Tag: shrubs
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Goji – the Berry from Hell
It’s very difficult to cultivate small soft berry fruit here – too hot, too dry. Goji berries however aren’t scared of anything. Heat? Drought? No problem. Along with their dainty little flowers and pretty berries, they have the personality of a Mongolian conqueror and start spreading everywhere underground. I found that I didn’t really like…
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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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Anisodontea
Anisodontea or Cape Mallow is another plant I would never have thought of planting myself but which I have grown rather fond of. My mother gave it to me 2021. It had been grown from a cutting as an indoor plant in cold Ulm, Germany. When we came here I planted it in the garden,…
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Erysimum linifolium Bowles Mauve
I love the wonderful heady perfume of Erysimum cheirii but they seem a bit difficult for a low-maintenance mediterranean garden. So I decided to try Erysimum linifolium Bowles Mauve in a very pretty lilac color. It’s a perennial (if supposedly short-lived – remains to be seen) evergreen shrub, flowering from March ito July and forming…
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Roses for a Mediterranean Garden
A garden without roses? It’s possible but is it necessary? I did my research in 2022 and chose what I thought was a varied selection of robust roses. My experience so far shows that there are huge differences between varieties, even those said to be robust and resistant. And there are a lot of aspects…
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Buddleia davidi
It’s not my favorite shrub and I would never have planted it myself in this garden… but I have to admit that the color of Buddleia davidii “Black Knight” is simply splendid: a very dark and sumptuous purple with pink interiors. And it is a great favorite with bees and butterflies. Buddleia normally blooms all…