OT: Lavender for non-Mediterranean climates
Perma n’ Posies/9A FL
5 years ago
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Perma n’ Posies/9A FL
5 years agoRelated Discussions
OT Roses and Lavender
Comments (29)Fascinating discussion! Reading through these reports, I'm wondering why my Augustifolia (English) 'Lady' has survived 14 years now (knock on wood) in central Virginia. Average rain/snowfall 72" with precipitation pretty consistent at 6" a month year-round including wet soggy Winters. High clay soil but pretty loamy, considering this was woodland for at least 100 years previously as the woodlot for an old farm, with all those shed leaves composting in place. Haven't pulled out the pH meter in years, but the soil in this area is naturally acidic & recall ranging from 5.5-6.2 on this property. Grew wonderful lavender in another garden sited between the Atlantic & a river in very sandy free-draining loam. Humid there all year & often salty fog. So I'm thinking it's not the atmospheric water vapor that bothers lavender... Tried many types in Virginia, often in pots, and none of them prospered regardless of how I fuddled with them. But there's no equivalent to the scent of lavender, leaf or bloom, so stubbornly persisted. Lady came as a quart from a local nursery which I'm sure didn't propigate it. While wondering where to plant it, it sat on a flagstone next to the hose spigot. Few weeks later, its roots grew into a mass through the drainage holes till they elevated the pot. Checking on that, realized the faucet had a slow leak right above it, dripping through the pot & keeping the stone damp. Sure seemed to really like that steady moisture. Cut away the pot to keep those happy roots & planted it in a spot recently cleared of turf at the dripline of a tall broad pin oak as the first plant in that new bed. Hose watered it as a new transplant along with a variety that landed in that bed, including roses. It obviously likes that spot, even though it receives only 6 hours of sun from 11-5 in the Summer, shaded by the tree in the morning & the house in the evening. Living in the shadow of that magnificent oak, it receives generous amounts of leaf mulch as the oak sheds its leaves. I've never disturbed that mulch or cultivated around the lavender in any way, so it composts in place. I've never pruned it besides clipping the flower wands. The needles dry by end of Winter & just run fingers over the stems to remove them before the new leaves appear. That's its total help from me. Over the years it's died out in the middle but extended itself around that circle & appears now as 6 plants evenly spaced as if planned. Very pretty. Think it's the deep oak leaf mulch that's led to its long life. Believe the leaves have shed the rain away from the crowns in the Winter & probably Summer as well, giving it that slow drip it loved by the faucet. The worms are plentiful in that bed from the natural compost & no doubt aerate the soil. The oak's feeder roots likely drink up any pooling water. But I suspect it's the oak leaves that snuggle around it that's made the difference. Don't see it offered locally any more, though it was considered a sensation when it first came out for coming true from seed & blooming the year of sowing, promoted as an annual lavender for far North gardens. Searching for a link, see it's still advertized as growing only 10" & sometimes called 'Lavender Lady'. Maybe when grown as an annual that's its first year's growth. This one was 2x3 feet when it grew out from the center & currently the "clump" is 3' high by 6' wide before it blooms. Imagine mine may have reseeded if the leaf mulch weren't so thick. Every once in a while I think of moving part of it & mulching it the same way, but then remember I ought to leave the old Lady alone. Plan to bring in new Ladies this year & see if I can duplicate the conditions to grow them in other areas. Highly recommend giving this cultivar a try! Here is a link that might be useful: 'Lady' This post was edited by vasue on Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 19:07...See MoreHybrid Perpetuals for a Mediterranean garden
Comments (24)Hi Melissa, Most of my roses are Old Garden Tea or Noisette roses, but every now and then I get a craving for the scent of a damask rose and head to the H.P. section of a catalog. In our area of Oakland, California, the conditions are the worst for the spread of 1. powdery mildew, all through spring and much of Autumn. 2. followed by blackspot which doesn't show up until early summer when temperatures rise. Then we have 3-4 months of drought and unless foliage is watered, foliage disease isn't much of a problem until the rains begin in Autumn, and p.m. and blackspot return. The native soil is heavy clay. Of all the H.p.'s I've planted in my own no-spray and public rose gardens these were the healthiest, by far. Top 5 H.P.s for disease resistance where I live: 1. Baronne Prevost' Extraordinarily fragrant, too. 2. Mrs.John Laing'. a pretty plant, but has bare ankles which I surrounded with heritage geraniums from the 1800's and earlier. 3. Comtesse de Chabrillant' a real sweetie, bears darling smallish rounded pink roses, on a pretty plant, whicj is spreading and leafy. Very disease resistant where I live. 4. Grandmothers' Hat' grown self standing which makes it re-bloom more often, and as a climber. also benefits from under plantings to hide bare lower canes. 5. 'Mme. Boll' the most upright of these, which is not my favorite growth habit. I also grow 'Frau Karl Druski' because I love white roses, and she is one of the whitest rose I have ever seen, I also like her scent, light but clean and fresh smelling. Foliage is clean until it rains or I get careless and sprinkle her foliage during the few weeks it gets hot enough here for rust to show up. I came across a 'Grandmothers Hat' that was thriving in an abandoned garden where it hadn't been watered by anyone for ten years or more. As I mentioned we get reliable summer drought for months on end. It was growing in deep shade which is probably why it survived the long droughts, and I was delighted to see pink roses near the top of an evergreen tree!!! An H.P. that can survive drought and bloom despite being surrounded by evergreen foliage, 'Grandmothers Hat' would be my top choice if I had your conditions. Luxrosa P.S. These failed and were removed: 'Gruss an Teplitz' from powdery mildew. 'Monsieur Boncenne' rusted to death....See MoreMediterranean garden ideas
Comments (36)I just happened upon this posting, and feel compelled to add a bit of info regarding fertilizing new plantings. The current "rule" regarding California native plantings is NOT to fertilize or amend soil at planting. This is especially true if the plants are native to your local area. In theory, if it's a native, the soil should contain everything your plant needs. That said, by virtue of normal landscaping practices, we have mucked things up for our plants. Still, with natives, it's best to start without fertilizer. If your plants are from other Mediterranean climate areas of the world, then a little starter fertilizer may be helpful. It may also be necessary to amend the soil to improve drainage. They key is to match the plant's natural habitat and needs as closely as possible. Note: if you have clay soil, but your plant is native to an area with different characteristics (rocky, sandy, low phosphorus, etc.), you need to be mindful of this. Clay is wonderfully fertile, but tough on plants that prefer better drainage. If you do choose to fertilize, organic fertilizers are better for the plants, soil, and the environment....See MoreMediterranean design in Jefferson, GA
Comments (6)Mitzy,the first thing you are going to have to do is really work on the soil. To be able to have many of these types of plants grow and survive in your garden, you need to create incredibly well draining soil that is not particularly rich. Many of the plants you'd want to incorporate can not survive very well in humidity, even the "like" plants you mention. The way to get longetivity is to really go after the soil. janen mentions many fine plants. Santolinas are gorgeous, but they are not all that long lived (I've had one for 3 years, which is the longest I have had one to keep relatively neat and not die out). You are very limited on good lavenders. Try the spanish type. There are many available from specialty herb mail orders, but the variety locally is slim. How about yucca? Try non-trunking ornamental yuccas for a great spikey effect. I love the gold leaf yucca next to a lovely grey leaf plant like silver germander. For more ideas, bulbs etc. go here: http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/ There are some interesting articles if you search through the pages.. Good luck, and have fun! My neighbour has a mediterranean style garden between the sidewalk and the road. It's a bit wild, but it is just lovely. GGG...See MorePerma n’ Posies/9A FL
5 years agoPerma n’ Posies/9A FL
5 years ago
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Rosylady (PNW zone 8)