[Alisdair]

Very nice ideas coming from Fleur. I will just add to the suggestions the caper bush (Capparis spinosa) if you would also like  to go for a bush/creeper.  Caper would be dormant until mid-spring when acanthus would be full bloomed, and it would gain ground in the summer, when acanthus disappears . In the winter its Caper's turn to die back, when Acanthus starts to grow, so the two plants have rather complementary cycles. And the caper bush wouldn't need a drop of water either.
This is just an idea of mine... I haven't seen in in any garden yet (But I am also new in this so there are many many gardens for me to see)

In the thread on Underplanting, Bolanthus's suggestion of trying Capers has started a discussion of Capers more generally, which is better here as a new thread.

By the way most capparis are very difficult to germinate and transplant later on...

I'd say Oron's "very difficult" is an understatement! A 2009 scientific paper referred to two dozen previous studies on caper germination, and since then there have been several more. Although various protocols have been suggested claiming varying degrees of success, no-one seems to have cracked the problem. I once carefully followed an Italian protocol which the authors had claimed gave quite a decent, if low, percentage germination, and got zero. I have had equally complete failure with various folk recommendations, too, including sowing the seed wrapped inside a fig, and with a hollow straw blowing fresh seed into likely crannies.
The infuriating thing is that left to itself self-sown seedlings crop up happily all over the place

[David Bracey]

An extract from MGS Newsletter “How to germinate Capparis spinosa”
Number of seeds per kg 80,000–160,000. Ripe berries are collected July – September, are dried, seeds are extracted, washed and dried for storage. Fully ripened seeds are usually dark brown.

Caper seeds have an impermeable seed coat that hinders moisture uptake. If they are mechanically scarified immediately after collection a moderate level of germination can be achieved. Chemical scarification with sulphuric acid is suggested. Or seeds are washed with water and soaked for 60-90 minutes in a solution of gibberellins. When this technique is employed germination percentages above 70% have been achieved. Scarification in hot water (55 to 85°C) proves to be generally ineffective. The partial or total removal of the seed coat performed by hand results in very high percentages of germination; this demonstrates the role of the seed coat in the caper’s germination.

After dormancy has been broken, germination is favoured by alternating temperatures, but good results have also been achieved with constant, and comparatively high, temperatures (+25°C) and a 12 hours photoperiod. Average germination is 70-95%.

[Bolanthus]

Well a better idea is to spot a capper bush in your location (or if you don’t have it in your region to ask a friend who does to do the job for you) and take cuttings from the plant in winter. One should use only the thick basal portions of stems with diameter more than 1cm and the cuttings should be around 10cm length. In the book "Αρωματικά και Φαρμακευτικά φυτά" του Θ. Κουτσού ("Aromatic and Medicinal plants", author Th. Koutsos) I have read that propagating caper in this way, directly in the field (for commercial use) has a 40% success which may reach 70% if a root hormone is also used.
I'm always fascinated by this plant. Amazing beauty and an "impossible" drought tolerance! In the photo below a caper is growing out of concrete in Piraeus, taken a week or so ago. Yesterday I was jogging around the place and I noticed this plant ...it got ever bigger and is still covered with flowers and flower buds in the growing stems.

[Alisdair]

Yes, it is an extraordinary and wonderful plant, I love it!

[oron peri]

Talking about Capparis, here is C. decidua, a very rare species growing near the Dead Sea . This tall shrub was in flower last March in Jordan at 390m under sea level.

[Alisdair]

To see Hilary's picture identified by Oron as Capparis aegyptia click here.

[Speedy]

I've managed to germinate them (Capparis orientalis?... syn. C.spinosa var. rupestris) by scarification with sand paper, then 600 ppm GA-3.
on moist filter paper over vermiculite in a petri dish.

then pick out the germinated seeds and put into a coarse gravelly mix in a small pot or tube.
plant out the following year.

I've also done the above process, but sown into pots directly rather than the petri dish.

I've also heard of , but not tried, scarification then stratification for a month or two.
Maybe I should try that too... I have about a cup full of seed from my plants to play with.

Cuttings are method i'd like to try.

[Umbrian]

Having long admired this beautiful plant and never having success in establishing it I am thrilled to report that soon I shall be "inheriting" some mature specimins growing out of the old wall that bounds our new property. (Downsizing - age catching up with us ) My question is when should I prune them back if at all? I noticed them immediately last year, late summer, when we were viewing this property and then on a later visit saw that they had all been cut back to within a few inches of the wall leaving a mass of short mature stems. This year they grew well and flowered much to my relief - I thought perhaps the former owner was trying to eradicate them in an effort to be tidy Perhaps this was the correct thing to do though? Any help on this will be most gratefully received.

[Jill S]

Off subject, but if you're moving to a garden with a wall around it Umbrian, does that mean no more large, spiky, marauders?

[Umbrian]

 :)Indeed it does Jill and I am very much looking forward to being able to have bulbs and iris, two of their favourite meals! Leaving an established garden is always sad but this is a definite plus for me and I always like to look on the positive side of things. 
Only the other night they came marauding and dug two huge holes, scattering earth all over an adjacent gravel path, then it rained and I am left with a muddy mess to sort out once it dries out.

[Umbrian]

PLEASE, can someone answer my question of 22nd November about how and when to cut back Capers? One of our experts must be able to help me...Oron, John,et al

[pamela]

Hello Carol
I have some small capers which I haven't pruned yet. However I have a friend here who has some very mature capers on seriously dry soil (they are never waterd) and I will ask him when he prunes them.  So bear with me....

[pamela]

Carol. I have had the answer!
He doesnt carefully prune it but chops it back at any time when it out grows its area. Perhaps not what you wanted to hear!

[JTh]

Sounds like a luxury problems for those of us not being the lucky owners of a caper plant. Has anybody in Greece ever seen this for sale there?

[oron peri]

PLEASE, can someone answer my question of 22nd November about how and when to cut back Capers? One of our experts must be able to help me...Oron, John,et al

Sorry Carole, i have missed that one!

Well, Capers doesnt seems to need any pruning, but if it looks really dry or not atractive just cut it down to the ground in early winter. It will start all over again with fresh stems. The only thing is that it might have only few flowers on its first seoson but it will certinally look fresh.

Down here, Caper shrubs look best after a fire, when burned to the ground, seems almost as if it encourages them.