The dream of a bit of Italy just outside the door of our house has a chance to come true if we arrange a Mediterranean-style garden. Exotic specimens, such as redbud, hemp palm, puzyrnik and many others, will help to create the right aura. These southern plants can also grow in our open air, as long as we shelter them in winter so that they do not suffer during periods of more severe frost. For some less sensitive species, winter protection is even unnecessary.
Mediterranean style
We will be enchanted by the bush Ceanothus and Chinese rose Hibiscus sinensis. An exotic experience is provided by the Trachycarpus hemp palm and Yucca yucca.The always green plants, such as boxwood and laurel, invariably amaze with the elegant appearance of molded silhouettes, and the bitter orange Poncirus trifoliata delights with white flowers whose intense citrus scent fills the garden air.
Quite good vegetation conditions for Mediterranean plants are provided by a milder climate in the western regions of our country. The farther east you go, the less southern plants you can choose to survive the harsher winters. A lot also depends on local conditions.
The survival of thermophilic plants in our garden depends primarily on where they grow. The least suitable are open pitches, exposed to wind and other vagaries of the weather. However, the perfect place is near the southern wall of the house. The walls provide good protection from the wind, heat up easily and store the sun's heat for quite a long time, which can be used by plants. Young plants that have recently been planted in particular are very sensitive to cold. With age, most Mediterranean species increase their resistance to low temperatures.Therefore, winter frost protection covers should be provided to the plants in the first few years after planting.
Instead of olivesThe most delicate plants from the south can be replaced with species that are more resistant to the cold. This will be a minor deception, but will have little impact on the Mediterranean character of the garden. Only a few places can olive trees survive our winters. However, we can replace them with plants of a similar appearance. The willowleaf pear Pyrus salicifolia has the same silvery leaves as the olive, and the narrow-leaved olive Elaeagnus angustifolia - very similar fruits. Instead of typical Mediterranean Cupressus cypresses in our garden let's plant Chamaecyparis cypresses, Thuja thuja and 'Skyrocket' junipers with a very similar, narrow and soaring habit. In summer, we can enrich a group of southern tree and shrub species growing in the garden with plants in containers, such as oleander, bougainvillea or lantana. The Mediterranean arrangement will be additionally embellished with amphoras, vases and terracotta figurines.
