Mediterranean / Dry gardening

One of my favourites is Dictamnus albus. Not the easiest to get going but it has beautiful white or purplish-pink flowers that are very aromatic, as is the foliage.

 

Is that the plant that you are supposed to be able to set light to?

 

I've always wanted one because of having read about that in one of the Hessayon books, but I want the pink version and it seems hard to source in the UK!

 

Yes

 

By coincidence I was reading an article in Hortus on setting up a dry garden; this was at the Garden Museum in London, also mentioned as worth a look, as well as the Beth Chatto garden, were the gravel garden at the Horniman Museum London, a roof garden at the Barbican, RHS Hyde Hall nr Chelmsford and The Prospect Derek Jarmans garden at Dungeness.

 

We need to try this, wonder who we could get to try it.

 

If you think I'm setting fire to my prized plants just to give you a thrill.....
Beth Chatto and Crocus both list it but it's 'not available yet'. Same story over here , mostly. I tried several times to grow it from seed and it's sooo slow....Probably dragging it's roots knowing that a bunch of proto-arsonists are lurking with matches poised
ETA: The RHS Plantfinder lists 5 nurseries that stock it.

 

Of the 5 supposed suppliers, only this one claims to have it in stock ...Morton Nursery: Plants for the discerning Gardener

 

£6.50 sounds like a bargain.

 

Oh, brilliant! Thanks so much for that, Hazel!

Not familiar with it, but it looks like a really interesting nursery with wildlife-friendly show gardens, might well be worth a visit as it's less than an hour's drive away from me.

Nick

 

@Jiffy comes to mind.

 

If you can send me one i'll try lighting it

 

In terms of other Mediterranean shrubs that would be suitable for large terracotta pots, I'd be grateful for recommendations. I'm in the Thames Valley and generally, winters are pretty kind but occasionally, there are some with moderate snow. Temperatures rarely create hard frosts. Thanks in advance.

 

I imagine that the summer heat in your neck of the woods gets higher than here (West Berkshire) but I agree it would be interesting to compare notes, as we're more broadly similar than areas next to the Med. Our winter temperatures rarely go below -2C. Our medium-sized suburban garden has six microclimates if I include the front garden, which is planted as a rock garden.

 

I feel a bit of a cheat really, because the only way I can have any sort of garden at all is to water all the borders, all summer and most of the autumn The only things that would survive otherwise would be Agaves, Euphorbia, Lavendar, Rosemary and Cistus. Even the last three struggle in prolonged drought
This year might be a bit easier as I've now got access to huge amounts of composted woodchip and manure mulch and have given the borders a thick layer which should keep some moisture in the soil.
Bizarrely, Acer palmatum and p. dissectum do really well, which goes against everything we're told about the conditions they require! Clematis have been another pleasant surprise. The viticellas cope with anything, but the large-flowered patens hybrids appreciate water at the roots.
Roses thrive, but the flowers are short-lived in the strong sun.
So enough about SW France....what plants do you prefer and grow in your garden?