Darling buds of May

Temperatures are often in the high eighties now sometimes reaching 90 whilst rain showers persist, though they are becoming ever more infrequent. Plants are responding to this heady weather mix sending shoots and flowers ever skyward. The curious weather of the region often produces strong afternoon winds, loved by the kite boarders and wind surfers of the Costa Brava those strong winds can play havoc with the garden. The short lived cherry blossom was unceremoniously stripped from the trees by the intrusive wind.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May"
(William Shakespeare)

Wind does not trouble the Yucca whose flower bud is about to break, and soon a spectacular creamy white coloured flower will emerge from the bud, giving some much needed height to the flower bed. The flower bud is in itself a bold statement carried above those spiky sword shaped leaves.
Fox tail lilies (Eremurus stenophyllus) planted just a few days ago are beginning to sprout, their tall and elegant blooms need protection from the perilous winds though otherwise they too will be at home here. They will reach 5' in height once established and make excellent cut flowers too, though ours will remain in the garden.
Structure and support are two elements currently in short supply in this garden, the land until recently was uncultivated rough pasture. High winds may help explain the lack of wooden garden ornamentation found in the area, though Pergolas are a classic feature of the Spanish Mediterranean garden. Tanalised timber and timber in general are expensive at the moment. Sawmills report that the wet winter of 2006 meant that logs were unable to be extracted and short supply means that worldwide prices for timber have soared.
An option for some of the structures we need is to utilize rough sawn roofing battens treated with a preservative. Strong sunlight should suit the midnight blue colour we would like to paint the timber, and the contrast between foliage and timber would be emphasised.