Here are some particularly useful garden plants and tips on how to grow them and where to plant them.
Architectural Plants
Mediterranean Plants
Acanthus mollis, bear's britches
Perennials
Grasses
Shrubs and Hedging Plants
Garden Bulbs and corms
Climbing Plants
Humulus lupulus 'Aureus' (Golden Hop)
Trees
Toona sinensis (Chinese Cedar)
My favourite plants in France are on the whole the same favourites I had in England.
Every garden needs a structure which can be given by hedges, shrubs and shaped box. A wide selection of perennials can then give seasonal interest and keep the garden looking beautiful throughout the year. Grasses are one of my particular favourites and stay beautiful even in the winter.
A few well placed architectural plants can then add the wow factor. I tend to use exotic looking plants near my patio but these could form the basis of a tropical or exotic garden. Living in the south of France I use Mediterranean plants extensively.
Water is a problem in my garden but I can grow bog plants and water loving plants at the output of the septic tank.
Shade is also a problem in my garden but I am planting trees in order to give us some much needed shade and to allow me to grow more shade-loving plants in the future.
