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LEGGETT IMMOBILIER - LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST
choosing garden plants. Who
can forget serried ranks of lavender grown
in Provence - a
must for any French garden!
Jacquie's advice about what
to plant is practical. "Start by
looking at local hedgerows, see
what grows well in neighbours'
gardens and seek advice. Best
of all visit gardens on the Open
Gardens/Jardins Ouverts calendar.
They have many open to
the public throughout much of
France, and it's a fabulous way
to learn more about what grows
well where!"
Borders are challenging. "I
intersperse herbaceous plants
with others - soil here is so fast
draining I use more drought tolerant,
silver-leaved plants and
more form - euphorbias provide great
structure for instance.
Azaleas and camellias don't like
limestone, however sometimes
it's possible to find pockets of
acid soil, otherwise put them in
pots and use rain water."
Another thing to take into
account are seasons - spring
starts early in France, roses will
be in bloom in May rather than
June/July, and if you want to
keep your garden flowering
you will need to consider other
plants for continuing interest
over late summer and autumn
such as dahlias, nerines, rudbeckia, echinacea,
and perhaps
hibiscus.
When it comes to light
there's far less air pollution here
and so it's much brighter - so
colourways which looked good
in an English garden may not
work here.
Old fashioned roses are
wonderful - Jacquie chooses
thornless varieties wherever possible
- her favourites
Zépherine Drouhin and Mme
Alfred Carrière which even
blooms on a north facing wall -
both repeat flower for months!
Some other plants she suggests
are choysia for form, rosemary
and her beloved hellebores.
Her garden also has a wonderful Judas
tree - a mass of pink
flowers in spring. If you want a
similar effect in autumn months,
then consider lilas-des-indes -
the crepe myrtle.
Lastly, see what is on sale
at your local garden centre or
supermarket - but don't get carried away
thinking you can grow
mimosa outside without careful
consideration - late frosts can
sometimes be hard over much
of France!
Leggett is proud to be the main
sponsor of Open Gardens / Jardins Ouverts.
Visit their website
ww.opengardens.eu for details
of participating gardens.
Jardinage et Esprit de Générosité