[David Dickinson]

Centaurea ragusina looks good. A candidate for Chantal's seed bank, if she doesn't already hold seed for it, especially as it is an endangered species. I would certainly try to make some room for it.

[Joanna Savage]

Centaurea ragusina. My favourite grey leaved plant. This is my second try, an earlier  plant did not survive our frosty winter, so when I saw this second plant on a stall at Lucca Murabilia in Sep.2014, I pounced on it. It was kept in a pot away from heavy frosts until late March. This morning it has at least twenty flowers so with luck I'll be sending a good batch of seed to Chantal in the autumn.
I will try to establish seedlings here too, as I may well lose the parent plant in the winter. I don't know what the expected lower temp. limit  is, although in conversation with a nurseryman at Murabilia he suggested it could tolerate up to minus eight.

[John J]

Joanna, I can't help with the frost tolerance of your plant but while I was looking for info about it I came across the following website. It has some interesting info including the fact that cuttings come relatively easily, so maybe that's another method you could try.
www.gimcw.org/plants/Centaurea.ragusina.cfm.

[John J]

Two for the price of one today, Medicago arborea and Euphorbia dendroides. Granted neither of them look at their best right now but that's because they are in the process of shutting down for the summer. In more northern climes some plants have a tendency to 'hibernate' as it were, but here in the Med some have evolved to be summer dormant, to 'aestivate' if you will.
The euphorbia spends the summer months looking like nothing more than a bunch of dead sticks, but then when its body clock decides the time is right, it doesn't even always wait for the first rains, it bursts into leaf and its shining lime-green brightens up the dull winter days.
The tree medick behaves somewhat similarly, although not quite as drastic in simulating death. It is even more colourful in winter becoming a mass of bright yellow followed by ornamental rams-horn seed pods. It is also very useful in the fact that it is capable of fixing nitrogen in the soil due to a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti.

[John J]

Teucrium flavum (Yellow Germander) is summer flowering and prefers well-drained, relatively infertile soil.

[Hilary]

Daisy ,
Get well soon
I am thoroughly enjoying the photos of your garden this spring/ summer.
There appears to be  several steps which you are going to have to deal with once you are up and about, not too many I hope.
I don't remember if you have ever posted a plan of your garden.
The roses look wonderful, no doubt influenced by the cardboard boxes and donkey manure.
Congratulations to your husband for taking the photos for you

[John J]

Convolvulus cneorum is a Mediterranean native that likes full sun but is also cold hardy. It prefers alkaline soil with good drainage. Unlike many of its relatives it is not a vine but forms low mounds.
(Ignore the name under the photo, that's just a label of the folder it was in!)

[John J]

Pallenis maritima (syn Asteriscus maritimus) is an excellent ground cover plant for dry gardens. It will flower continuously during the summer and spreads outwards to form a dense mat.

[Daisy]

Thank-you Hilary. When I am allowed to tackle the steps, my doctor tells me that I have to climb and descend them like a toddler, on my bottom
Because of the complications though, that is still some time in the future, as I still have to keep my leg up for most of the time.

Convolvulus cneorum is one of my favourite small shrubs. Although I have found that it is very short lived in my garden here. I am forever taking cuttings as it only lasts 2 to 3 years. When I grew it in England, it went on for years and years. Very strange.
Daisy

[John J]

Duranta erecta (syn D repens)is native to Central America but once established has done well in our garden with very little water in the summer. The darker flowered plant is a variety known as 'Sweet Memories'.
A word of warning the leaves and berries are poisonous.

[John J]

This plant was seen in the garden of the Riad Dar al Hossoun in Taroudant, Morocco last year and tentatively identified as a variety of Wigandia.

[Alice]

Convolvulus sabatius is well worth considering as ground cover.

[John J]

Thanks for that, Alice.
Below is a flower of the Lagunaria patersonii tree growing outside my 'study' window, taken a few minutes ago. This tough Australian native is beautiful when in flower and handsome when not. It has proven to be extremely drought tolerant in our garden and has grown to be as tall as the house (2 stories). Care must be taken in choosing a location however as its seed pods are full of very irritating fine hairs, leading it to have been given the name of Cow Itch Tree among others.

[Daisy]

I must echo Alice, Convolvulus sabatius makes brilliant ground cover and it is so pretty.
Here it is at the far side of the pond.



...and around a box pyramid.

 

I must say though, it cannot escape from that small bed. I don't think I would plant it anywhere it could escape from.
Daisy

[Alice]

Lagunaria patersonii sounds great, John. "Extremely drought tolerant" is music to my ears!