Finally, a Garden of my Own

Credit: David Tarrant

Being retired and having my own garden is like a dream come true. However, gardening in the colonial heartland of Mexico at just under 2000 meters with calcalareous soil, plus a prolonged drought season presents more than a few challenges. But isn’t that the essence of gardening??? When I moved in just over a year ago, the garden was almost entirely lawn, which quickly became history. One of my more successful plantings is a clump of dark blue Plumbago auriculata (above). As you can see, this one appears to be a deeper blue selection. A native of South Africa, it makes an attractive accent plant in a container or border for the summer. However, it cannot be planted out until late May-early June and needs to be lifted, potted and stored in a cool greenhouse for the winter. Once established, it can take quite a bit of drought. But seems to thrive on neglect. My kind of plant!!!!