Amateur Gardening – 13 July 2019

13 JULY 2019AMATEUR GARDENING 33

Main photo: Gap. All others Alamy, unless credited

9 easy Mediterranean stalwarts

Vitis vinifera ‘Boskoop Glory’ AGM

You can’t get more Mediterranean than

a vine-covered pergola. This is one of

the most reliable for outdoor growing

in this country, producing sweet black

fruit with the added bonus of fabulous

autumn leaf colour. HxS: 33x13ft (10x4m).

Rosmarinus officinalis

‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’ AGM

This tall, shrubby variety of classic Med

herb rosemary has pale blue flowers

from May to June. Hardy to -10°C (14°F),

it’s happy in pots – just bring them under

cover in winter. H&S: 5ft (1½m).

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’

English lavender varieties will cope far

better with our climate than other types

• although they still need well-drained
  soil. ‘Munstead’s compact, bushy plants
  have grey-green leaves and dark purple
  flower spikes. HxS: 1½x2ft (45x60cm).

Helianthemum ‘Henfield Brilliant’ AGM

A rock rose that delivers a shot of colour

courtesy of the reddish-orange blooms

that smother its mounds of grey-green

foliage. Looks fabulous in gravel gardens

or tumbling over the sides of raised

beds. HxS: 8inx2ft (20x60cm).

Santolina chamaecyparissus

Cotton lavender makes a compact,

rounded shrub with aromatic, narrow,

silver-grey leaves and bright yellow

button-like blooms in summer. Happy

being clipped – why not try it planted as

a low hedge. HxS: 20x39in (50cmx1m).

Chamaerops humilis AGM

For that instant holiday feeling, plant a

dwarf fan palm. A Mediterranean native,

it produces new shoots from the base,

giving the plant a multi-stemmed

appearance. Hardy to -10°C (14°F); can

cope with a bit of shade. H&S: 5ft (1½m).

Centranthus lecoqii

This valerian, native to the rocky slopes

and roadsides of France and Spain, has

clusters of mauve-pink, tubular flowers –

lovely against the grey-green foliage.

Attracts pollinators; needs poor, neutral-

to-alkaline soil. HxS: 2x1½ft (60x45cm).

T&M

Cistus x argenteus ‘Silver Pink’

An evergreen shrub with grey-green

aromatic leaves and (in summer) masses

of papery, silvery-pink blooms, each

lasting a day. Good for pollinators; likes

good drainage and moderately fertile soil.

Hardy to -10°C (14°F). H&S: 3ft (90cm).

Myrtus communis AGM

With its glistening, glossy leaves, the

common myrtle makes an attractive

evergreen shrub. In long, hot summers it

produces white flowers and black berries,

too. Plant next to a south- or west-facing

wall for winter shelter. H&S: 8ft (2½m).

crocus.co.uk