Bahia, You are right it is a broom, Spartium junceum, a plant that would fit right in with your mediteranean theme. It is an accident where it is, we wanted a fountain there but couldn't find one we liked so we put this in 'temporarily'. I love the upward verticalness of it contrasting with the fountain like flow of the deer and pampas grass behind it and it is there to stay. And of course it has wonderful yellow flowers in the spring. You are right about this winter, anything marginal is gone or severly damaged. The cassias normally overflowing with bloom this time of year look half dead. The myoporium which looks ten times as good as any lawn as a ground cover was killed to the base but the salvias and penstemons are fine. Clevlandii had a little tip dieback but nothing bad and the Parrys Penstemon and P. triflorus are blooming with superbus close behind. I can't feel sorry for what you can't grow in San Fransisco as there is so much you can grow. You have a far broader plant palette to choose from than we do here. I grew up in Santa Rosa and often passed through and sometimes visited S.F. It's a beautiful city with immense character but I sure wouldn't want to have to get around by bicycle in it:) Your retama monosperma sounds wonderful but I'm sure if our furnace of a summer didn't do it in here, our frosty winter would. Maria

BinsB How GREAT! I'd guess by now the 'kids' are knocking from the outside - yes? Paleese post a pic if you can. We'd all (I'm sure) love to see your accomplishments :-))) after waiting soooo long. Love the orange colors of the nursery but mmm - are they really going to sleep in one crib? :-)) Just kidding. When you have time, which likely won't be for awhile I'm sure, would love to see the nursery with the paper flowers, et al. Not to worry about the non-span house of present. It's the spirit inside that can carry it thru. Imagine what a tough time I have in my location. LOL!! You'll have lotsa fun (when/if you can find the time) doing some special stuff in your new abode. Trop - hmmm pictures this year? LOL! That will be fun to see. I'll look forward (but won't hold my breath too awfully long). :-))) I'm thinking maybe you just eliminated the kitchen altogether and are doing take out now? Houseful it's great to have you posting again. Perhaps you can help us breathe some life back into this thread as I know Bins is going to be rather busy over the next while. :-)) If it weren't for her dedication, I'm sure this thread would no longer exist. I have a few things on my plate but hopefully they will be resolved shortly and I can return to my decorating love. And speaking of thread(s), I didn't check but I'm thinking we must be getting close to limit - yes? Should we be starting a new thread? Waddya all think? Take care all, Holly

Planting in the right season, after it cools down in fall and can be expected to rain), and planting smallest size plants and mulching heavily goes a long way towards to getting plants well established to survive their first Mediterranean climate summer. If someone is having major problems keeping well known Medit climate native survivors such as Rosemary and Lavenders alive, it is just as likely due to trying to force them to adapt at the wrong season, and not paying attention to natural cycles. For a garden in Greece with extreme heat and poor water quality, I'd recommend that you pay extreme attention to what already does grow well in your neighborhood, and only plant new smaller plants out in November/December. Also, it is important to remember that not all Mediterranean climate zones are equal as to amount of cold in winter, amount of winter rainfall, length of dry season, and amount of summer heat and winds. I'm located in coastal northern California, where we are a Mediterranean climate rainfall pattern, but have next to no summer heat, and have much reduced drying out of soils and plants because we get so much summer fog and overcast which keeps things cooler and less dry. Trying to grow things in high summer heat with poor water quality is not a foreign concept in parts of southern California, and tried but true methods often rely on choosing desert or high heat adapted plants, and providing moderated shading in summer for plants that can't take full hot sun with such high heat. I'd suggest that things like American southwest desert species of Agaves, Leucophyllum species, Teucriums, Phlomis, Cistus, and things native to the Mediterranean Basin that are adapted to limestone soils would be the natural approach to take where it is both hot, dry and basic soil ph. A lot of plants from Mexico and South Africa as well as Australia would do well under such conditions. Where I garden in Berkeley, it is even balmier than the Algarve in Portugal, and we often have more in common with tropical Cloudforest habitats than other Mediterranean zone climates, due to our foggy summers and cold offshore ocean currents. I grow many of the same succulents that Orchis mentions, but some of the more frost tender Kalanchoe species are both prone to rotting and occasional freezing in our wetter/colder winters here near San Francisco. Some of the more tender Aeoniums such as A. canariensis can grow fantastically well here, but an occasional cold winter's frost can also do major damage. Some all purpose plants that I could recommend as survivors in high heat might include Aloe saponaria and Aloe ferox, Bulbine frutescens, Agave bracteosa(in partial shade), Agave parryi, Artemesia species, Arctotis cultivars, Brachychiton populneum, Brahea armata, Caesalpinia mexicana, Centauria gymnocarpa, Centranthus ruber, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides(in partial shade), Convolvulus sabatius, Correa species, Cotinus coggygria, Cussonia paniculata,...

For advice from professionals look at our magazine for whole host of garden material for gardener and landscaper from the Mediterranean.