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I always judged Snapdragons to be a bit of a stuffy, boring flower for stuffy, bourgoeis gardens. How unjust I was – and how wrong. Since they kept popping up in my garden uninvited I have learned that Antirrhinum are…
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Nassella (Stipa) Tenuissima
Many grasses need humid soils but as a native of the Southwestern US and Mexico Stipa tenuissima is perfectly made for dry gardens. It needs no watering at all and loves sunny spots in dry well-drained soil, even poor, chalky,…
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April Showers in May
Last spring was extremely dry and warm, as was the one before that. And the winter of 2023/2024 didn’t bring much rain either, so we still had critical groundwater levels and corresponding water restrictions this March. But relief was on…
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Mediterranean Iris
Live and learn… I had always thought of Iris as a delicate and overbred plant for experienced gardeners. But when I came here I found out that Iris are one of the most robust, hardy, drought and heat resistant flowers…
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Springtime Bulbs 2024
I did a lot of research before starting my garden here – and I’m still researching. But sometimes I also just try stuff like springtime plants I’ve grown in more northerly gardens. I’ve found that a plant’s natural habitat can…
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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…