Update from the Flores Fruit Farm Summer 2014

It has been quite some time since we have updated the blog.  In that time we have done the projects posted below.
We are without a vehicle or phone line, so we do not have the opportunity to use the internet often.  We will try to write more explanatory blogs as time allows, in the mean time enjoy the photos of our project.
Mitra will be turning 1 and Odin will be 3 this August Both boys are thriving with sunshine and love and healthy foods.  They don’t seem to mind living in a construction zone.

The Hydro-Electric project has been functional for one year now. It is not completed, but works fantastically as is.  In time we will maximize its output.

The view from our backyard.  So much concrete work and terraforming yet to do. 

Our primary banana patch is expanding yearly where jungle stood before.

We are getting lovely  bunches of fresh fruit more frequently as the roots dig into the rich valley soil and the sun penetrates where forest shadowed before.



The citrus orchard with limes and sweet oranges that is home to our chicken flock is completed fenced now.  This allows us to gather ALL the eggs that are laid daily. 

The chicken manure feeds the fruit trees and the chickens eat the weeds and pests for us.  On average we gather 6 eggs daily. 

We are doubling the size of our flock this year to replace old chickens as needed.  Soon we should have a surplus of eggs to store for winter.

The road to our house is getting a bit bushy without traffic.  We decided to “ring-bark” the remaining large Eucalyptus trees rather than risk dropping them.

Our front yard with an amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean.

The primary vegetable gardens making use of the stone walls we hand built so long ago.

Our house and front yard.

Our lemon tree and grapefruit  are producing fruit regularly now after we planted them in 2008.

We want to start a new blog site, as we are so much more than ‘Magnus and Konswan’ at this point.  Whenever time allows us to create the new site we will post a link to the new page.
For those who helped us resolve the driving license fiasco, THANK YOU!
Magnus now has a Portuguese drivers license and no problems with the Portuguese police after paying a 200 Euro fine for driving with an United States Drivers License for over 90 days. 

Adorable Little Thieves

"Red-Headed Thief" caught red-handed. This is the female Sylvia atricapilla. "Black-Headed Thief. This is the male Sylvia atricapilla." Tiny little things---amazing how they get here at all and from where? These guys got into the netting, but could not figure out how to get out. After untangling them from the netting, they were photographed and released. We do not know what variety of bird they are so far. If any of you know, send me a link and I will post it along with the name. (Thank you to Emily Harris Griffin for identifying our little culprits.) These little birds love to eat all of our lettuces, all greens from the Brassica family (that includes pak choi, broccoli, cauliflower, mustards, all cabbages, and much more), even the spicy mustard seedlings. As a non-lethal preventative measure, we put netting around and over the newly transplanted Chinese cabbages. Above the newly planted garden with netting is the cold frame in which we sow seeds and nurture the seedlings until they are transplanted. It is raised-bed garden covered with discarded windows. We built the stone retaining walls to take advantage of this protected space with full sun.

Winter Hot Pepper Harvest

Our wonderful summer weather has ended, but all the awesome solar power is now being harvested.



Konswan has been roasting spicy peppers from around the globe over our wood burning stove, creating wonderful sauces that warm the body from the inside out in these cold months.



Not only do they taste fantastic, they are excellent for the health and entertaining also.

Early Autumn Garden

Our hot pepper garden is thriving under plastic. We have Serrano, Thai, Jalapeno, Habanero, and Hungarian Wax, all turning red now and ready to eat.


Black Beauty Aubergines are getting huge this time of year. One is enough to feed the both of us for dinner.


The Sweet Basil is still producing more than we can eat, and some is going to flower already. We have found the flower heads are fantastic in soups.

Early Summer Gardens

Tomato and Basil Garden, with a few Jalapenos and Garlic to keep the baddies out.



Experimental Perennial Pepper garden. Already we have several plants making fruits.



Jerusalem Artichokes and Potatoes.



Roma Tomatoes for canning.

Fruit Trees Breaking Dormancy

We planted these four trees our first year on Flores.

Typically it takes 3 years before the first fruits come, we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Every year we top dress with a sack of horse manure and train them.

Our apple trees, pruned and trained correctly we hope.
Our lemon tree.

Ruby Red Grapefruit