UPDATE....
Glad to report we had a successful and bumper second winter growing season -
Broccoli, beans, peas, onions, leeks, spinnach, chard, beetroot etc, etc.
Summer has been a bugger again - We decided the water cost was outweighing the crop - so decided to cut right back. (Our bill last summer reached Eu 150 for 3 months - We have since got the 'rate card' from the local water co where it lists 1-15 cu ltrs costs x, 16-30 x and so on. We were paying nearly a euro a cu litre in that high period due to the amount we were using. We are now down to just 3 cu ltrs a week - and know our bill will be 1/4 of what it was last year!)... Altho we have a small above ground pool for this summer which we know is 10 cu ltrs (almost one month of domestic/garden water!).. but we are enjoying the cooling effect!
Re the garden -
The painted plastic sheets set up as a green house - have worked well all thru the winter & are still protecting the lettuce in the heat.
Gina? your suggestion of 'cutting out?' - the lettuce from the outside leaves has worked a treat!
We have also a new garden (aptly named the 'lemon garden') - under the shade of several lemon trees - over which we have suspended those green and brown 'toldos' (usually used for garden fence things)...
which has worked wonders and we have a regular supply of lettuce, toms and cuandalucia gardening bers.
We are also using a version of the sunken bottle type system for retaining the water in the soil...
Several 5" deep plant pots have been sunk by the base of for eg a tom plant - and we fill that with water once a day - this makes sure the water doesn't evaporate and is slow release.
We gave the teracotum a miss as it is not really eco friendly - and we think the plant pot system is probably just as effective!
Hope everyone else is getting good results.
Courgettes are disappointing - whereas last year was fab!
Happy gardening all!
General Gardening Spain