Category: Climate
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Water Management in a Mediterranean Garden
Water management is a constant topic for gardeners and even more so in Mediterranean regions where rainfall may be scarce and/or erratic and water usage heavily restricted. This year, after two years of drought, we have had a relatively wet and cool spring. Between the beginning of October and until the 6th of July we’ve…
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Choosing Plants for a Mediterranean Garden
The Mediterranean climate is not famous for mild summers, generous rains or generous freshwater supplies. Instead it is famous for scorching summer temperatures, heatwaves with up to 40 degrees and months on end without rain: difficult planting conditions. It only makes sense therefore to choose plants wisely instead of trying to establish old favorites from…
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Summer Dormancy
The Seasons in a Mediterranean Garden Gardening in the Mediterranean, especially in this low-altitude garden, I’ve gotten used to two periods of dormancy. There is of course winter – although, being prime planting season, winter tends to be a busy time when you’re still establishing a garden by planting trees and shrubs. However, nothing much…
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Mediterranean Gardening in Autumn
Autumn is a Second Spring Most Mediterranean gardens are a feast for the eyes from April through the beginning of June. In July and August though most plants enter summer dormancy and you don’t find many flowers or even green leaves among the perennials and shrubs. As soon as cooler temperatures begin to arrive in…
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Garden on Fire
After last year’s calm, this summer season has again been rife with wildfires, some of them big and close to housing areas. In early September we’ve had our own scare in the neighborhood. I was just coming back from a walk shortly before noon, when I saw thick clouds of gray-brown smoke coming from our…
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In the shade
Minimizing Water Evaporation in the Vegetable Garden After a very changeable spring it got up to 25 and 29 degrees in June with nary a cloud in sight. So I started to test my idea for shading the vegetable garden to help prevent water evaporation. All the shading nets available are dark and I break…