[Alisdair]

John, do you give your Eremophilas any water? They look wonderful additions to a mediterranean garden!

[John J]

Alisdair, our plants are situated at the side of the house facing East so they get full sun from it rising until around midday when they are then in the shade of the building. That area is not irrigated and we give them no additional water. As you say they are ideal candidates for mediterranean gardens, really living up to their name which roughly translates as 'desert lovers'.

[Alisdair]

Thanks, must try them! And that's a lovely planting, John.

[John J]

The Chinese fringe flower living up to its name.

[John J]

Opening nicely and attracting the butterflies, shame about the smell.

[John J]

Surely one of the most drought tolerant shrubs available to us.

[John J]

I find the various osteospermums useful for adding splashes of colour at this time of year.

[John J]

I know this plant has a bad reputation and is actually banned in some parts of the world but in our location it doesn't get enough water to allow it to become unruly. Its small clusters of flowers like miniature posies can be quite attractive.

[John J]

Very commonly grown although even here in our virtually frost-free location we have had problems with their cold-tenderness. A few years ago 2 consecutive extremely cold December nights decimated a whole hedge of them. They never fully recovered to the extent that I took them out and replaced them with a low hedge of Ruscus hypoglossum. On the plus side this did open up a whole new aspect.

[John J]

Another low maintenance plant. Tidy it up when it dies down in summer and wait for it to return in the spring.

[John J]

Maybe not one for the open ground but ours grows quite happily in a container.

[John J]

Looks great cascading when in full bloom.

[Fermi]

This lycoris has survived Mediterranean conditions in our garden with light frosts in the winter and a hot dry summer, though when the spikes appeared this year I started watering the area in which it grows,
cheers
fermi

[Fermi]

Zauschneria has been submerged into Epilobium but I prefer the previous name and will continue to use it!
This is a selection we bought from Lambley Nursery a few years ago but only planted out this year - it has burgeoned as it's been getting regular watering over the summer.
Sadly we do not have humming-birds which would be the usual pollinators of this species, I think,
cheers
fermi

[John J]

Native to Cyprus and needing little or no attention or water, ours are in full flower now.