Orchidées Sauvages

De nombreuses orchidées sauvages poussent dans notre région.

Dans mon jardin il y en a trois espèces, j’en découvre chaque année. Celle-ci est la première à fleurir.

Il s’agit (si je ne me trompe pas...) de l’orchis purpura qui appartient au groupe militaris.

Je les ai découvertes cet après midi dans la partie ‘sauvage’ de notre jardin.

Chaque année elles sont plus nombreuses, j’imagine qu’un jour nous aurons un champ d’orchidées...

Dans quelques semaines je partirai à la recherche des autres orchidées qui appartiennent à une autre espèce.

Dans 10 jours c’est le printemps !!!

Mimosa Route

The mimosa is in full bloom at the moment along the A8 and down by the coast, and now is an ideal time to drive the mimosa route from le Lac St Cassien to Tanneron and then down to Mandelieu. The entire route is lined with sweet smelling mimosa, framing the beautiful views all the way. We drove along the route last Monday in brilliant sunshine, and there should be even more trees in full bloom by now. Don’t miss it !

Hazel Francis

Almond Blossom Time

I always feel spring has come to Provence first with the cheerful yellow flowering Mimosa quickly followed by the delicate light pink blossom of the almond tree.

All around us we see the flowering almond trees, not just in the gardens but growing wild on the hillsides and we feel it is part of the flora of the region.

The history of the almond tree is quite interesting. It is native to the Mediterranean region of the Middle East, spreading eastwards up to Pakistan. The Phoenicians, Greek and Romans who all introduced the almond tree to the rest of the countries around the Med, as far as Spain and northern Africa. The almond tree was first introduced to France in the 8th century and to north-western Europe at the end of the Middle Ages. The first almond tree was planted in England in the 16th century. In Elizabethan cooking large quantities of the nut were used and almond water was used as a substitute for milk in recipes. Nowadays the major producer of almonds is the USA with 41% of the world production, followed by Spain with 13% and various other countries making up the rest.

There are two types of almonds, Prunus dulcis var. dulcis (sweet almond) and the Prunus dulcis var. amara (bitter almond). Quite difficult on sight to differentiate between the two, but in general the bitter almond flowers are a deeper pink and the nuts are broader and shorter than those of the sweet almond. Both the sweet and the bitt er almonds contain al mond oil (50% of the nut) which is procured by pressing the almond.

The bitter almond is used to boost the flavour of products made with sweet almonds like for instance the liqueur Amaretto. The bitter almond contains prussic acid, which occurs in many of the leaves and seeds from our most common fruits like apple pips. Prussic acid is poisonous and the bitter almonds have to be heat treated before they can be used.

Sweet almonds are used for culinary purposes and almond oil is a widely used oil in cosmetics, in massage and as a the most common carrier oil for aromatherapy.

[Bibliography : Wikipedia – the free encyclopedia; Malcolm Stuart – Herbs & Herbalism; Antonio Carluccio – Carluccio’s Complete Italian Food]

Hellébore ou éllébore

Hellébores ou éllébores (nom masculin comme le colchique ...) ils ont fleuri tout l’hiver d’abord les blancs helleborus niger, les Roses de Noël puis les colorés helleborus orientalis Roses de Noël d’Orient.













Vous pouvez dès maintenant replanter au jardin l’hellébore que l’on vous a offert à Noël, c’est une plante facile à vivre, il préfère les situations ombragées, tolère les sols lourds mais bien drainés. C’est une plante gourmande, il faut lui apporter de l’engrais (corne broyée) ou du fumier décomposé.

Après la floraison ces vivaces forment un nouveau feuillage, coupez les vieilles feuilles, elles gêneraient les nouvelles et cachent les dernières fleurs.

Attention cette renonculacée est très toxique
à propriétés tonicardiaques.

ABC of Trees

I’ve tried to make a list of suitable trees for our area of Provence, with cold night temperatures, above freezing during the day in winter and hot summer temperatures, very often above 30°C.

During the first two years after planting , the best way to water them is once a fortnight and plentifully, at least 20-30 litres per tree. This way the roots, when they get thirsty between the watering periods, will seek water and find their way deep down into the ground, which is exactly what to aim for and then when they are really getting desperate, they get this nice dousing of water. Any suggestions to add to this list, would be welcome.

Although not all our gardens are big enough for very large trees, a few trees planted about give a certain structure to a garden. With the trees mentioned below I hope everyone can find something to fit their garden.

Conifers :

Cupressocyparis leylandii (Leyland cypress, often used for hedges) H-35m S-5m; C leylandii ‘Castlewellan’ H-35m S-5m; C leylandii ‘Harlequin’ (columnar variegated conifer) H-25m S-5m.

Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey cypress) H 30m S 4-12m; C sempervirens (Italian cypress) H 20m S 1-6m; C sempervirens ‘Stricta’ is narrowly upright H-20m S-3m.

Junipers grow in all sorts of soils, including alkaline, can cope with heat and drought.

Juniperus chinensis Keteleeri H-10m S-2m; J chinensis ‘Obelisk’ H-2.5m S-60cm; J chinensis ‘Kaizuka’ H-6m S-3m; J oxycidres (prickly juniper) native to our area H-10m; J scopulorum ‘Blue Heaven’; J scopulorum ‘Skyrocket’ H-6m S-50-60cm; J virginiana ‘Burkii’ H6m S1m; J virginiana ‘Robusta Green’ H-3m S-60cm.

Pines likes clean air and not too much shade. Although some do not like alkaline soils the ones mentioned below grow in all types of soil :

Pinus canariensis H-25m S-6-9m; P halepensis (Aleppo Pine) native to our area H-20m S-6m; P jeffreyi (Black pine or Jeffrey pine) H 25-35m, S 6-8m; P muricata (Bishop pine) H-20m, S 6-9m; P pinea (Umbrella Pine) native to our area, H-15-20m S-6-12m; P sylvestris f. fastigiata H-8m S1-3m; P wallichiana (Bhutan or Himalayan pine) H-20-35m S-6-12m.

Thuja – many varieties to choose from in all sorts of colour and shapes, a very good conifer can cope with all sorts of soils and it is very resistant to heat and drought.

Lac de Ste Croix

Evergreen trees :

Arbutus unedo (Strawberry tree), native to our area H-6m S-6m.

Cotoneaster ‘Hybridus (Salicifolius) pendulus’, semi-evergreen H-3m.

Eriobotrya japonica (Japanese loquat) – [néflier] H-6m S-6m.

Laurus nobilis (Sweet Bay) H-12m S-10m.

Magnolia grandiflora, will tolerate dry, alkaline soil H6-18m S-15m.

Olea europea (Olive) – in our part of the Var the varieties to choose are : Agla

ndau, Cayon and Picholine throughout the Var, Bouteillan (Haut Var), Salonenque (Varages), Petit Ribier and Cayet Roux (Draguignan).

Quercus cerris (Turkey Oak) H-30m S-25m, there exists a variegated form of this tree; Q ilex (Holm Oak), native to our area, H-25m, S-20m; Q x hispanica ‘Lucombeana’ (semi-evergreen) H-25m S-20m; Q x turneri (semi-evergreen) a cross between Q robur and Q ilex H-20m S-20m.

Although most oaks like deep, fertile, well-drained soil, the above mentioned oaks will cope with alkaline soil.

Ulmus parvifolia ‘Sempervirens’ (semi-evergreen) H-12m, S-10m; Ulmus parvifolia ‘True Green’ H-12m S-10m.

Trees with showy blooms :

Aesculus indica ‘Sydney Pearce’ (Indian horse-chestnut) deciduous H-15m S-15m. The normal horse-chestnut is also suitable as it likes alkaline soil.

Arbutus unedo (Strawberry tree), fruit and flower appear at the same time in late autumn H-6m S-6m.

Caragana arborescens ‘Pendula’, deciduous H-2.4m.

Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree), native to the region, deciduous H-7m S-7m.

Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul's Scarlet’, deciduous H-4.5m.

Fraxinus ornus (Manna ash), deciduous H-15m S-15m.

Koelreuteria bipinnata, deciduous H-10m S-12m.

Laburnum x waterii ‘Vossii’ H-6m.

Laurus nobilis (Sweet Bay) H-12m, S-10m.

Magnolia delavayi, deciduous H-10m S-10m; Magnolia grandiflora H6-18m S-15m.

Melia azedarach (Bead Tree, Persian Lilac), deciduous H-10m S-10m.

Prunus ‘Amanogawa’, deciduous H-6m S-4m, Prunus dulcis (Almond), deciduous H-8m S-8m.

Punica granatum (Pomegranate), deciduous H-5m S-4m.

Robinia pseudoacacia, deciduous H-25m S-20m.

Sophora japonica (Japanese pagoda tree), deciduous H-30m S-20m.

Sorbus domestica – native to the region, deciduous H-20m S-12m.

Tamarix H-4m S-3m.

Fruit trees :

Most of the fruit trees will need watering, they'll survive if not watered, but they look quite miserable during the height of the summer.

Arbutus unedo (Strawberry tree) H-6m S-6m. Fruit contains many pips, but is very nice as a jelly or compote.

Castanea sativa (Sweet Chestnut) only in acid soils.

Diospyros kaki (Persimmon) H-10m S-10m, lovely autumn colours and fruits stay on the tree after the leaves have dropped.

Eriobotrya japonica (Japanese loquat) [néflier] H-6m S-6m.

Ficus carica (edible Fig) H-3m S-4m, they are quite hardy, but even the fig can look a bit sad during the hottest period and would benefit from some water.

Olea europea (Olive), various types mentioned above.

Morus alba (White Mulberry) H10m S-10m; Morus nigra (Black Mulberry) H-12m S-15m.

Poncirus trifoliata (Japanese bitter orange) H-5m S-5m.

Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) H-6m; Prunus domestica (Plum) H3-6m; Prunus dulcis (Almond tree) H-8m S-8m.

Punica granatum (Pomegranate) H-5m S-4m.

Other deciduous trees :

Acer griseum (Paperbark maple) H-6m.

Acer monspessulanum (Montpelier maple) H-8m S-8m.

Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven), very invasive H-25m S-15m.

Celtis australis (Australian nettle tree) H-20m S-20m.

Crataegus prunifolia H-4.5m.

Platanus x acerifolia (Plane tree) H-30m S-25m.

Populus alba (White Poplar) H-20m S-20m.

Prunus serrula, grown for its bark H-10m S-10m.

Quercus pubescens (Downy Oak), native to the region H-25m.

Salix x sepulcralis ‘Chrysocoma’, needs occasional watering H-15m S-15m.

Palms :

Chamaerops humilis (European fan palm), native to the Mediterranean H-4m S-1.5m.

Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan palm) H-8m S-3m.

Washingtonia filifera H-30m S-5m.

[Bibliography : Royal Horticultural Society – A-Z Encyclopedia; Hugo Latimer – Mediteranean Gardener; Heidi Gildermeister – Mediterranean Gardener; Collins – Mediterranean Wild Flowers; Peter Mc Hoy – Choosing Small Trees; Adrian Bloom – Making the Most of Conifers & Heathers; Tirion – Bomengids in kleur.]