Category: Plants
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The Glory of Poppies
Common poppies or Papaver rhoeas are endemic to the Mediterranean countryside, growing in profusion along the roads and on fallow meadows, turning the countryside red in April. They are natives of North Africa but naturalized on almost every continent. A very “common” flower indeed, and yet, if one takes time for a closer look, how…
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Viburnum tinus
The laurel-leaved Viburnum is a native of the Mediterranean region, the Near East and North Africa. Supposedly it prefers shady, humid areas – in my garden I have an older specimen in full sun and it does just fine. Another one has seeded itself in a shady spot where it does bloom a bit longer…
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Dianthus
I love the scent of Dianthus and in the first fall after our arrival I planted five Dianthus gratianopolitanus – thinking that they would be drought- and heat-resistant, based on my Swiss gardening experience. Alas, I now know that this plant is native to low mountain ranges of central and western Europe – not to low-lying…
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Photinia fraseri
Along with eleagnus ebbingei, our garden is bordered by a few big Photinia fraseri “Red Robin” bushes. Apparently it is one of the most widely planted evergreen hedge shrubs in European gardens. Despite its elegant looks and soft glossy leaves, this shrub is totally drought and heat resistant and an absolute recommendation for dry gardens.…
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Yucca
It was quite charming at first to discover yucca in the garden. Beyond seeing them inside in pots I had no experience with them growing outside. Yucca as “Palm Tree” We have one Yucca that must have been put outside in a pot near the letter box and the trash cans and then simply forgotten.…
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Waiting
“Garten heisst Warten” – a German phrase I coined a few years back in my Swiss garden. It means that gardening is mostly about waiting: Waiting until you can plant stuff.Waiting for stuff to grow. Waiting for stuff to bloom. Waiting for stuff to ripen so you can eat it.Waiting for next year. Here, in…