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Create a
Mediterranean garden to counter dry climate or visit the
N.O. Botanical Garden and
Longuevue. |
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Gardeners
in Italy and other Mediterranean countries, are accustomed to long stretches
without rain during hot weather, yet have managed to create distinctive
gardens and landscapes of beautiful trees, shrubs and flowers. In contrast,
Americans cherish their expensive, time consuming, and water intensive lawn
upkeep which is causing a drought in many U.S. southeast cities. The
Mediterranean climate is hot, with dry summers and cool wet winters. We can
overcome hot, dry summers by studying the choices Mediterranean gardeners
make in plant and trees planting and conserve our water supply. The
Mediterranean, with its visions of graceful
conifers,
fragrant herbs and pretty flowers arranged in
containers, a drought-tolerant style is more palatable. Many conifers prove
drought-tolerant -- in a way a rhododendron, hibiscus or most hydrangeas
would never be. Newer selections of conifers possess dynamic colors such as
burnished copper, glowing chartreuse, rich emeralds, that were simply
unavailable years ago when conifers faded in favor of broad-leaf evergreens
such as azaleas, camellias and hollies. Plants
with small or thicker leaves and needle leaves tend to tolerate drought
because they originated in parts of the world where that was normal and thus
evolved to live with it. This collection includes such natives as Southern
pines, most oaks, red cedar, arborvitae, yaupon holly and wax myrtle.
Drought-tolerant non-natives include butterfly bush, abelia, nandina, some
Japanese hollies, small-leaf evergreen azaleas, Arizona cypress, deodar cedar
and cherry laurel. Herbs
love dry weather. Most come from areas that are hot and dry most of the time.
Many come from Mediterranean climates, have small leaves or, like rosemary,
leaves resembling needles that are calculated to conserve moisture. A
good framework of (deciduous) trees helps a lot, particularly trees placed on
the south and west sides of a house. That's because they not only shade the
garden, but the house. And the deciduous trees let warming sun in during the
winter. Take care of the watering needs of young trees, shrubs and perennials
as best they can, consistent with recommendations of local governments. Lantana, gaura, vitex, butterfly bush and butterfly
weed all possess the colorful aura of a hot and dry landscape and prove
remarkably suited for it. The Mediterranean Look • Has less grass and more
ground covers. • Includes overhead shade of
trees, pergolas or roofs. • Brings in containers and
statuary, both rustic or traditional, often in sun-bleached shades of terra
cotta • Features drought-tolerant
plants, including conifers and
fragrant herbs. • Includes gray and silver
foliage. • Showcases potted gardens,
with collections of plants, including roses and drought-tolerant perennials. • Uses signature plants such
as topiary. • Includes running water, such
as a pond. Getting Through
the Drought • Group plants by their needs
for water. • For flowerbeds, choose
plants that tolerate drought, such as herbs and native perennials. • Make container gardens for
your entryway in place of large flowerbeds. • Use moisture-conserving
mulch. • Consider alternatives to
fescue grass, such as centipede or zoysia that are more drought-tolerant, but
go
beige in winter. • Pay close attention to
automatic watering systems and make sure they are properly adjusted and use
only
water that's necessary. • Look for drought-tolerant
annuals and perennials such as vinca, narrowleaf zinnia, melampodium,
lantana,
portulaca, scented geraniums, baptisia, sunflowers, epimedium,
candytuft, coneflower, liatris, most herbs
and rudbeckia. • Realize that any plant will
need water until it gets established. For trees and shrubs, this means at
least
two growing seasons. • Make the lawn smaller; make
your natural areas of shrubs larger, especially under trees. View the
Seed Catalog and plant photos for a better understanding of
available plants. |
