A hedge by the sea
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: A hedge by the sea
- From: A* &* C* <p*@librs6k.vatlib.it>
- Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 10:59:11 +0100
Ciao to all Medit gardeners,
I must start with a long introduction, to explain my request.
My colleague Cristina, whose name appears every now and then on top of my
messages 'cause we happen to share this address, travelling by train
started to chat with a felow traveller who is a building contractor. She
found out that this man is landscaping an area surrounding an archeological
site in Southern Italy, on the coast. The man asked for her help (she is a
building conservationist) because he had been required to plant a hedge
around the site, but he did not now anyhting about plants, and was looking
for some infos about the plants he was asked to install.
Of course Cristina gave him my name, and we just had a long conversation at
the phone.
Guess it. The local archeological Agency, that run the place, asked him to
plant ... Ligustrum japonicum! I almost had a fit. To increase my
desperation, he added the requirement of this hedge: has to be evergreen,
about 1m-3ft high (!) and has to stand sea conditions (wind, salt, and
drought). Oh, and it must be cheap, because the beasts wanted him to plant 5
(five) plants by the meter. Apparently, these ignorant archeologists used
L.j. somewhere else and were satisfied with the results.
Can you imagine? The beautiful Med sea, the rocks, the impressive ruins, the
native plants of the maquis and...the suburban look of Ligustrum jap,
continuosly sheared to keep it within the height limit!
I begged him not to, and I am writing a long letter to the archeologists
trying to make them understand concept like integrating planting and
landscape, respecting native flora etc. Simple suggestion of using some good
taste should be enough, but I will have to be very polite.
Well, I will also suggest alternative plants, and as I was writing this I
though I could have this list participate to my proposals.
My first thought was Cistuses, and the second Rosemary. Then I was going to
list Phyllirea, Myrtus, Rhamnus alaternus, Pistacia lentiscus (but I suppose
growth rate has to be considered, and the last two are slow). I have some
doubts about the salt resistancy of Teucrium fruticans, does anybody have
experiences?
Then I considered that, given the Ligustrum option, I need not be VERY
strict and purist and that I can also include non native plants: Hebes,
Griselinia littoralis, Coprosma, Atriplex halimus...
Mind you, they will probably end up planting Ligustrum, but I think I have
to try. Does anybody out there have suggestions/ opinions/ ideas? Other
plants? I would like to send such a long and impressive list, that at least
they realize there's much more in the world than the dreadful Ligustrum.
TIA,
Alessandra