Tag: flowers
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Osteospermum
I’m normally not that crazy about daisies but I’ve grown to love Osteospermum or Cape Daisies for their bright and cheerful look and drought-resistance. They come in many colors and shapes with either simple or spooned petals, some spread out over the ground, some grow like little shrubs, and they are more or less hardy.…
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April in the Mediterranean Garden: Managing Abundance
Spring is probably easy in just about any garden anywhere. It is definitely easy in our Mediterranean garden. The spring rains were plentiful again this year and so for once there are no water restrictions in force. The sun is getting stronger by the day and everything grows by leaps and bounds. Sometimes I just…
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Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca Citrina
This subspecies of Coronilla valentina has pale yellow, scented flowers from January through April. It is a small (about 100x100cm), evergreen Mediterranean shrub, at home in brushy, dry habitats such as the garrigue. It needs well-drained soil and can take half-shade. It is hardy to -15℃ but likes warm and sheltered conditions. I’ve planted it…
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Vinca minor / major
Periwinkle as ground cover Vinca has always been a “must-have” for me. I love it for its shiny dark green leaves and the bright blue, purple, or white “pinwheel” flowers, appearing between February and May and for some varieties again in late summer. In the front garden near the entrance portal are some Eleagnus and…
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Viola alba & odorata
My soil improvement measures seem to bear fruit (and the rains in the winter have certainly helped) to finally see dainty purple and white viola pop up in the shady, moist corners of the February garden. And I never even planted them! Viola alba and Viola odorata are Mediterranean natives but both grow in a…
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Lavandula
One of the quintessential Mediterranean plants, lavender comes in a variety of types, differing in size, height, and blooming season. It is not easy to tell them apart and depending on where you buy them they may all just be called “Lavande” (this is my major beef with most regular garden centers). All lavenders are…