Category: Plants
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Santolina
Somewhat unspectacular plants, but very good shrubs to have in a Mediterranean garden. Santolina chamaecyparissus An evergreen Mediterranean shrub, growing to 50 x 80 cm. The very aromatic, grey-green leaves have a scent reminiscent of Chamaemelum nobile. The round yellow flower heads appear in May-June. Santolina chamaecyparissus has been a feature of Mediterranean herb gardens…
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Agastache aurantiaca
Another one of those plants where it pays to look very closely… Garden centers will sell Agastache aurantiaca as suitable for Mediterranean climates, mentioning maybe that it comes from Mexico. Looking closely however, it is native in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango which are both mountainous. Thus it likes cool nights, cold winters,…
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Monoxia obesula on Atriplex halimus
The steep bank bordering our garden has been planted a long time ago with Atriplex halimus, also known as Mediterranean salt bush. This plant is a native of Mediterranean and North African regions and famous for its great drought-tolerance. It grows quickly and likes poor and even salty soils. Its deep root system retains the…
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Medicago arborea
Medicago arborea is a native shrub of the Mediterranean Basin, where it grows wild on rocky shores. It is used as fodder for animals and apparently the leaves can be eaten in salads. I haven’t tried it yet… Like all Medicago, it can fix nitrogen in the soil. It grows up to about 150 x…
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Rubus idaeus and fruticosus: Raspberries, Blackberries & Friends
Taking a bowl into the late summer garden and picking through the raspberries and blackberries was a lovely reality back in Switzerland. I had planted fall raspberries and thornless blackberries that grew into vigorous shrubs intent on taking over the world and delivering countless luscious berries from late summer well into December. Down here, so…
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Oh My Darling Clementine…
I was hankering after a citrus tree and I needed to have something vertical on the terrace… so I planted a clementine tree in a large pot. At the moment I’m not sure whether that was really a good idea or more a bit of plant abuse. I planted this “Clemenules” (Citrus reticulata, Clementina fina)…