It’s about time I restarted this blog and came out of hiding. For the past year or so I spent a lot of time in reclusiveness with no desire to expose myself to the world. During the first pandemic year which coincided with my father’s strength diminishing and up to his death this spring (luckily not from COVID but simple old age) I used my time at home to sort through my memories. He had handwritten his memoirs from 1931 onwards and had finished last year just in time. I copied them down into a book for my family and my sisters’ families with letters and photographs. Somehow this seems to be a time for introspection and integration of one’s past and present.
At the same time the renovation of our Andalusian “Casa de Verano” was finished and we started working on the garden. The construction workers had left the garden in the usual mess, cement, broken tiles, waste, compacted soil everywhere on the terrain. After a year of hard work the final pieces of irrigation were installed last week.
I have gone through a steep learning curve not only about mediterranean plants, but plants from all over the world's warm climates, Australian, Californian, South Asian, even East African that we try out here. I learn about different aspects of temperature, light, sun, wind and water and their interactions and changing conditions throughout the year. Each plant that we try out, has given me new insights, often surprising and unexpected. Our plot in this area on the western mediterranean coast, 200 m above sea level and 7 km from the sea sits on top of a hill with strong winds mostly from the west, cold in winter, occasionally searing hot in summer, but sometimes wind changes direction and comes from the east as well, and then mostly cold. We experience no frost, but last winter's temperatures dropped to a minimum of 3° C for short periods in certain areas of the garden, as my minimax thermometers tell me that I have deployed in strategic places across our hill.
So where do I start, one and a half acres of mostly empty soil apart from a few olive trees, pines and macchia shrubs? A huge empty canvas to be filled with shapes and colours.
When you move into a new home, it is nice to bring some familiar faces, to furnish a new place with a few pieces of family furniture to make it less alien. I like to bring things from all stages in my life together in the places where I live, whether it be furniture, decorative pieces or art. So naturally, I decided to treat my garden the same way. What's easiest then than to start with what I know from a different setting: house plants from my German home ?
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Hibiscus rosa-sinensis "Variegata" |
A variegated Hibiscus: This goes back to 1982 to my aunt, a long-retired pediatrician, that I stayed with over several summers decades ago, helping in her medical practice and trying to decide whether to study biology or medicine. I had taken those first cuttings forty years ago and propagated them ever since, so this is a really "old" plant.
It is a very delicate plant that thrives in our dining room and has created a large bush that reaches up to the ceiling at nearly four meters, flowering occasionally in bright red. In the rather dark German dining room, this plant develops large green leaves, some of them - towards the windows - variegated, sprinkled white, where twigs reach into more light. Flowers appear occasionally between November and May, never more than five or so at a time. I had tried allowing the plant summer vacations on the terrace, but it never enjoyed it and burnt in strong sunlight.
I made fresh cuttings two years ago, they produced roots in water easily and last autumn I transferred them to Spain and into the soil on the eastern side of our hill with sunshine in the morning and shade in the afternoon. Here, leaves are wildly sprinkled green-white and much more showy than at home, but they stay smaller. Last winter the bush lost all leaves and might be deciduous here, as are many Hibiscus. Here in Andalusia we are waiting for the bush to grow to be able to produce those striking bright red flowers.
Chlorophytum comosum
This plant goes equally back a long time to my childhood. It is one of the easiest plants for indoors and equally easy outdoors here. It has produced plenty of "Kindel" and we are using it as a pretty and healthy groundcover with a tropical appearance.
Monstera deliciosa
A very reliable house plant, I have two versions here: the classical "swiss cheese" and a variegated version. Both took half a year to establish and did not make any new leaves then, but are busily producing new leaves now. They survived last winter and we hope that they will cover a large area and climb up trees. The most spectacular example I have seen in a large garden in South Africa where it climbed at least 8 m high up a palm tree.
Epipremnum aureum
This "bathroom" plant is a little more demanding outdoors requiring a constant temperature range and high humidity. Last winter was a little too cold and it lost most leaves, but has returned to try again. It may need more moisture and we are planning to install a misting irrigation in addition to the ugly agricultural brown dripping pipes that I hope will be covered with leaves soon.
Clivia miniata, C. miniata "Aurea" and C. nobilis,
This easy going plant I know since childhood sitting on the window sills of my grandmother's living room. It is drought resistant and virtually unkillable in dark dry rooms and in my memory associated with boring 1970 restaurants. But not only: The most spectacular example, which makes this plant worth having and striving to give it perfect growth conditions, I have seen potted in a seminary in Brixen, South Tyrol in the cloister: A long row of very large pots all in orange bloom over Easter, when I stayed with my aunt for some pediatrician's conference. Cool in winter, warm bright shade in summer will bring the plant to bloom. I planted three different kinds: Clivia miniata in the orange and yellow forms and Clivia nobilis with hanging flowers.
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Clivia nobilis |
Stephanotis floribunda
Sitting next to the Clivia on my grandmother's windowsill in the 1960s was Stephanotis floribunda. Here I have planned for it to climb a garage wall up to my younger son's balcony. The strong night scent is heavenly and I hope he and any guests will appreciate it. So far it seems to thrive, only about one meter left to climb :) which should be achieved in the next few weeks.
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| Stephanotis floribunda |
Anthurium andraeanum
Not a plant that I ever tried to grow indoors so far, but to my amazement it is thriving beautifully here in deep shade unter a camphor tree and has thrown out many new leaves and flowers. The effect is so tropical and lush with its shiny huge leaves that it turned into a favourite quickly.
I can recommend trying whatever plant you want to grow from the house plant selection in any garden center - it may be very rewarding and if it won't grow, don't hesitate to throw it on the compost heap and use the freed up space to try something new.
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