African Gardening January 2012

wow! what a difference already! its looking good now but its going to be fantastic.

That looks great so far,Karen..you are lucky to have such a top bloke..:o).I do like your pots too..did you buy them there,or take them with you ? Glad to hear the unrest isn't affecting your area..I have seen it on the news..take care :o)x

What a good start!..It looks nice now, I bet it will be fantastic in no time.

It looks goo dalready K! Feeling more settled in your new house? :)))))))))

Work in progress , quite exiting for you , I expect that it will all grow quickly , Karen . A chance for much exotica , non ?

Hallo everyone! Thank you all for your lovely comments!

(It took longer to write this blog than it did for Mohammed to do his day's work!!!)

Mohammed is an elderly gentleman (working on the estate for the last twenty years) who suddenly found himself household-less due to repatriation of his last employer. He doesn't speak much English but he understands 'flowers' and 'green plants'...

So, I am very much the ineffectual director of his operations!! lol!

Bloomer, We bought these lovely pots when we were in the old house and they were so heavy that the plants had to be removed before anyone could lift them! We are staying safe (back to Europe next week) :))) xx

Feels like the beginning of the project at last, J! I'm quite excited! Don't expect me to name those plants, though!!! :)))

Sticki and Pim, Esther says I'll see the same sort of growth in three months that I would see in a year in Europe!!!!:)))

Oh, Pixi - I didn't realise how much I missed the garden until it came with the new house! :)))

It certainly is, Driad! I suddenly feel envigourated...I wonder why??? ;))))

3 months for a year's growth!?? thats incredible. makes you wonder if we had elephants in europe ~ would they be a quarter of the size??

Honestly, that's what she says, Sticki...but we have to remember that most things lie dormant during the rainy season - June/July 'til October/November...so they have to pack a lot in to the dry sunny months!!!

...miniature elephants...micro-elephants, even - would definitely catch on! lol!

Hi Karen.
Great improvements to your garden already ...
interesting pics of the plants and birds :o)

I wonder about Stiki sometimes ! We've entered Nania again .

Thank you, Terra...but definitely NOT down to me! lol! (other than Mohammed knows that I want plants and, especially, flowers!!!)

Nania, Driad??? Miniphants??? lol! :))))

We did have Mamoths!
I may be making this up...I am sure there is a mini elephant..

The Bornean is the world’s smallest elephant species. Still quite a handfull though.

there we are driad ~ not totally narnia!!!

That is all looking amazing now Karen. I can see how that is going to grow and fill out to form a lovely tropical garden. The pots on the balcony are soooo nice. I hope you manage to get some ripe mangoes for yourself...and some almonds! The hotellier here is a gardener and she has made a lovely garden here....there's a bag of compost on the front drive and every time I see it I am tempted to start gardening myself! :)) totally addicted I am, can't even stop on my holiday! :) Keep at it though, and it's good that you have someone to do all the back work for you. :) x

Aah, Karen...you'll just come back with (ANOTHER) idea for a wee corner of your garden...lol!

Me...I'm still waiting for the plumerias to bloom...

Could Minimoths or Woolly Micromoths be the new designer way to go these days, Pim?? Perfect house-pets...pellet fed, always use latrines...! lol! :))))

Looking great Karen .

Take care

You have Fang..She may be enough!

What a fabulous garden - how different from ours in Britain! Will you be in Europe long? You won't want to miss developments.

Thank you Kath and Steragram...I am at that impatient stage, waiting for it all to really get going. But, it's still early in the season - lots of trees and shrubs are just starting to grow leaves now...so it should all be doing its thing when I get back from Europe in a month!

Fang will probably be enough, Pim...she's now standing the same height as Sadie at the shoulder...(eek!)

Isn't it great planning and watching your garden develop :o) You've got so many lovely plants. It must be exciting.

It's quite strange gardening with houseplants, Hywel lol! Some of them grow into trees here!

How exciting Karen, your garden will soon be lush. I love Bougainvilleas, wish we could grow them here. Where in Europe will our African correspondent be reporting from?! Lol

Ha,,I never thought of it like that before K, but guess that you are really gardening with House plants!

Crazy mental! :)

Bougainvilleas grow into trees, here!
Mohammed has planted four different colours - I hope that they take quickly...
I tried so many times and gave up in France...

It is bizarre and fantastic being able to have giant houseplants in the garden, Pim and Pix - orchids growing out of tree trunks next - I hope!!!

Oops - almost forgot! Your African correspondent will be reporting from Charente, SW France for two weeks and then various locations in Scotland for the following two weeks, before returning to the jungle garden in Lagos! :)

Watching with great interest Karen, miles behind with this one but as you are on holiday somewhere it won`t matter, its coming together well, I think your man Mohammed is doing a grand job and look forward to an update, the photo`s are lovely....

Aw, thanks, Lincslass...I'm now back at home...and thinking about hiding when it comes to getting back on the plane...!.... :/