Plants in Spain??
 

Does anyone know what plants native to England will grow in Spain?
I am wondering if Wisteria will grow, any suggestions please?;)

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Hi, best let rugbymatt reply, he is the gardening expert. I have pansies and petunias in my boxes and although with all this rain I do not need to, the only thing "normally" is to make sure they have plenty of water.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Heloooooo, wisteria is actually a non native, but hey ho.


Many of the "natives" that you may find quite easy to grow on free draining soils will grow happily in Spain, some need a cold snap to germinate etc but will happily grow, given the right amount of water.

Let me know what you want to grow and I will try to tell you if they will.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

What a good thread :) If I take a cutting from a Peris will it take? :)

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Bring lots of packets of Nasturtium with you, I love them they look really great when they are in flower and trailing down over a wall or across the path, or better still hanging from baskets.

They are also great for ground cover, as weeding can be very tiring here in the heat we have a 76ft drive with flower beds each side so in between the fruit trees I planted them and the whole ground level is yellow, orange and green looks really special. You can also put the flower in salads as well.


I can't wait until next week when my raised flower beds are built (if it stops raining that is) I and can already visualize them brimming with colour and the one by the kitchen door will have herbs.:thumbsup: So excited I can't wait.

This is coming from someone who thought they would never enjoy gardening but how wrong can a person be.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

You've no idea what I thought that said at first glance have you!

Bottle brush plants, native of Australia, I'm putting them everywhere when we can find some soil

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Most Pieris will do well in Spain, but they will need almost full shade out there, and since one of the major problems with the shrub is frost damage they will do fine. Dont hold the water too much in their roots, they need to be free draining, even in Spain.

Cuttings are awkward, I have about a couple of dozen on the go in my greenhouse and I decided to move a couple and they died.
The trick to real success is to let them get on with i9t for a couple of years and don't interfere too much.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

I have seeds that I brought back from New Zealand
Puawhananga (Clematis),
Renga Renga Lily
and Weeping Kowhai, I haven't germinated them yet as my garden here is not big enough I do hope they will take when I have a bigger garden to them justice. I would be pleased as punch if I managed to get one of each to grow.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

I wish you wouldnt!

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Tell me why :confused:

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

The introduction of often unsuitable non natives to another country can be quite devastating.

Take Ragwort, Senecio jacobaeaand the devastating effect it has made on the British landscape, introduced partly because of its appearance, or Japanese Knotweed, Ground Elder, etc......

A single specimen, carefully managed is fine, but so often the spread of a non native can have unseen consequences on the biodiversity of an area.

Spain has seen such "invasions" before and like many other countries has suffered.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Fair comment

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

and so well made since I am sooooo drunk I think!


I forget sometimes that I come across as a dumbass, got a reputation to maintain.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

What ..... as a dumbass? :D

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

exactly!

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

But the Spanish are planting Bottle Brush everywhere, especially on roundabouts and new planting areas with the new road that are being built.

Rosemary

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Does that make it right?

If I said jump off a cliff would you? Eh?


I have always wanted to say that to somebody.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Why bring the seeds, plenty of nasturtium seeds available here, both the normal and dwarf, which I've got just flowering in my window boxes.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Daffodils are difficult on the costas as we don't get the cold snap to set them off, otherwise almost anything that grows in the UK will grow in Sapin, but depends where you are, northern Sapin has a climate closest to the UK, on the Costas, any plant that grows in the UK will grow, and often at totally different times. I've had bizzy lizzies growing and flowering ALL through the winter, and have to cut them down to stop them turning into bushes. The plants you grow indoors in the UK will do very well outside on the costas. Roses flower all through the year including at Christmas. Not seen much Wisteria, but it does grow very well on Madeira, so should do well here. Don't forget you can bring plants, bulbs and seeds into Spain from the UK. Soemthing to think of, New Potatoes are difficult to find here, so getting some seed potatoes and growing you own is the easiest way.. says he who had some very nice potato plants growing at the moment, just about ready to harvest.:lol:

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

I had them sent over because I spent weeks trailing round all our garden centres last year and could not find one single packet anywhere, have had a quick look this week and still none. Chiclana is not read yet for nasturtium that's all I can say:(

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

:rofl: Sorry Mitzyboy, bet that made you cringe (taking a cutting :lol: ) - I spelt it wrongly too :D It is also referred to as Forest Flame, a lovely plant.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

If I did the whip would have to go with me.

Rosemary

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Ohh that's what they are.. and me thinking they were working girls just 'advertising' :rofl:

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

They don't look very pretty in a pot though do they!

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Ha Chiclana seems to be on step ahead on the New Potato front, always have plenty in stock when in season:thumbup:

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Thats very true about introducing non natives, I hadnt thought of that!
I was wondering aqbout being able to bring plants out when we move, I have a very pretty sage plant, that we call Moes plant as my late Aunt Maureen brought it back as a cutting and has been passed on many many times to all sorts of people so I particularly wanted to bring some of that Also I have a potted Xmas tree, do you think that will be ok?
someone also answered the question about bulbs, as I think thats one thing Ill miss, seeing spring flowers.
What about Lilacs? How will they do ?:)

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Ragwort is hideous why on earth would anyone want that!!
My other half keeps saying there are so many lovely Spanish plants why would I want to grow English ones! The ground where Im going is quite rough sandy looking, so i was thinking of building some raised beds, what do you think? to grow beans and stuff like that, which i know are in plentyful supply there but theres nothing like home grown is there? sorry about grammer, my keyboards got some stuck keys on!:rofl:

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Lilacs sold in the garden centres round here, so should be no problem, also winter jasmine, called amarillo here, flowers in winter, and we don't get the frosts to kill any blooms off. We grew some mixed daffodils this year, and last one is just coming out, first one didn't come out till March. Sage should do very well here as it is a plant that loves the dry.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Lilacs are Oleaceae, they are part of the olive family and again, given the right conditions will grow anywhere, you may find they produce more blooms.

Oh and sage will love it there, so Moe will be happy.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

God you are clever rugbymatt! I think I'll be picking your brains rather a lot in the months to come! I have a miniture lilac i'll be bringing, and i'll take lots of cuttings of moes plant. what about those big white daisy type flowers, the name escapes me, i just bought a standard one(kerb appeal for house sale!) which is lovely, would that be ok?
Can you recommend any good books in English about gardening in Spain?:confused:

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

you could try these guys, they have quite a reputation.

http://www.gardeninginspain.com/


There is an amazing book called Hidden Gardens of Spain by Eduardo Mencos, who is a film maker, and friend of thingy Stewart.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Thingy Stewart??
I am really looking forward to getting my hands on the garden where we'll be moving to, i'll try and put some pics on here.There are a lot of mature trees, pine in particular, olive, cherry , and some nut the owner couldn't remember the name of! There a huge 'trough' at the front of the house that needs filling, I have got pictures in my head of geraniums and gerberas, also I plan to put a bougenvillia(spelling!) to grow up the house, unfontunately it'll have to be the orangy coloured variety as the pink would clash horribly!:D Attachment 45107

Attachment 45108

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Also, is it possible to run a composter? My other half seems to think there would be more chance of attracting vermin in a hotter climate than here, Any views?:)

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

a composter shouldn't be a problem, and vermin are a problem everywhere.
Put the composter on a bit of hard standing and ensure it is vermin "proof".

Raised beds are ideal, you could then line them with perforated plastic or Terram, or landscaping fibre, to slow down the water loss through evaporation.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

Watch out with geraniums here. We have an annoying pest called the geranium moth, that just LOOOOOOVES geraniums, and the caterpillars eat holes in the leaves and also eat buds, be prepared to spray once a week. It's not found in the UK YET, but with global warming.. who knows... Composters should be OK, the Spanish compost sold in the shops is made from the green waste left by bins etc, not totally sterile, but still good, and doesn't, at least round here, contain peat.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

What is Terram? I think I'll do a lovely allotment type area at the back of the house, will def do raised beds if I can get the old boy to construct them(or maybe the poolboy???)
What sort of spray do you recommend for the geranium moth, would there be something that is fairly 'kind' to use? (not kind to the moths though!) as I would like to keep chemicals out as much as poss. The area we are going to is up a mountain, and a few degrees cooler than the town, would this have a huge effect on the types of crop I can grow? for instance, I dearly want to grow some citrus trees. Is it possible to grow limes in Spain?:confused:

Questions questions!!!

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

If limes can grow in London they will grow in Spain, and are grown as a comercial crop.

The mountain location may help with the division of bulbs, which will help with propagation.

You could try and put out some pheramone traps out around the place for the moths.
This attracts the males, but tend to deter the females, so they dont mate they end up sticking to the papers and dying, and you end up without moth larvae.

Terram is a geotextile breathable membrane, it allows moisture in and out but at a very reduced rate, meaning that the water isn't collected like in a plastic put but it takes a lot longer to drain.

So many answers.

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

You really are the font of all knowledge!!
Thats good about the bulbs, as I would love to plant some, but would the lack of rainfall effect them in the dormant period, as it did this year in the u.k when many bulbs were blind because there was so little rainfall last year?
What are the garden centres like in Spain? I was banned from going in them on our visit at easter!!

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

I hope you get plenty of karma for it Matt ;-)

Re: Plants in Spain??
 

the trick is working with what you have, that goes for the UK as well.

Mulch well around them, and plant them in a bit of mid day shade.

Not too sure about the garden centers, I do know that many of the big plant growers are based in Spain, some of the big ones around Murcia.

I am taking my Hort masters, I would love to pretend I'm really clever but its just what I am forced to learn.