Agave A little

The evening before we moved into Casa Jovic in July 2005, we stayed at a little known place near Sagres called Martinhal (now developed as part of a chain of upmarket resorts).

As the picture shows, at the time there was very little in the area other than a surf-shack (it can get extremely windy) and lots of luscious plants adorning the dunes. 
I really liked these plants and on the drive to Lagoa in the morning, during a photographic stop, I plucked a tiny sprig

of what looked like a miniature version of what I'd seen, as a memento of the important day. The root was little more than two inches long and in truth it was barely surviving. Once we had the keys and headed to the villa, I planted said sprig in a patch of earth fully expecting it to wither. Needless to say, it didn't.  ​

Lesson: Be Careful For What You Wish
Meet that little sprig of a plant now, or to give it its correct name a Foxtail Agave.
I am still exceptionally fond of it. After all, we would be pushed to find something like it in the UK and it reminds us every day of how lucky we are to enjoy Casa Jovic. But boy, is it big!  

In the 2nd photo I widened the shot to include the car. If it were a Smart car, the plant would be bigger!

Our 'little' Agave has also generated a lot of pups, one of which is still in a pot in the front garden.
And it's not alone in the garden. Alongside stands another giant - The Agave Americana, standing 8 feet tall and 12 feet wide. 

Sadly, Neither Agave would provide the ingredients for Tequila (for which Agave's are best known). That would only be the Blue Agave. But in Mexico these Agave's would definitely be used to make similar Mezcal-type drinks.
​But as a part of the local landscape, they are certainly stunning.