Latest news with #MediterraneanPlants
Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
English gardens turn Mediterranean as summers heat up
Gardens could be shifting towards more Mediterranean planting as the climate changes, experts have said. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival takes place this week, as the country swelters in a heatwave. It features more plants that thrive in conditions more traditionally found in southern Europe, and measures to conserve water in the face of hotter and drier English summers. The show, which runs from July 1-6, opens with temperatures expected to soar above 30C. Faith Carthy, the festival's shows project manager, said: 'As ever, there's a huge variety of planting styles on show at Hampton this year but underpinning it all is a move towards a more Mediterranean-inspired planting palette that thrives under a sunny sky and in dry conditions. 'This includes the spectacular sea holly Big Blue as well as gardener favourites salvia, agapanthus and kniphofia that are almost certainly at an all-time best this year. 'In terms of colour palette, blues and purples and silvery foliage reign supreme, providing a cooling, calming effect with fiery pops for contrast.' Garden displays at the show include A Woodland Edge, which aims to inspire interest in the edges of woodland as one of nature's richest environments. Nicolas Navarro, the designer, has combined resilient Mediterranean plants such as hyssop and nepetas with natives such as campanula rotundifolia which he said is thriving under current conditions. He said: 'I'm using trays to capture water run-off from those plants still in pots and once everything is in the ground will add plenty of homemade mulch to help retain moisture.' Laura Strand and Sam Stark-Kemp have designed the Teucer Wilson: Green the Gap Garden, which explores how nature can thrive in overlooked spaces, such as gaps between buildings, neglected corners and verges. The Norfolk-based designers, who live in one of the driest regions of the country, said they had chosen plants which can handle hot, dry conditions and require minimal watering once established, including Mediterranean and drought-tolerant species. Other gardens also feature drought-tolerant species, including Illusion 2050, which imagines how gardens might look in 25 years. Driest spring for a century The RHS also has some advice for gardeners struggling to keep their gardens looking good with successive hot spells following the driest spring for more than a century in England. Janet Manning, RHS water reduction officer, pointed to the use of mulch by gardeners at the show. She said: 'Many of the displays at Hampton will be subject to a good layer of mulch to help retain water in the soil, cool roots and keep plants healthy and happy. 'Soil is the biggest and best reservoir gardeners have at their disposal and so helping water to channel through it by keeping it aerated is fundamental during dry periods. 'It's never too late to apply a chunky layering of homemade compost or even let trimmed plant material rest on top of beds and borders to help with this. 'Ensuring the right plant is in the right place will also help in making the rainwater in water butts last longer during a dry spell.'
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
More Mediterranean and drought planting features in garden show as heatwave hits
Gardens could be shifting towards more Mediterranean planting, experts said, as the country swelters in a heatwave that is the sign of things to come. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival this week is featuring more plants that thrive in conditions more traditionally found in southern Europe, and measures to conserve water in the face of hotter and drier English summers as the climate changes. The show, which runs from July 1-6, opens as temperatures are expected to soar above 30C as the latest heatwave peaks. Faith Carthy, RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival shows project manager, said: 'As ever there's a huge variety of planting styles on show at Hampton this year but underpinning it all is a move towards a more Mediterranean inspired planting palette that thrives under a sunny sky and in dry conditions. 'This includes the spectacular Sea holly Big Blue as well as gardener favourites salvia, agapanthus and kniphofia that are almost certainly at an all-time best this year. 'In terms of colour palette, blues and purples and silvery foliage reign supreme, providing a cooling, calming effect with fiery pops for contrast.' Garden displays at the show include A Woodland Edge, which aims to inspire interest in the edges of woodland as one of nature's richest environments. Designer Nicolas Navarro has combined resilient Mediterranean plants such as hyssop and nepetas with natives such as campanula rotundifolia which he said is thriving under current conditions. 'I'm using trays to capture water run-off from those plants still in pots and once everything is in the ground will add plenty of homemade mulch to help retain moisture,' he added. Laura Strand and Sam Stark-Kemp have designed the Teucer Wilson: Green the Gap Garden which explores how nature can thrive in overlooked spaces, such as gaps between buildings, neglected corners and verges. The Norfolk-based designers, who live in one of the driest regions of the country, they said they had chosen plants which can handle hot dry conditions and require minimal watering once established, including Mediterranean and drought-tolerant species. Other gardens also feature drought-tolerant species, including Illusion 2050, which imagines how gardens might look like in 25 years time. The RHS also has some advice for gardeners struggling to keep their gardens looking in good condition in the current conditions, with successive hot spells following the driest spring for more than a century in England. Janet Manning, RHS water reduction officer, pointed to the use of mulch by gardeners at the show, saying: 'Many of the displays at Hampton will be subject to a good layer of mulch to help retain water in the soil, cool roots and keep plants healthy and happy. 'Soil is the biggest and best reservoir gardeners have at their disposal and so helping water to channel through it by keeping it aerated is fundamental during dry periods. 'It's never too late to apply a chunky layering of home made compost or even let trimmed plant material rest on top of beds and borders to help with this. 'Ensuring the right plant is in the right place will also help in making the rainwater in water butts last longer during a dry spell.'
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Lidl is launching incredibly lifelike £17 buy that instantly transforms your home into a Mediterranean haven
SHOPPERS are running to Lidl to snap up a lifelike £17 plant that will give homes a major Mediterranean boost. So if you're looking to give your indoor space a cheap spruce up in time for summer, you've come to the right place. 3 3 The supermarket is scanning an eye-catching olive tree for just £16.99. The potted item stands up at between 95 and 105cm. Bargain hunters are also sure to be hooked in by the supermarket's stunning Mediterranean Citrus Plants. There are two options of the Citrus Plants to choose from, one of which will add colour and style to your space in an instant. They will be priced at just £9.99, which we think is a real steal. Not only do they look great, but they are sure to bring a sense of the Mediterranean into your garden too, leaving your eagle-eyed neighbours open-mouthed. So if you can't afford to jet abroad this summer, and want to transform your garden whilst staying on a budget, then this is just the thing for you. In addition to the Mediterranean Citrus Plants, those green-fingered shoppers will also be overjoyed to see a large selection of bright bulbs. DO OLIVE TREES GROW WELL IN THE UK? Yes, olive trees can grow well in the UK, but they need some care. Sunlight and shelter Olive trees do best in a sunny, sheltered location. They can tolerate intense sunlight and drought. However, they can struggle in extreme cold and high winds. Five Lidl rosés you need this summer, according to a wine expert - a £6.99 buy is as light & crispy as £22 Whispering Angel Watering Water potted olive trees regularly from mid-March to late October. Water until water comes out of the bottom of the pot. In hot, dry weather, you may need to water more. Reduce watering for younger trees, and stop watering established trees in the winter. Drainage Ensure your tree has adequate drainage. Pruning Prune the tree back each year to encourage good leaf growth. Winter care Wrap your tree over winter to keep the harsh wind out. Give your tree some extra protection if there are intense cold snaps forecast. Fruiting Olive trees need at least three months a year of cold weather to flower and fruit. Temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, along with a fluctuation in night and daytime temperatures initiate the fruiting process. BEST GARDEN BUYS Olive trees aren't the only way you can spruce up your garden - there are a range of "Plant picks" available from Lidl from tomorrow. You can get hold of a Fig Tree for £14.99 or £11.99 if you're shopping in-store. To add a little pizazz to your dinner table, a Large Mixed Bouquet of flowers is on offer for just £5.99. If Lidl isn't your local and the little ones need entertaining, parents can pick up a Bayswood Insect Hous e for £8 from Tesco. The adorable bug house has different-sized holes to appeal to different insects and act as the perfect place for garden critters. The little lamps light up when the sun sets and come in a pack of three. For those who want to "bring a touch of whimsy to their garden," Sainsbury's is selling a Metal Mushroom stake Light for a fiver. Top gardening trends of 2025 Gardening experts at Barnsdale Gardens has shared the top gardening trends of 2025. Matrix planting It seems that a top planting trend for this year is going to be Matrix Planting. In essence, planting in groups or blocks to give an effect of being wild whilst actually being carefully managed. Selection of the plants is essential, to give year-round interest either with flowers, seed heads or frosted/snowy spent flower heads. Some recommend using plants that seed around, but this could make managing your matrix planting harder to keep under control. Chrysanthemum comeback I hope that the humble Chrysanthemum makes as much of a comeback this year as Dahlias have over recent years, because the simple single flowered types, such as 'Innocence' and 'Cottage Apricot' would be spectacular within a matrix scheme. The hardy varieties are so easy to grow in a sunny spot and give such a valuable burst of late summer and autumn colour that would lift any dull- looking border. Blended borders For some time now we have been promoting the growing of veg within ornamental borders and I think this could really take off this year. The choice of ornamental-looking varieties available in seed catalogues is phenomenal and, if managed correctly, visitors to your garden will not even realise that you have veg growing! Must-have tool My secret is out. I discovered the Hori Hori a couple of years ago and now it seems so is everyone else. It is such a well-made, adaptable tool that can be used as a trowel or weeding tool in the garden that and everyone I speak to who have used it absolutely would not now be without it. Enough said!
