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Mediterranean bulbs and dry gardens

he owners of Le Domaine aux Quat'Saisons (A Jewel
in the Languedoc - France Magazine, http://www
.southoffrancehotel.com) now let you into some of
the secrets of their success in creating a oasis
of colour throughout the year in a dry
Mediterranean climate.

………………………………………………..

In all regions of the world where rainfall is low
or unreliable and summer temperatures high, most
of the plants that are adapted to these
conditions produce little or no flowers, or at
best a quick burst of flowers in spring. Summer
displays can be dull and dried-out and temperate
garden plants that normally flower in spring will
not survive the summers.
The Languedoc is no exception to this; after the
flush of spring flowers, gardens are brown and
dry by the end of June, with colour returning
only after the rains in early autumn. Bedding
plants are all thirsty by nature and few of us
can afford the water and time they need.
At Le Domaine aux Quat'Saisons one of the best
ways we have found to counteract these problems
is to introduce bulbs and corms; many of these
will flower spectacularly for years and years,
increasing gradually and requiring little or no
extra water. The greatest variety of species is
available in spring but summer bulbs are
certainly an essential addition to the garden to
introduce much-needed colour.
No spring dry garden can be considered complete
without at least some alliums. There are
hundreds of species. These are our favourites: A
. cristophii ((8in purple-pink spherical flower
heads on 2ft high stems), A. hollandicum 'Purple
Sensation' (4-5in lilac-mauve spherical flower
heads on 3ft high stems)' A. 'Globemaster' (6-8in
purple spherical flower heads on 2 1/2ft high
stems), A. moly (small yellow flowers) and A.
schubertii (1ft diameter lilac heads, with
fantastic pedicels of different lengths).
Bearded (or common) irises are exceptionally
drought tolerant and their rhizomes enjoy a good
baking in the summer; with so many varieties and
colours to chose from no dry garden can be
without some of these. They are virtually
maintenance free, apart from dividing the clumps
when they get too overcrowded.
We also are big fans of species tulips; these have
near-perfect jewel like flowers and will increase
gradually by seed and through vegetative growth.
These bulbs come from regions where there are hot
dry summers. Tulipa (dasystemon) tarda sometimes
even has five flowers on a single stem, white
with a bright yellow base. They flower abundantly
for a long time and are very easy to grow and are
native to Turkestan in Central Asia. Tulipa
linifolia is dwarf species native to Bokhara and
the Pamir mountain range in Asia; brilliant
scarlet flowers with a black base. T. greiggii
from Turkestan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Uzbekistan is also suitable as are the hybrids
produced from it (such as the Greiggii tulip 'Red
Riding Hood')/
The corner stone of colourful summer gardens in a
dry, hot climate are Agapanthus. These offer the
most striking blue or white flowers (we prefer
the blue forms) contrasted with strap like green
foliage. There is also Canna indica, the many
hybrids of which offer stunning red, yellow or
orange flowers all through the summer.
Agapanthus can tolerate no additional water and
will grow in full sun or part shade and also make
an excellent candidate for large pots, but Cannas
do appreciate an occasional watering. We have
also had great success with Tulbaghia violacea,
a member of the allium family; it will flower for
months with no water in the summer. Its purple,
chive-like flowers and green lush evergreen
foliage make it an excellent edging plant.
Another plant that succeeds admirably in this
environment in the summer is Mirabilis jalapa
(marvel of Peru). It has a tuberous tap-root and
flowers continually with small red, pink or white
highly perfumed flowers throughout out high
summer and will tolerate almost no water. It
readily self seeds and will come up all over the
garden once established. Similarly Crocosmias
will flower with little or no water. Crocosmias
produce dense clumps of upright iris-like foliage
. In midsummer this makes a good background for
the small, profuse flowers. We especially like
'Lucifer' with paprika red flowers.
Extending the summer into autumn can be an
especially difficult period in the dry garden if
there is little rain. Nerine bowdenii has
shocking pink lily like flowers and performs well
in dry conditions. A native to South Africa the
bulbs, do not tolerate cold winter temperatures,
especially if wet.
Another pair of autumn successes are Cyclamen
neapolitanum and Sternbergia lutea. C.
neapolitanum likes partial shade and has pretty
pink or white flowers and attractive marbled
foliage. S. lutea has vivid yellow crocus like
flowers and spread rapidly to form good sized
clumps.
In winter we find that Cyclamen coum and Iris
foetidissima perform well. The pods of I.
foetidissima peel open to reveal a profusion of
vibrant orange seeds and look beautiful next to
the apple green flowers of Helleborus
argutifolius. Iris unguicularis is another
exceptionally drought tolerant iris; it produces
wonderful blue/yellow flowers from December to
February, another essential for the winter dry
garden. Its strap like leaves can look a little
messy but its lovely flowers more than compensate
.
Nariccus tazzetta hybrids (for example 'Ehrlicher'
) originate from the Mediterranean region and
flower in January/February. They need little or
no water and the flowers are highly scented.
To find out more about our garden and its
collection of flowering bulbs, please contact us
as below.
Hotel Le Domaine aux Quat'Saisons
http://www.southoffrancehotel.com
00 33 (0) 4 68 244 973
About the Author
a keen gardener for more than 30 years, seb
Marquet advises you what bulbs to plant for
success in dry Mediterranean gardens.