This was so timely! About a month or so ago my friend and neighbour Flor (aka Flor de Jardín) told me she had a lovely orange tree that she wanted to give me, to put in the very beautiful, and massive, ornate clay pot that had been left behind by previous tenant Rafael. This is in part because Flor will be spending more time at her wonderful property in the Algarve and less at her place here, at least for now. So she has been giving some of her plants away to people she knew would appreciate and care for them.

And so today was the day. Mostly because it coincided with Flor having arranged for her friend to carry the tree over from her place (about a block away) and lug it up the stairs to my terrace. And then we set about getting it re-homed in a manner that Flor was happy about. This meant having previously drilled proper drainage holes in the bottom of this large clay beast and then buying bags and bags of earth early this morning, and still not having quite enough but I can top it up a bit later. It also meant finding the perfect spot, which ended up being next to the dining table and out of the direct blazing sun (though it still gets plenty of light!). It’s hard to see in this great photo with Flor, but the part where the top of the tree is out of sight is actually an open space between that pillar and the wall of the house. So lots of room to grow.

Of course Flor knew I was the perfect person for this beautiful tree because it meant that I could finally have my very own azahar…

And it was only after Flor and her helpers left when it occurred to me that this would be Pat’s tree too. You know how people plant trees or have park benches installed in the name of a lost loved one? Well, this orange tree will be my memorial to Pat. Gaelen & azahar – which is how we knew each other when we first met –  together on a sunny Sevilla rooftop.

I know this would have made Pat smile.