Tag: perennials
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Phlomis
Phlomis is another one of those plants I always found a bit boring – before I had a Mediterranean garden. Now I’ve grown quite fond of them although they do not bloom particularly long, mostly in May. Their foliage and spent flowers are quite attractive and they are allelopathic plants, meaning that they discourage the…
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Antirrhinum
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 a Mediterranean native and very drought-tolerant. They can be annuals or short-lived perennials that grow…
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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, stony or sandy. It is hardy to -12℃. Care should be taken not to let…
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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 make a big difference here at sea level in the Mediterranean. Plants from more mountainous…
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Anemones for springtime color
Anemone blanda Anemone blanda (“Grecian windflower” or “Balkan anemone”) may be an unpresuming little flower but it is far from being bland. As soon as the spring sun comes out in March and throughout April it makes for very pretty spots of color under the trees. I usually buy the Blue Shades mix and there…
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Centranthus ruber (Valeriana rubra)
A pretty Mediterranean native that comes in a more or less bright pink, as well as in a reddish pink color (Centranthus ruber coccineus) and white (Centranthus ruber albus). It’s fairly heat and drought resistant with occasional deep watering. It is supposed to bloom from May through August. In this hot Mediterranean garden it will…