Liz Canham

Gardening in Spain - Some Tips



Posted: Friday, December 30, 2011

by Liz Canham
http://www.internetmarketingwithliz.com

You might imagine that gardening in Spain would be a pleasant pastime.  What could be nicer than spending a balmy evening doing a little gentle dead heading?  Actually, it's the hardest gardening I've done anywhere but here are a few tips that I've picked up during my time here for people who live on the Mediterranean Costas.

Tip #1 - Terracing.  Many domestic properties along the Spanish coastline are built on the side of a mountain.  Don't try to turn a garden like this into something you would find in Surrey; it won't work.  Make use of the rocks that will have been excavated to build your property and better still, if you have terracing remaining from the days of the Moors, use that to build your garden on different levels with steps adjoining.  Terraces are like raised flower beds where you can have a good depth of soil which won't end up at the bottom of your garden every time it rains.

Tip #2 - Climate.  While it is extremely rare to encounter frost on the Mediterranean coasts, temperatures in winter can drop to only just above freezing and fairly frequently heavy rain and high winds lash the mountainsides from time to time.  Conversely, daytime temperatures in June, July, August and September usually exceed 30 degrees Centigrade and further south, 40 degrees.

Tip #3 - Planting.  In view of the climate, drought resistant plants are a must.  Although you can buy the likes of hydrangeas, your water bill will reflect their thirstiness, so stick to palms, hibiscus, oleander and lantana as well as cacti and ground cover succulents.  Oddly, I find roses do very well too, even in pots.

Tip #4 - Pruning.  Palms will need the occasional branch removing as it wilts or obstructs a pathway but lantana, oleander and hibiscus will need pruning once a year to stop them becoming straggly.  Any time between November and March is a good time.  I usually do mine when they aren't putting out so many flowers and start to look a bit leggy.  Oleander and hibiscus should be pruned to about two thirds of their height if you want them to be bushy rather than very tall, cut back to just above a leaf.  However, Lantana thrives on being cut back completely, not even to a leaf; you'll be amazed when the little green shoots reappear from a seemingly dead trunk.

Tip #5 - Watering.  Even drought resistant plants and citrus fruits need plenty of water until they become established but after that, watering about once a week in summer and not at all in winter will be fine.  Pots and Troughs of bedding plants will need watering at least daily in summer and weekly in winter, sometimes more if it is sunny and windy.

Tip #6 - Patience.  I found that some plants, such as bougainvillea, didn't flower for up to five years after being planted, particularly if the soil was rather shallow, but suddenly you're faced with a riot of colour which lasts and lasts and is well worth waiting for.

Liz has more tips on gardening in Spain and elsewhere at her website Gardening For All.
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