Best Water Feature Ever!

Whilst on holiday in Tenerife in November 2008 I drove to Guia de Isadora, a very pretty small town. I was nosing over a garden wall and spotted something intriguing and kicked myself for forgetting my camera. I went back again this year, made the perilous drive back to Guia de Isodora and took this photograph.







When I first saw this I wasn't entirely sure what it was, although it was clearly a water feature. It was my eagle eyed partner, Spencer, who identified it. Tenerife is a volcanic island and its volcano Mount Teide is still active. This water feature is, in fact, a scale model of Mount Teide, when switched on water comes out of the top of the volcano - genius! Maybe not, but amusing anyway.

Whale art - yes, really!

I loved the Cow Parade concept - life size fibreglass cows painted by artists and architects and exhibited around cities as art. Each one was different and they are now being sold for thousands of pounds.

As I may have mentioned we've just returned from our holiday in Tenerife and the Loro Parque Foundation has adapted the cows as art concept for fundraising, resulting in these lovely decorated fibreglass whales. They are currently on display in Tenerife airport. I want one!

News flash - garden designer is fair weather gardener!

This horrible, wet weather is keeping me out of the garden at the moment and there's loads of tidying up to do - I hate looking out at it, it's depressing. I did manage to make a quick trip to the allotment over the weekend, my first since getting back from sunny Tenerife. I really went to pick the last of my Borlotti beans, which I make into a lovely warm salad with Avocado, sliced mushrooms (raw), soft goat's cheese and a simple lemon juice and Olive oil dressing - it's delicious. However, I was happy to see that my Broad Beans, planted a little earlier than specified in late October, are three inches high, and virtually all my garlic has come up.

I've never managed to get organised enough to plant crops that like to overwinter, although I did do garlic last year and found that I hadn't planted enough - we eat a lot of it and so this year I did about four times as much. I also had a horrible disappointment this year with my Broad Beans which I absolutely love, so I planted some in October to see what would happen. It's really great to see something happening on the plot at this time of year. I'll still do my Broad Beans in spring as well, but this means I'll have some to freeze as well - hopefully!

Holiday at last ............

I’m delighted to report that although we’re in the midst of a massive recession I’ve had an amazing year for business – I think, my best to date. Although this is gratifying, it’s also worn me out so I headed off wearily on my annual pilgrimage to Tenerife. I got back a couple of days ago and I must say it didn’t disappoint.

I know Tenerife has a horrid reputation for cheap package holidays and all the tackiness that goes with them. There is that side to it, of course. However, judging Tenerife by what goes on in Playa de Las Americas is like coming here and only visiting Scunthorpe (haha, I’m allowed to say that as my other half is from there) and thinking that it represents the whole of the UK.

I love Tenerife and here’s why. It’s got great weather (I hate the cold) and you don’t have to travel far or pay a fortune to get some of this even during the Winter. It’s got some gorgeous scenery, although driving to see it can be terrifying. There’s enough to do, combined with a bit of general relaxing in the sunshine to easily fill up two weeks. Where we stay in Los Christianos if you're selective there are some really nice restaurants.

However, as a garden designer it’s the indigenous flora that interests me most. There is the obligatory effervescence of Bougainvillea, cascading in great clashing clumps over every vertical surface. I probably don’t even need to mention the ubiquitous feathery plumes of Phoenix Canariensis, one of many species of palm that grow in Tenerife. There are plants that we grow in the UK such as Hibiscus and some really unusual species of Euphorbia. I’m always delighted to see plants which we can only grow indoors such as Monstrera (cheese plants), Draceana, Ficus benjamina and Strelizia (Bird of Paradise plant) flourish in the perfect climate. I love Plumbago and it’s a real treat to see it running wild and adding its subtle sky blue blossoms to the gaudy palette. There are huge cacti and loads of interesting succulents perfectly suited to the hot, arid conditions of the South of the island.

Here’s a few images:-



Washingtonia Robusta



Phoenix dactilifera, Yucca, Phoenix Canariensis



Topiary Tenerife style



Bougainvillea




Acalypha, Yucca & Phoenix Canariensis