Plants that grow naturally in the Mediterranean region offer many options for creating a water-efficient garden. Adapted to drought and heat, these easygoing plants are just waiting to join your garden to give it the Provençal atmosphere it deserves.
Nature of the soil and climate: two essential parameters
Mediterranean plants are adapted to their environment. The soil is often poor, stony and lacking in organic matter. If your soil is sticky, heavy, clayey and retains excess water, it is imperative to drain the soil with gravel, sand or pozzolan in order to grow these plants which do not tolerate this type of soil. Another solution is to create levels, slopes and embankments so that the water can drain away as much as possible and never stagnate at the roots. Restanques are typical of the Provencal landscape, so why not take inspiration from them?
Think also of mineral mulch which retains heat and gives it back at night but which also serves as a cover for the soil, preventing the growth of weeds and keeping the earth fresh. If you do not have the possibility to spread a thick layer of mulch, do not hesitate to put a geotextile felt underneath to prevent weeds from growing and to prevent the mulch from disappearing into the soil after a while. A mineral mulch recalls the spirit of the garrigue and immediately evokes Provence!
Perspective and layout
Take inspiration from magazines or photos taken on vacation to create a typical Mediterranean atmosphere. Think of your garden as a painting with different levels and a few objects evoking Provence. Think about perspective, and create effects that are visible from various points on the property.
Choice of plants
Remember to be well informed before choosing your plants: some are not very hardy, so they should be avoided in cold regions.
As for trees, if your climate is not too cold, you can install an olive tree, which always has a very evocative charm, a holm oak or an arbutus tree, which are much hardier, or why not, a Cypress of Florence. The latter is used in Provence at the entrance of properties to welcome people, it is also a good luck charm for some. Its graphic line makes it an ally of the landscape gardener!
Let's talk about the shrubs that will make up your beds. Outside the Mediterranean zone, forget about hibiscus, lantanas and other exotic plants. Prefer ceanothes (-15°C), rockroses (-10°C), perovskia (-20°C), phlomis (-7°C), heathers (-20°C) or even chasteberry (-7°C).
Classic bedding plants are of course agapanthus, whose deciduous varieties can withstand temperatures below -10°C, but also sage, rosemary, much appreciated in its creeping version to cover slopes and low walls, but also lavender, which is much hardier than one might think! The list is not exhaustive and you can vary the pleasures endlessly according to your tastes and your region.
