week ago, that it stopped raining.  I never thought that it would end. It really was a very long winter. Especially for us here in Portugal. We are used to having bright Easter's and sunny days.  I know though, that most of the world seemed to have very unusual weather patterns this year. I was beginning to get a depression.   
  Within a week , my garden flowers are just blossoming and blooming . Finally I have some colour around the 'quinta'.   The bottle brushes are full of their red long stemmed flowers.


This jar  with the close up yellow rose is the  first I cut of the spring roses .  I can tell you, truly they are so enormous. They seem to get bigger each year.  I think I might have mentioned before, what I think is the secret. Is  the feed.  Roses  love to be fed and watered..pretty much like us ):  I particularly like the yellow bloom.  I married with a bouquet of yellow roses.   Ohhh..that was a long time ago. The white one at the end is a close up of my soleno bush.. its just busting out all over.
"SHEILA"  blissfully grazing down the bottom feild.  Both her and Pascoa are just soaking up these warm spring days.
 This rose, when closed is more of a yellow colour.   Then it turns into orangy,pink and yellow.. its beautiful.   I do not know the name of any of the roses I have.   I just know that I love all of them. Most give beautiful scents.
                                Here are some of my bushes.  The earth is getting dry.. watering tomorrow.
Look at the size of this perfect bloom.  Its delightfully beautiful.
                                I think this plant belongs to the family of verbena.. but like many of my followers know.. I am hopeless at flower names.

Today, the birds have been chirping.  The sun has been warm -Its been as perfect as it can get for a spring day.
I have started putting my patio furniture in place.. and slowly getting my outside space comfy for the summer months.
Hope that you are all having wonderful spring days, wherever you are.

Blowing big handfuls of warmth and best wishes to you all.
I would also like to thank many of you , who have bared with me through these last blogging glitches.
If you cannot get my updated posts on your blogs.. please just join my site again.  It seems to work.
"blogging"- I think one needs to go to MIT to understand it.

Happy days

val

14 comments:

  1. beautiful blooms! like your header photo, too! love the bottlebrush bush!

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  2. Lovely post Val and some gorgeous flowers. Lets hope this weather is here to stay. I might take your advice and follow you again as something is still not quite right. I've just emailed you about it. Enjoy your lovely garden. We're going to put out our patio sets this week too.
    Patricia x

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    Replies
    1. I hope that you can get my posts back Patricia..
      you are on my side bar.
      try re joining my site.. it worked for Rosemary.
      I am looking forward to enjoying the lovely weather.. look forward to seeing your patio set out..
      val xxx

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  3. Such gorgeous flowers, Val. I'm glad that spring has arrived with such a rush for you after all your rain. Here there aren't even any buds on the roses, let alone flowers and our daffodils are still in full bloom as the end of April. approaches. You're right - the weather is very unusual.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Perpetua,
      The rose bushes are full of buds..spring has certainly arrived.
      its beautiful weather here, we have waited a long time for it.

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  4. What a lovely garden full of roses ! I can see you to stay in your chair early in the morning and look at this beautiful view ! Dear Val , first i deleted you from my blog list and then I add your blog again and it works !!! I can see you as at past in my side bar !
    Have a nice week !

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  5. Hello Olympia,
    It is a beautiful view I have here. Thank you so much for re joining me again. I am happy that you can get my posts now.
    xxxx

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  6. Hello Val, Brilliant idea, the pink rose as a Header, and what a great photo that is! Thank you for a lovely post, giving a real feeling of Spring in the air. I am partial to yellow roses too, and they would have been so pretty as a bridal bouquet.
    Re the blog problem, I rejoined your site on the Dashboard and that worked, but on my blog it remained stuck on 3 weeks ago. So I went into Layout, deleted then re-entered you in my blog list there, and that worked. So it was a 2-step process for me!
    Success at last, fingers crossed. xxx

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Patricia,
      I am so pleased that you are once again with me. That is what another friend did.. was delete then rejoin. It works.
      I cannot do it from my side.
      Spring is really here.. its a gorgeous day again.
      Hope all is well with you...
      happy Tuesday
      val xxx

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  7. I have a similar rose to your orange, pink and yellow combination rose. It was at my home when I purchased it. You are right, roses are heavy feeders. I do believe the last photo is of the verbena. Are you getting updates from my blog?

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  8. Oh, Val! THis is so lovely! look at all the beautiful roses! I love roses! My plants, here in England, are just beginning to show a few buds and, though the sun is b
    eginning to show up, occasionally, it's just not hot enough for me, or for all my plants!
    I love your pictures... I can smell the roses... all the way from Portugal!

    Have a happy day!

    HUGS

    ANNA
    xxx

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  9. Thank you Anna for your sweet comments. I am happy that your plants are starting to bloom. We have all waited a long time for spring.
    Its a gorgeous day here.. blowing the warmth to you dear Anna.

    I am glad that you are getting my updates..
    xx

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  10. Such beautiful roses. I love the picture of the horse grazing. It makes me want to visit countryside.

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