We have an acre of Abruzzo hillside, facing due south without a shred of shade or cover.
The soil’s heavy blue clay. Concrete in summer; boot-cloyingly claggy in winter.
Most is just rough grass, kept in check with strimmer and mower. The rest is a highly-cultivated mix of shrubs, trees and flowers, (plus a vegetable patch and an orchard.)
Before we moved here, I read the books and did the research about Mediterranean gardening. These may have some relevance if you’re actually on the Mediterranean, but not much help 370m above sea level in Abruzzo.
So on the basis of what I’ve bought; planted; nurtured and then watched shrivel to dust in the heat of an Abruzzo summer…
…and what I’ve bought, planted, nurtured for a bit and then watched them shrug off summer heat and winter snow with equal ease, here are five shrubs that not only survive and prosper to perfection here, but also provide long-lasting colour and scent; and bring bees and butterflies into your garden too. They all seem a good bet for pretty well any garden in Italy.
Oleander
This is the big, evergreen flowering shrub you’ll see planted along autostrade (and on the A14 running through southern Abruzzo, on the central divide as well). Available primarily with clusters of single white, pink, or blood red flowers, Oleander will be continuously in bloom pretty much from May-September. If left unchecked, can reach 3m high and wide – but it’s easy to keep to half that size.
Good points: If it starts getting too big or leggy, cut it back down to 60-90cms in early spring. It’ll resprout from old wood in a few weeks and be in flower by summer. The last two Abruzzo winters have been unkind to the Oleanders planted round our pool, but with the snow-bitten areas chopped-out, they’ve been fine. Pest and disease-free.
Bad points: All parts of the plant are toxic, so if you’re pruning, sensible to wear gloves so sap doesn’t get onto bare skin. (Being toxic also an Oleander plus as it’s shunned by deer and wild boar)
Rose
Contrary to popular belief, roses are neither ‘difficult’ nor ‘hard work’. Modern shrub roses flower throughout summer and have terrific disease resistance. Aphids can be a problem. If you’re so inclined; spray them. If not, the damage they cause is minimal. (And ladybirds will thank you).
Two personal favourites: Old Crimson China, which loves long, hot Italian summers, is a gorgeously-scented 18th century rose that’s in flower for 10 months of the year. And Margaret Merrill, an even more heavily-perfumed white rose with big, glossy, dark green leaves.
Good points: The sheer variety of shapes, sizes, scents and colours and the fact that there’s a rose for pretty much every garden purpose from ground cover; to climbers; to growing in pots on the patio; to simply planting as a bush. They’re not too fussy as to the type of soil they grow in and if given a modicum of attention, can be extremely long-lived.
Bad points: Aside from aphids, no getting away from the fact that in late winter, you’ll need to prune your roses. You can do this by snipping away with secateurs – or by using shears, or even a hedge-trimmer. It’s been shown that all these methods are equally effective.
Russian Sage
Not Russian and not a Sage either. The botanical name of this incredibly easy and good-looking shrub is Perovskia and it’s a really good alternative to Lavender if, like me, you have the kind of clay soil in which Lavender would perish in its first wet winter. Perovskia grows to about 1m high when in flower; is utterly drought-proof; doesn’t really care where it’s planted; and will provide long wispy fronds of purple flowers from May until October that respond to even the gentlest breeze. One of the very best bee-and-butterfly plants you can find, but the scent divides opinion. Like it or loathe it – but it isn’t intrusive. Each spring, chop back to around 30-40cms and that’ll be your annual maintenance done.
Good points: Really doesn’t need any special feeding, watering, or protection from bugs or disease. Superb hot weather shrub that can also double-up – as we use it – mass-planted as a border along a path.
Bad points: Only the scent, if that isn’t to your taste.
Teucrium
Tiny steely-blue leaves and flowers (virtually year-round) that shimmer in the sun – and the biggest bee-magnet I’ve ever come across. Was given a spindly specimen for free by a nursery-owner who basically just wanted rid of it. In three years it’s developed into a big, tight bun of a shrub 1.5m high and 2m across. I keep it in check with a bit of informal topiary using shears whenever it threatens to get out of hand.
Good points: This really is a ‘plant and forget’ shrub that loves hot, dry conditions Aside from the occasional clip, (and you don’t have to even do that if it has the space to grow), it needs no care or attention whatsoever.
Bad points: None
Buddleja
Its common name of ‘Butterfly Bush’ is well-earned, because this is really the only choice if you have room for just one 100% foolproof butterfly plant. Plant it in the hottest, driest part of your garden and although it’ll need a little watering during its first summer to get established, once it’s got its roots down, you can forget about it. Long flower panicles vary in colour from light mauve to deepest purple, which all have a light, honeyed scent. There’s also another easily-obtainable Buddleja variety that has orange, golf ball-size flowers
Good points: Butterflies. Lots and lots of butterflies. Disease-free.
Bad points: If left unchecked, Buddleja can get big, leggy and unwieldy. Each spring, cut back hard to about 1m to encourage fresh new growth.
A couple of honourable mentions to Hypericum Hidcote, a glossy evergreen, with big, buttercup-yellow flowers in summer; Pyrcanthus (Fire Thorn), which has mounds of tiny white flowers in spring and red or orange berries in winter; and Cistus, which for an all-too-brief time in early summer is smothered in tissue-paper flowers of deepest pink, or white.
One final caveat: Even the easiest, best-natured and forgiving plant will need a little help to get established. But a little effort on your part in its first season will allow you to then sit back and relax and enjoy the fruits of your hard work…
Good morning: just got to do a phone con and it’s pissing me off before I start (bad attitude I know..) but reading your blog on plants was a great diversion and leveller…they come to me via linkedin. Good stuff. Nick
Many thanks for your advice. We’re in Umbria and I’m always battling with plants that I would love to grow, but find it impossible with the heat in the summer. Some great ideas here!
Thanks Caroline – glad you found the blog useful. Drop me a line if you’d like to exchange further gardening notes !
I’ve just found your blog and am very interested in your experience of gardening in Italy. We’ve just finished restoring a Tuscan farmhouse and the garden is a blank canvas. We have raised beds and large areas to fill! Any useful ideas of plants which you’ve had success with in a hot and dry climate would be much appreciated! Many thanks. Vittoria
Thanks Vittoria. I’m anything but a professional gardener, and I don’t know anything about soil/micro-climates in Tuscany, so would be reluctant to advise what might/might not succeed for you. But take a look through further gardening blogs on the Villasfor2 site that deal with flowers – plus fruit and vegetables – which’ll at least give you an idea what’s worked for me (and what hasn’t) in Abruzzo.
Really helpful ideas, thanks you. I have a home in Le Marche and sometimes struggle with what can be severe winters – we are quite close to the mountains – and then very hot summers. I’m about to retire and can devote a lot more time to my garden. Over the last decade I have used a lot of trial and error, now I want to try out some new ideas. The trees are well established now but I want to expand my collection of flowering and ground cover plants. Lots of fun ahead!
It’s no easy task Paul – as you’re discovering. Pretty well all the plants I brought out from the UK in 2007 are still with us – but that’s due to the fact I can micro-manage their care. For the bigger picture, the penny finally dropped that you really need to source plants locally for them to have a reasonable chance of making it. Good luck !
Very helpful – thank you! We probably have rather different conditions than you as we live on Lake Maggiore, but Perovskia and Teucrium I am sure will flourish (indeed I think we had them years ago, so great to be reminded of them). I am wondering whether you bought those beautiful roses in Italy? I am desperate for some colour this year and it is now too late to order bare root roses from David Austin. I’d be very grateful for any information you can give me.
Thanks Nicky…our roses came mail order to Italy from Peter Beales in the UK. I’ve always tended to use them – even before we came here – as I found they had a much wider range of more specialist roses than David Austin, and were *much* cheaper. I actually don’t mind growing the kind of roses that maybe only flower once a year (or perhaps need a bit more looking after) than an endless succession of HTs and Floribunda. That said however, I have picked up a couple of roses while we’ve been here that are ideally suited to the unforgiving Abruzzo summer and are really good. Only rose tip I’d pass on is to forget all about endless pruning and dead-heading and use a hedge cutter a couple of times a year. Seems brutal, but you’ll get a profusion of flowers you won’t believe. And don’t fall into the trap I did and expend a lot of time/energy trying to succeed with favourite plants that did well in the UK. Better by far is to simply buy plants locally to where you live. If nothing else, it teaches you a new way to garden !
Just stumbled across this blog. What a font of great ideas! We are in Umbria and I am looking for something to cover the ground, low and spreading, that does not need a lot of water nor maintenance. I am ok with putting it over a non permeable membrane to keep other weeds out but I have a lot to cover so the non-maintenance part is really important. I don’t really want to cover it with grass due to the need to mow etc. There are many in the States but I am new here and don’t know all the plants. Anything advice is appreciated and thank you for this great source of info.
Thanks Alicia – welcome to the blog…
As I’m not by any means a professional gardener – and don’t what the soil/prevailing weather conditions are like where you are in Umbria – so it’s difficult to give you any specific suggestions.
My absolute favourite look for a general set’n’forget ground cover effect are the schemes pioneered by the Dutch designer Piet Oudolf. These use ornamental grasses (which I love and are actually pretty heat resistant) and naturally-occuring plants to give more of a landscape than a garden appearance. What’s great about Piet’s designs is that as they naturally mature, things self-seed and spread and essentially develop a constantly-changing life of their own. They’re superb for wildlife; easy maintenance; and as you’re not using loads of chemicals/fertilisers, they’re very environmentally friendly. You can find a lot of his work on YouTube (and in books) and if you like it – you’ll get loads of ideas.
Good luck !
Hi, just back from Abruzzo, stumbled upon this blog and hoped you with your green thumb could tell me – what are the stalks everywhere that look like corn, or maybe sugar cane? Provided much of the only shade we got on morning walks.
Hello Meghan…Abruzzo’s a big region and I wouldn’t claim to know every plant that grows everywhere – but what you describe sounds like bamboo, which I suppose *does* maybe look a bit like corn when it’s only 2-3 feet high. (It then grows up to 10-15 feet and I guess provides some shade).
However…it’s invasive and a royal pain in the butt. OK for screening and privacy for half the year…then once it gets too tall, it’s flattened by wind and snow and becomes a total mess. As you might’ve now guessed, I’m not a big fan…
I just stumbled across your site while looking for exactly this kind of advice: plants that will grow in an Abruzzo garden 600m above sea level! Thanks for the tips. We don’t have clay soil but rocky, easy drain soil but occasionally get a 3 day metre deep snow dump in the winter…..
Where did you get the Russian Sage?
And if you have garden design contacts in the area who are worth knowing, I would love to hear your recommendations…..
Hello Mairi…the Russian Sage was sourced from De Laurentis in Casoli – highly recommended and reasonable nursery. Designers ? Wouldn’t know – I designed our garden ! For tips on what’ll grow 600m up, go to the Botanical Gardens at Sant’Eufemia in the Majella where they grow every plant found in the National Park. Aside from being a nice place to visit, because they’re snow-covered in winter too, you can get a good idea if what’ll work for you – and what won’t.
Hope that helps…
Hi, I love your choice of shrubs and would like to buy for my balcony. The De Laurentis website suggests that it doesn’t have a retail outlet only wholesale. Is that right, and, if so, can you recommend a good place to buy a small quantity of plants and pots. Thank you!
Hello Sarah…though it’s true de Laurentiis doesn’t have a retail outlet as such – it’s OK in my experience to just arrive at the nursery and choose whatever you want. Even if it’s just a single plant. They’ll generally assign a staff member to go round with you. or even let you loose unaccompanied ! Otherwise – if you live near/in Casoli, the only place I know that’s definitely retail is midway on the long straight road between Casoli/Selva Piana and Selva di Altino. As you come from Casoli, on the left, 200m or so past the big builders’ merchants. And sorry – don’t know what they’re called. Pretty expensive though !
Thank you for your reply which I’ve only just seen!
I went to Giardini Demi Parchinin Sulmona and bought a few bits. I’ve also bought a couple of things in Lidl! All small as we only have a balcony, but fun to get started.
Hope it all got through the snow…
Yes, I took most of them inside and they’ve survived!
Salvia (small leaved varieties such as hot lips), agastache , helianthemum, geranium Rozanne ,rapiolepsis, many frost hardy succulents ,kniphofia and bearded iris are also great in dry ,frost prone areas with hot summers and occasional winter snow
Wouldn’t disagree with any of this. Only caveat as regards suitability for Abruzzo is winter wet.Generally, not a lot – but always enough to turn our blue clay sticky and claggy. The plants suggested in the post need good drainage.
I live in Umbria and already have oleanders and buddleja plus quite a few disasters but what I need are bee unfriendly plants. 30 hives nearby, one dead dog and many stings. They are very unpleasant bees. Any suggestions?