Tag: perennials
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Mirabilis jalapa
Soil improvement between 2022 and 2024 definitely had a big effect on the inherited, self-seeding Mirabilis jalapa. Whereas in the summer of 2023, despite regular watering, they looked practically dead most of the time, in 2024, with a lot less watering, they popped back to life every night and looked splendid each morning. Mirabilis is…
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Bulbine frutescens
Bulbine frutescens is a very pretty evergreen succulent and one of those quintessential plants destined for a dry Mediterranean garden. As a native of South Africa it is not very frost hardy (-5℃ in well-drained soil) but very drought-tolerant (Filippi gives it a “code de sécheresse” of 5) – it needs no watering at all.…
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Oxalis articulata / triangularis
One of those nice surprises that an older garden can offer: two different Oxalis plants that keep popping up where they must have been planted a long time ago. Oxalis is a South American native that has been naturalized in many regions, including Southern France, Portugal and Spain. Depending on which source you look at,…
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Achillea
I know there are many beautiful varietes but somehow I’m always underwhelmed by Achillea and its “homely” flowers. Supposedly they work in hot and dry climates so I’ve tried them in the garden. In 2022 I planted Achillea millefolium “White Beauty”. In the summer of 2023 their bright white quickly turned into a very dirty…
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Hibiscus syriacus
Hibiscus syriacus offers some of the most beautiful flowers I know and is a favorite of mine. Alas, it is not made for this climate and this garden, although two specimens had been planted years before. Hibiscus syriacus loves rich, humid soil and temperatures up to a maximum of 27-30 degrees Celsius. It may survive…
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Alcea Rosea
Alcea rosea (Hollyhocks in English or Rose trémière in French) are another example for plants that – in my experience – grow best if left alone to do their thing. They like to sow themselves where they please and need nothing besides maybe some support against the wind in their quest for the sky. Not…