PUSHING THE BORDERS

Back now from Madeira, hope to sort out some of the pictures over the next few days, for those who don't know the gardens at Monte you will find them well worth the effort of a visit. I decided on a rather random approach to the order but the steeply sloping garden is cut by level paths across it and you can work your way up and down rather like zigzagging up a mountain

DSC_0083 by charliepridham, on Flickr


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Being high above Funchal insures the gardens get plenty of rain so are green and lush

DSC_0086 by charliepridham, on Flickr


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The horrible blue panel is part of a (relatively) new art installation, the tile panels have been there since the garden first re opened

DSC_0078 by charliepridham, on Flickr

It looks stunning Charlie 8-) we are still undecided on where to go for next years hols and seeing these pics makes me want to give it a go. My wife doesn't like heights and cant do the views that appear in some of the pictures you see so that maybe a stumbling block :(

Well Liz isn't good with drops either :) , but she has got used to them a bit over the years we have been going, but at the end of the day its supposed to be a holiday not a trial, if you do go, tip for the buses - try and sit behind the driver (its the furthest from the edge!) seriously though there is lots to see and do that doesn't involve big drops and often when you see them they are often obscured by vegetation

Some more Monte pictures

DSC_0080 by charliepridham, on Flickr


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This last shows just how close the fires came to destroying the gardens

DSC_0041 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Thanks Charlie, I love that garden. I've tried to replicate the way they use the Ophiopogon as ground cover on a very much smaller scale but it must grow a lot more slowly here as I haven't been very successful.

Great photo's brings back memories of my trip there.

Would love to go back at some stage, bought loads of plants back when we went. Have you hit the flower market yet?

Melissa

We sometimes visit, but a lot of the plants I have seen are poor quality and very expensive in the market, I prefer some of the local nurseries (if you ask nicely even the Botanic garden will sell the odd thing!) and some of the market stalls have small nurseries which if you can track them down make for an interesting rummage!! Like you over the years all sorts of stuff has arrived back here :)

While we are waiting for spring to fully arrive I thought some pictures of warmer gardens may cheer folk up! We haven't visited ourselves the last two times we have visited so if we are allowed out this autumn may put it on the list

I was confused until I saw the date of the original post!

Yes, scary how quick time goes!!

Don't start on that.... I'm in the process of taking on an extension to my garden and weighing heavily in my consideration is how quickly things grow! Not quite into just growing annuals yet but, well, you know. I reckon 20 years if I am lucky :) And it is at that point that the worst thing you can do is look back at what you were doing 20 years ago! :D