Baby's

I have had my Christmas presente.
My daugther gave birth on 21st of December to a lovely little girl.
She's been named Jaylee.

Jaylee

I have two daugthers but I can't remember them bieng so small.

Madeira

Four more days to go and I'll be back home.
It has been very nice to be in Madeira.
But I do miss my home in Essex.
Can't wait to see my daugthers,miss them like crazy.

Largo do Infante

This photo was taken in Funchal.

Madeira

Well its nearly time, four more days and I'll be back home.
Its been very nice, but I must say I do miss my house and my daugthers.
This picture was taken in funchal.

Madeira

In no more than ten days I'll be back in England so no more warmth no more sunrises.

sunrise in Madeira

Oh!! I'll be back in Febuary hopefully with my daugther and grandchild so there will be something to look forward to.In the meantime hope you enjoy this wonderfull sunrise.

Madeira

As I have said before I am at this moment in Madeira.
All I seem to do is going for walks and eat.
If I dont go back to England soon I will be as big as a house.
was to go back home on 21st but now I'm going back on the 8th of Dec.
The reason, I'm going to be a grandmother and my daugther.
has diabites due to her pregnancy so shes having her baby early.

sunrise in Madeira

Hope you enjoy picture of a sunrise in Madeira.

Madeira

I just love going for a walk very early in the morning.
As I am walking with my camera,  I keep an eye on the horison

Sunrise in Madeira

Then the most amazing sunrise.I had to share.

Madeira

Made a coffee and as usual went out to the varanda,its 6am still dark.
Looked up and there was the moon,so brilliant in the midle of the clouds

Cheeky moon

looking so mysterious,had to take a photo.

Madeira

Today we had a bit of a storm,  went for a walk along the promenade,and the sea was beating against


the rocks.This are the photos! the power of the sea.I think we had the tail end of new york storm.

Madeira

I have been in madeira for ten days now.Haven't done much.
But I have my normal walks in the morning along the sea front.
Yesterday on one of my walks,the sky looked so red it looked

sunrise in Madeira

as if it was on fire.Brilliante!! just brilliante!!!!

Madeira

On home grown

Its been  a few days since I've bloged,I am in Madeira at the moment were I'll be for the next two months.But before I left england I did harvest my chillies and bell peppers.

Home grown

Yesterday Luis and I picked the last of the borlotti beans,
We also picked a few tomatoes,The weather has turned, its getting chilly

Borlotti beans,and tomatoes

I hope the rest of the tomatoes will ripen.

Home grown

It has been sometime, since I've posted anything,so here goes
I did loose a lot of my tomatos due to bligth, but was lucky with the ones I had in pots.
The sweet peppers and chillis are growing well.
Now for the butter nut squash,my first time has only produced one.

the ones the bligth dind't get

That is, one that has grown,because all the others has dropped of.

Homa grown

This morning I've spent best part of it looking for caterpillas on my purple sprouting brocolli.
Looks as if its going to be a waste of my time.
Still the borlotti beans are  growing ok,

The first  ripe tomatos

The tomatos that are growing in pots looks good,this is my first pickings.

Home grown

The season started well,vegetables were doing well,had a good show of tomatos,but then the dreded
blyte have arrived, and I'm left with hardly any tomatos.
So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the tomato plants that I have in the pots.

From this to nothing.

I'm glad to say the bell peppers and chilly are doing well.

Home grown

At weekend after having a walk round the garden.
I thougth too many pot plants to water, so I've decided.
Have to try and sell some,so  took a few to my front garden
put a sign out .Managed to sell two agaphanthus.lol

Oh well!! its two less I have to water.

Home grown

At this moment its raining so at least I dont have to water the garden.
It feels quite fresh,its raining quite heavy lets hope the veg can cope
with all this water.The chillies and sweet peppers are bieng grown in the

Chilli pepper

greenhouse,and they are groing nicely.

Home grown

Now the wheather has changed again,looks like the heavens are going to open.
Hope this is not all over!The vegetables needs a little more sun,and the agaphanthes
look realy good.
The graps are very poor, due to all that rain that we had early in the year.

Agaphanthus

Come on sun do your job!

Home grown

Butternut.my first.

I,m so pleased first time I've grown butternut.

Home grown

Just had a look in the garden the slugs are bieng kept at bay.
The borloti beans look good,but not a lot of flowers, with the wheather warming

Borloti beans

up i'm in hope for a better show.

Home Grown

I woke very early,made myself a coffee then had a walk round the garden,the wheather has warmed up.

this are little gems, alla rosso,pick as it grows

Tomatos are doing well,the lettuce are good the slugs started munching on them,so I gave them breafast,with a little luck they should leave them alone

Home Grown

At last the sun is out,lets hope it'll stay, my vegetables could do with a little heat.

One of my many tomato plants

The tomatos are growing well,the chillies are growing slowly,I have plantead them in the greenhouse so I'm excepting a better crop than last year,they never had a chance to ripon, the summer was so poor,and so far this year were not doing much better.

Home grown

There nothing nicer, than going to you back garden to pick your own veg.
It tastes so good,so far i've had broad beans,cabbage and strawberries.

This is my first crop

How it all started.

The flora in Madeira is recognized internationly.
The vegetation that covers the montains,depends on the water, that flows freely down
the rock surface.
Then there is the levadas transporting water to various points of the island,where it is
used to water produce on farms.
When walking the levadas, you will be amazed at the vieu,the ferns,pines,eucalyptus
and other plants,that only grows high up in the most remote areas
If you lucky you may even see this pigeon.((columba trocaz heinecken))

Which can only be found in Madeira.

How it all started

Nature realy is amazing.It is said that Madeira was set on fire and that it burnt for seven years
That is quite fantastic!
Probably thats the reason why Madeira is so fertile.
.When you go on the levada walks,you will see
sheer drops, ferns, waterfalls cascading down the montains.

If you ever go to Madeira,the levada walks is a must.

How it all started.

The island had a dense vegetation,all the way down to the sea,and in Machico were they landed,Joao Goncalves Zarco sent some of his man,trough the trees to make sure that there wasen't any ferocious beasts.
But all they found was birds.
When they arrived at this bay wich is now called Funchal,the Portugues found a beautifull piece of land,covered with a fabulous forest,so precise that it looked as if someone had planted.
The trees appeard to be of the same size,all the way as far the eye could see.

How it all started

It is believed that Madeira is sixty to seyenty millions years old.
Due to volcanic eruptions,thats how it come to be.
It was discovered by Joao Goncalves Zarco a Portugues navigator in 1419.
Thy were in the isle of Porto Santo,when they saw this black fog in the horison
Joao Goncalves Zarco wantead to go and see where it led to,but his sailors thought it
to be the edge of the world and were afraid.
So it was three hours before sunrise,they liftead anchor and headed towards this mysterious fog.
All
 they could hear was the waves against the rocks.
Then through the cloud they saw this black peeks sticking out of clouds and trees.

Water

The sun is shinning,and that means I have to go round the garden with my watering can.

where is that rain we were suppose to have?Oh well it needs to done so better get on with it.

my veggies

I'm so pleased that my vegetables are doing well. My apple tree has very  little apples.

 

My vegetables

But heyho,. you can't  have everything.
The tall plants are broad beens,cabagge's
And borlotti beans.

Madeira



This has been taken in funchal

Madeira's flora is in bloom all the year round.
If you go to Madeira the market is a must.
Were you will see all variety of flowers.and tropical fruits.

Now back to Madeira we were a large very loving family.I'm the 5th born of 8 children.
Wee lived not far from funchal.
In our house there was a lotte lot of laugther,oh how I miss those days,but life goes one.
And I have to concentrate on the presente.My daugther is going to give me a lovely gift in the new year.Yes!it's a new addition to my lovely family.

Now I live in a small village in Essex.
My house is small,but I love my garden,were my
 husband and I have created our little haven.
Next time I'll tell you more about me.

My name is Ana I was born in Madeira, a small island in the midle of the atlantic,better known as the pearl of the atlantic,or the ambullante garden.I've arrived in England in 1969.

Tuesday morning,and yes its raining again,my poor veggis. Hope this rain will stop soon.

Hi I'm Back

This orange tip butterfly was taken in my garden

Sorry I've taken this long,but thanks to my friend Paula,I think I'm there now, with posting.

1st Posting

Taken by  Ana in Madeira

Today I'm learning how to blog,with my friend Paula, who very kindly offerd to teach me.
My header is of a sun rising in Madeira ,were I go quite often.
I did spent the first 18 years of my life in Madeira,I mean to say thats where I'm from
originally.