Hi
New to this site so I will give it a go.
I am currently living in Manilva, Costa del Sol, Spain in a townhouse, but with no garden, just 3 terrace planting areas south east facing which loses summer sun aat arond 7 pm. Since moving in last feb, I started gardening with no real planning or preperation & have enjoyed watching my plants bloom & flower. I am a below average gardener but am striving to extend my knowledge as I am going to settle in this townhouse & not going to move around like I have in the last 5 years here.
So, now, after a fabulous hot summer, I am looking to start again, back to the roots (sorry for the pun) & plan & prepare my garden areas.
So what I am asking is a nudge in the right direction. I need to create:
The right soil.
The correct placing of plants
The best plants to grow
Which current plants to keep & which to throw
I currently have a 1 year old bougainvillea, but I did replant it to give it a min of 7 hours of sunlight & although it is reasonable healthy, it has stopped flowering.
I have 6 geraniums, but were mostly damaged by the 'geranium moth caterpillars' unknown to me so I think they will end up been thrown.
1 good Hibiscus
A great Basil & thyme as I do want to incorporate herbs as I love cooking.
A few others which I picked up from the local garden centre but don't know what they are.
A few types of aloe vera looking plants which are thriving.
If anyone could offer some advice it would be gratefully received.
Many thanks
Giles
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gilloinspain
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:58 am
- Location: Manilva, Andalucia, Spain
I've always wanted a terraced garden but living in Texas, we don't have enough hill sides to terrace. I don't have any quality information to give you. I don't know which plants do well in Spain with the exception of tomatoes.
Do you have enough average rainfall for the terraces to retain water without supplemental watering?
What is the condition of the soil in the terraces?
What are the common garden pests in your area? Do you have slugs and snails?
What are common garden plants your neighbors grow?
Is your climate more European or more Mediterranean? (If it is Mediterranean, I would sure think about some compact olive trees. If it is Mediterranean, but arid; you can consider some date palms. They don't like to be rained on but could take five to six years before any production occurs)
Do you experience frosts or freezes in your area? (If not, you may want to consider some crops which are considered annuals in North America, but grow as perennials in warmer climates.)
Those are just a few questions that need to be addressed. I guess the most important question is what would you like to grow?
Ted
Do you have enough average rainfall for the terraces to retain water without supplemental watering?
What is the condition of the soil in the terraces?
What are the common garden pests in your area? Do you have slugs and snails?
What are common garden plants your neighbors grow?
Is your climate more European or more Mediterranean? (If it is Mediterranean, I would sure think about some compact olive trees. If it is Mediterranean, but arid; you can consider some date palms. They don't like to be rained on but could take five to six years before any production occurs)
Do you experience frosts or freezes in your area? (If not, you may want to consider some crops which are considered annuals in North America, but grow as perennials in warmer climates.)
Those are just a few questions that need to be addressed. I guess the most important question is what would you like to grow?
Ted
Check out the Organic Gardening section of this site. There is a fellow named Julio from South Spain that has a wonderful raised bed garden and grows many of the things I can grow here in the states. He has beautiful tomatoes, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, etc.
Perhaps if you contacted him, he could give share some of his methods and advice with you.
Perhaps if you contacted him, he could give share some of his methods and advice with you.
[b]"I currently have a 1 year old bougainvillea, but I did replant it to give it a min of 7 hours of sunlight & although it is reasonable healthy, it has stopped flowering. "[/b]
If the bougainvillea will grow in your area, I would go for it. It is one of my favorites. For me, they would go through periods when they were covered with color and then periods when the color would disappear. They always came back with more color than they had previously. They are now available in so many vibrant colors that you could have a rainbow garden of nothing but bougainvillea. I always loved them when I lived in Louisiana as hanging baskets.
Ted
If the bougainvillea will grow in your area, I would go for it. It is one of my favorites. For me, they would go through periods when they were covered with color and then periods when the color would disappear. They always came back with more color than they had previously. They are now available in so many vibrant colors that you could have a rainbow garden of nothing but bougainvillea. I always loved them when I lived in Louisiana as hanging baskets.
Ted