The "Apprentice" Spanish Gardener

I grew up in a rural area in North Devon (England) where I lived in three different houses between the ages of nought and 14. I remember that my Dad, from rural South Wales, always had either a garden or a big allotment.

An English allotment [Photo: Gardener's World, BBC]    

The early years

My first home on Earth was a brand-new council house with a massive garden on Gould Road on the Forches Cross Estate in Barnstaple. Dad also kept chickens, for their eggs and the occasional roast Sunday lunch. But I was only a tot, back then.

`   [Photo: The Conversation]

My brother Simon entered this world when I was three and shortly after that our aspirational parents bought an old terraced house in another part of town.

House number 2 was 9 Cyprus Terrace, a 19th Century 2-up-2-down with no inside toilet and no bathroom.  However, dad, a competent handyman (we didn't say DIY back then), created a WC and bathroom in various outhouses. 

There was no garden so he got himself an allotment where he grew most of our vegetables. I started to take an interest, and dad encouraged me. 

Our third house, 54 Broadfield Road, only had a tiny back garden, so dad retained his allotment.     

9 Cyprus Terrace [Rightmove]                

54 Broadfield Road [Zoopla]

By the time we moved to Exeter, the county town, when I was 14, I had become really interested in gardening. We lived in two houses there. Each had a large garden where I continued to hone my skills.    

36 Princes Square, Exeter [Rightmove]

After university, during which time I did no gardening, and marriage at 24, Jeryl and I got our first house in Walkden (Greater Manchester) which had small gardens front and year.

74 Normanby Road, Walkden [Rightmove]

When we moved to Warrington (Cheshire) in 1980 we had a decent-sized garden once again and I took up the hobby again in earnest. I cultivated rhubarb, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, courgettes and spinach. We also had an old established apple tree.   

 1 Parry Drive, Thelwall, Warrington [Paul Whitelock]

30 years later, after my marriage ended and I retired early, I was living in a country cottage in Bryn-Y-Maen, near Colwyn Bay (N. Wales) where I remained for a couple of years, and kept my hand in.

 Minfford, Bryn-Y-Maen, N Wales [Zoopla] 

After that I returned to England where I bought a run-down detached house in Latchford (Warrington), with gardens to the front and side.   

 Tunstall Villa, Latchford [On the Market]

In between renovating the house, I managed to find time to keep my hand in at gardening by trying out some new crops, such as potatoes, onions and broccoli.

Then in 2008 I emigrated to Spain, to Ronda (Malaga) in Andalucia, where I owned an apartment. I started off living in Montejaque (also Malaga) in the village house of the lady who was to become my second wife. Rita's house had no garden.

Rita and Paul get married [Photo: HMR]    

When we moved to Fuente de la Higuera (Ronda) in 2011, where we still live, one of the criteria for our search for a house was a garden. Villa Indiana has over 10,000 square metres (more than a hectare), so I've had plenty to go at.

The facade of Villa Indiana [booking.com]

Although the ground is basically clay, therefore hard to work and not very fertile, I have become more adventurous, trying out crops I'd never grown before.

Novice

This is when I found out that I'm a novice when it comes to gardening in a hot Mediterranean climate. Very different to the cool, rainy climate of North West England.

With over 300 days of sun a year; cold winters and a shortage of rainfall, it's quite a challenge.

Bougainvilleas die on me, strawberries do not thrive, tomatoes stay small and other crops and some flowers shrivel and die or get eaten by birds and other pests.

With advice from my gardener Rafael and Spanish neighbours over the years I have learned which crops do well and which to avoid.

Crops that prosper include artichokes, potatoes, runner beans and broad beans. Curly kale and lettuce also do well.

We also have figs, brevas and olives, which grow on trees which we inherited from the previous owners of the house.

In the last couple of years I have planted a dozen different fruit trees. Three have died, scorched/waterlogged, but the rest are doing OK.

New plantings [Photo: Paul Whitelock]

2025

It's Spring and I am just getting going. The heavy rains have stopped, at least for the time being, and the frosts are finished.

^{[Photo courtesy of Wikipedia]} 

This week alone I've cleared masses of weeds from my raised beds and planted 60 seed potatoes, 3 types of lettuce and 2 kinds of onions, red and white.

Yesterday, it was garlic's turn.

The Apprentice Spanish Gardener

I'm still learning. I've improved the quality of the soil by adding my own home-made compost and commercial sustrato, plus some sand.

I love working outside in the fresh air. If it's too hot in the sun I head for the shade. If it's too cold, I layer up.

At 74 years of age, I have to take frequent "spells" but it does me good to be outside taking on board Vitamin D and breathing uncontaminated air. My upper body and my troublesome back are stronger than they ever were. Only my post-Covid legs and loss of balance are an impediment.

[Image courtesy of Vitabella Senior Living]    

Sources:

John Albert Whitelock (d.)

Rafael Fornet

Rita Whitelock

and the following books:

Some books are out of print, but there may be used copies available. Check out www.amazon.com

Photos:

A1 Inmobiliaria, Country Living Magazine, Exeter Memories, Gardeners' World, HMR, John Albert Whitelock, Karl Smallman, On the Market, Paul Whitelock, Rafael Fornet, Rightmove, Rita Whitelock, Secret Serrania, The Conversation, Zoopla, Vitabella Senior Living, Wikipedia

©  Pablo de Ronda