Having visitors is a good thing – for a gardener.  Instead of staying at home and looking at your own garden it means you can go out and look at other peoples gardens.  The weather has been very wet here so the plants and trees are looking shiny and clean and the landscape is a lovely green colour.  This is a good time to go out and look at the almond blossom and enjoy the damp smelly earth. With a friend from Catalonia, I visited Monchique and the western Algarve this week and found some lovely things in the garden, and some good cake !

Cotoneaster lacteus

Iris in the rain

Brian & apple streudel