Mediterranean shrubs and plants

[OhWhenWillSummerArrive]

We are having some work done on our garden which has substantially increased the bedding areas, plus we have taken out somethings that have not thrived.

We live in the East of England and TBH it is really dry here and the weather is much warmer than anywhere else we have lived.

I have been advised to plant Mediterranean shrubs and plants.

Since DH and I don’t have a clue what we are doing, we would love some recommendations please. Our garden gets a hell of a lot of sun.

Go for a visit to the Beth Chatto Garden. This will contain pretty much everything you need including plants and inspirations.

Second Beth Chatto. Are you on clay if you are East? That makes a difference as you will be waterlogged in winter unless you put lots of organic matter in.

Absolutely Beth Chatto, but also the RHS website has a plant chooser thing where you can put in how dry and sunny you are.

Obvious options - lavender, cistus, lamb's ears, phlomis, mediterranean herbs including thyme, rosemary, sage. Shrubby salvias. If you see something with silvery or hairy leaves it will very likely be happy.

Have a good look at gardens in your neighbourhood too.

Herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano, English lavender, salvias, pelargoniums, day lilies, house leeks, sedums, foxgloves and hollyhocks, red hot pokers, and jasmine all do very well in my sheltered South facing garden (in East Anglia so same climate). I also put my cactus and succulents outside for the summer too.