GR131 Walk Vilaflor to Ifonche

We set out on the Vilaflor to Ifonche route on Sunday, which is part of the GR131, a walking route that spans part of Tenerife, El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma, designed for an island hopping walking experience. This route is also in Spain, France, Belgium and Holland.
We walked a very small part of it but it trully was magnificent. We walked 11km of the route, which was great.
We started from the marker as shown in the photo which is placed perfectly beside the Hotel El Nogal & Spa Villa Alba, Vilaflor http//:hotelnogal.com An excellent hotel and spa, in a very rural setting. From the hotel as a guest you can go on organised walks whilst staying there. It was the perfect place to end the route as hospitality in the hotel is second to none. We choose to begin here simply because we had seen the markers and thought it would one day be a good walk to do. It really was breathtaking. As you can see from the photos the scenery is ever changing and I can honestly say I have never seen a wild flower meadow in Tenerife looking so amazing. The flowers and the pine trees, the little bridges and all the wildlife, what a day out. The walk has been carefully crafted by the Cabildo to give the walker a real challenge but safely. We needed our sticks and we needed lots of water. At the end of the walk there is a restaurant/bar which was a welcome site. It is our best walk to date and although we felt a bit sore today (Monday) we are already planning the next one.

Lavender Lifts the Spirit

Lavender is by far the most useful herb in the garden. It is loved by many people and is grown in many countries in the world. I am always amazed by its flower heads, each a cluster of mini purple powered flowers with fan like tail tips on top in a slightly lighter shade. The scent is so thought provoking and memories come flooding to our minds as we inhale the scent.
Relaxing yet uplifting in it´s ability to totally focus our minds on rest and rejuvination.
It is the colour of amethyst, a precious stone that allows the mystical thoughts to surface and the psychic abilities to throw forth.
Hope you enjoy the purple shades of our garden here, Pixiepod´s Garden, as I meander through our plants with my purple weed bucket in tow.

Island of La Gomera

Been away for a few days on the beautiful island of La Gomera. It is only a 45 minute ferry ride away from Tenerife and when you get there you just immediately RELAX!! We have been before but we really explored the island this time, with the car.

We even did one of the many walks on offer. The amazing Garajonay National Park is a sight to behold.

We stayed at Tecina Jardin Hotel, it is very well located near to Playa Santiago and is set in beautiful tropical gardens. It has it all, very, very pleasant place to stay.

On my return my little seedlings had grown at least an inch. I have been potting on various plants such as Nasturshiums (this is clearly not spelt right but you know what I mean, don´t you), Cosmos, Tomato, Melon, Calendula and many more, it has been a busy but exciting time in Pixiepods Garden.

I have attached a photo of the woodlands in the Garajonay National Park, please feel free to use this photo, it is a gift from me to you, if however you wish to see more photos and perhaps would like to own one, please see my Etsy shop, www.pixiepod.etsy.com where there are a few on the shelves for sale, always feel free to check back now and again to the store as there is always something new to buy.

Hubby has been busy redoing the garden wall, he is cladding it and changing the coping stones. What a great job he is making, I am helping out where I can but most of the work is down to him. It looks great and hopefully will be maintenance free.

Please, please, please post comments, share your La Gomera experience perhaps?

The unveiling of the newbies

In a previous post I took a photo of my plastic bottle clad new herbs. It helps to protect them from the harse winds and just lets them settle in a little first after the initial move out into the garden.
I unveiled them about a week ago and took this photo to share with you. Already the chamomile plants are producing flowers and the calendula is doing well. The thymes are not so bad either but time will tell.
It has been a bit unsettled in Pixiepods Garden over the last few days, the winds are changeable but when settled it has been really hot.

Planted out some more broccolli, cauliflower and lettuce into the vegetable beds and more potatoes. We are eating the last of the ready crop tonight. They have been great and I hope now that the earth is up to a reasonable standard we can continue to produce some tasty vegetables.

I have also been pruning and bundling. Herbs love to be tied into little bundles and recently I have posted onto my Etsy shop, a bundle of apple tree branches, prepared and bundled into a bundle of 8 perfect little sticks. The apple tree is very symbolic in the garden, it represents, garden magick (amongst other things) so they make good companions for herbs, even in little pots on the window sill. The blossom of the apple tree is well known for representing fertility.

Hubby and I went walking at the weekend, nearly our first of the season. We did Roque del Conde, which we have done before but just before the very top I took a bit of a panic attack. I am scared of heights to some degree but my legs just went like jelly and I really didn´t want to be up there. We came back down and I can honestly say I was glad to get back to a more normal height. It was an enjoyable day but by gum were we sore the next day! Walking in Tenerife is great fun and there are lots to choose from but be careful if you do venture out as some of them can get tricky and you must remember, you have to have the energy to get back.

Well must get on and do some gardening, feeling like more sitting in it today, but there is always something to be getting on with.

Making way for more herbs

I was telling you in my last blog that I was pruning. Well I have also been clearing.
I cleared away, with a huge help from my hubby, a very large and invasive "curry" plant. It was the silvery leaf version and really not of much use other than a scent of an Indian takeaway. It took up nearly one whole corner of my protected and most sacred space in the pixiepod garden. It had to go and it didn´t put up a fight either, which is always good.

As you can see from the photo, it has been replaced with some new herbs and flowers, they are just looking a bit plastic ridden at the moment, this way of using plastic water bottles is a common practice here in Tenerife, as the winds can be harse at times and until the plants are settled I like to nurture and protect them a little first.

It is a great time here in the garden. Blackbirds tooing and frowing with bits of twigs for their nests, and they are singing away to each other, it is trully wonderful!

Busy times in the Pixiepod garden

Hello and a big Happy New Year!! Sorry it is a bit late this year, I have been busy with one thing and another, personal unrelated business.

Now I am busy with gardening business. At this time of year the garden always starts to talk to me. She´s gone mad?! Well maybe a little but what I mean is that the garden always needs changes made and this time of year is the best time to really get a look at the garden before all the plants go mad.

We have been busy sorting out a new potting up room. It was always there but it has been given a window the length of it and a new shelf large enough for lots and lots of wee seedlings.

I have been washing my pots so they are ready to receive the new earth and the new plants of this year.

Prunings have had to be made aswell. It may seem early to prune but I find myself doing this job a few times a year with certain plants. Bouganvillea is a perfect example of a plant that just benefits so much from regular and frequent prunings. Encouraging lots of new flowers and it helps to keep it from going too leggy.

I have been harvesting herbs, mainly mints of various varieties. They are such a symbol for freshness and new beginnings, fitting for January.

I have laid a few slabs too, probably done my back in but it is worth it when you see the results. They are reclaimed for elsewhere in the garden and look perfect outside my hut and on the floor of my new potting up room.

Well I´ll leave you with the thought of me hard at work, although the picture I have chosen shows just how lovely the weather is just now and to be quite honest, I sit and have lots of tea and admire the beginnings of 2011 in Pixiepod´s garden, more than I let on.

Be joyful in nature, it will reward you with flowers! x