Winter flowering shrubs - Mediterranean Garden

The white linen like flowers of the Solanacae vine have persisted to the turn of the year. A sheltered position close to the front door has spared this climber from the harshest of the winter weather. The variegated leaves are a feature of  this specimen which helps brighten a shady corner of the house. As the plant climbs it benefits from discrete support wires which

the plant quickly clothes. The base of the vine can become a little bare over time so this is a plant that benefits from sympathetic underplanting.

The transplantable rose.

Transplanting roses whilst they are in bloom is never recommended by 'garden experts'.

When we were settling into our first home we had three large Queen Elizabeth shrub roses, which though covered in large pink blooms were never the less in the wrong place, at least in our view. In high summer we dug out the flowering shrubs and transplanted them to a more suitable location. Everyday we sprayed them with a water mist and kept the roots damp. Those roses hardly noticed the move and thrived in their new home.

Many years later and we were faced with another badly positioned and established rose, (which despite the label had turned out to be a climber), in this our 'Mediterranean jardin'. We decided to relocate the offending specimen from it's position in the shrubbery on the west side of the villa to a new home in front of the stable block. Despite frequent watering, the move combined with a much harsher Mediterranean climate did shock the plant, which dropped both flowers and leaves.

A few weeks later and the rose had recuperated and now scrambles up the stable wall. Never say never.

A bonus for us was that in digging the rose out of the rocky soil part of the root was left behind, the root has generated a new rose now we have to decide when to move that one.

Bouganvilla

If ever there was a flower that evoked memories of the real Spain it must be the Bougainvillea. Like roses around a the door of an English cottage, Bougainvilleas are everywhere yet seldom seem over done.

The grower told me not to be alarmed it the plant sheds it's leaves in the first winter as this is a very common phenomena. He was right but we were still a little worried by the leaf drop.