Mediterranean Garden In Albuquerque Part 6: Final Comments

After considering plants for a Mediterranean garden in Albuquerque, I've come to some conclusions. Although Albuquerque does not have a Mediterranean climate, there are many Mediterranean plants or adopted Mediterranean plants that will grow and perform adequately in this climate. The most significant failure in my perspective is that of the olive tree, which is a prominent part of the appearance of gardens from Provence to Tuscany. Substitutions for this tree are not truly acceptable from my standpoint on aesthetics. Not all truly Mediterranean gardens are located in areas that grow olive trees however, and not all gardens in the Mediterranean have olive trees in them, so it could easily and truthfully be argued that the olive tree is not necessary for a Mediteranean style garden.

One of the reasons that olive trees are essential to the Mediterranean is that it is a food source: both as cured olives and for the production of olive oil. In other words, it is a food plant. Food plants are essential to any regional landscape, and the Mediterranean is no exception. I’ve already discussed olives, citrus, fennel, mint, oregano, fig and artichokes, but others are worth mentioning. No discussion would be complete without mentioning French classics tarte tatin (apple tart), cherry clafoutis and the beans in cassoulet. Italian amaretti are the crisp almond meringues I love, and how can Italian food be discussed without tomatoes, basil, and garlic? The list of plants is too long to mention here. All of these plants can be grown with varying degrees of ease in Albuquerque. In an ornamental garden, however, these plants do not stand out as particularly Mediterranean though they certainly would be appropriate in such a garden. Some plants such the annual vegetables do not work well in an ornamental garden, since they would not typically appear there.

Other significant failures which make a Mediterranean styled garden in Albuquerque obviously not truly Mediterranean, are Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm), Chamaerops humilis (Mediterranean Fan Palm), Bougainvillea, Phormium (New Zealand Flax) and Agapanthus. These are plants that are not only characteristic of the Mediterranean garden of my mind, but are plants for which there are not adequate substitutes. For those with adequate indoor space, and with adequate motivation that would make potentially heavy labor acceptable, growing these plants in large pots would be an option. Despite this, enough plants evocative of the Mediterranean can be grown in Albuquerque to create the feeling of Provence, Tuscany, or California.



References

• Rogers, Elizabeth Barlow. Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2001.
• Jellicoe, Geoffrey and Susan. The Landscape of Man: Shaping the Environment from Prehistory to the Present Day. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1995.
• Van Zuylen, Gabrielle. Paradise on Earth: The Gardens of Western Europe. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1994.
• Cohoon, Sharon and Steven R. Lorton. “Tuscany along the Pacific.” Sunset June 1998: 96.
• Cohoon, Sharon. “Gardens of the Sun.” Sunset September 2002: 100.
• Cohoon, Sharon. “Sun Gardens.” Sunset September 2007: 110.
• Jones, Louisa. New Gardens in Provence: 30 Contemporary Creations. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2004.
• Donaldson, Stephanie. Venzano: A Scented Garden in Tuscany. London: New Holland Publishers, 2001.
• Gildemeister, Heidi. Mediterranean Gardening: A Waterwise Approach. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.
• Barron, Pattie. Make Your Own Mediterranean Garden: how to create a sunshine garden - wherever you are. London: Aquamarine, 2003.
• Brenzel, Kathleen Norris, ed. Western Garden Book. Menlo Park, CA: Sunset Publishing Corporation, 2007.
• Taylor, Jane. Plants for Dry Gardens. London: Frances Lincoln Limited, 1993.
• Hobbs, Thomas. Shocking Beauty. Boston: Periplus Editions Ltd., 1999.
• Francko, David A. Palms Won’t Grow Here and Other Myths: Warm Climate plants for cooler areas. Portland: Timber Press, 2003.
• Chatto, Beth. Beth Chatto’s Gravel Garden: Drought-resistant planting through the year. New York: Penguin Group, 2000.
• Creasy, Rosalind. The Edible French Garden. North Clarendon, VT: Periplus Publishing, 1999.
• Creasy, Rosalind. The Edible Italian Garden. North Clarendon, VT: Periplus Publishing, 1999.

Sources

Digging Dog Nursery (Cistus, lavender, euphorbia)
McKenzie Farms (Citrus)
Forestfarm (a variety of plants mentioned, including eucalypts and ceanothus)
High Country Gardens (South African succulents, Lavender)
YuccaDo (Agave, aloe, yucca, crinum, etc.)
Plant Delights (Agave, aloe, crinum, yucca, etc.)
Goodwin Creek Gardens (lavender, rosemary, herbs)
Cistus Nursery (A variety of plants mentioned)
Squaw Mountain Gardens (Sempervivum, Jovibara, etc.)
Woodlanders (cistrus, osmanthus, trachelospermum, callistemon, etc.)
High Country Roses
My garden, shown above with Italian cypress, two varieties of cistus, bearded iris, Veronica tauricola, Artemesia versicolor, Ballota pseudodictamnus, and Euphorbia 'Blackbird.' Top photo partly my garden, looking towards neighbor, with Italian cypress, Leyland cypress, Russian Olive (Eleagnus angustifolia) in neighbor's yard and Redbud (Cercis canadensis), cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata) in my yard.