Re: Mediterranean Orangery

The cool temperate greenhouse and Princess of Wales
Greenhouses at Kew Gardens would be an excellent
source for ideas of good things to grow that are
mediterranean types.  There is a mediterranean
greenhouse garden at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania
which is also quite good, and is on the web.  I was
most impressed with the varieties of things being
grown inside at both Kew and Longwood, including alot
of things that have yet to make it here to California.

There is also a mail order nursery in England called
www.plantsman.com that has quite a good list of
subtropical and tropical vines/climbers with photos,
that would be appropriate.  As well, if succulents or
other endemics to the Canary Islands might appeal, I
would suggest looking at the www.rareplants.de web
site, I was blown away by the variety of Aeoniums and
Echiums alone, along with good habitat descriptions
and photos, which have greatly helped me sort out what
I already have.  Succulents in general, and winter
growing and blooming sorts would probably do well in a
cool greenhouse.  I would also add to the list South
Arfican succulents such as Crassula, Cotyledon and
Kalanchoe.

My all time favorite plant family for cool greenhouses
would have to include bromeliads, as they not only
bloom for often very long periods, but the  forms and
colorful foliage look good all year.  Combining
Rhipsalis and other epiphytic cacti can also be good
in combination with bromeliads.  A lot of the smaller
growing bromeliads can be tucked into hanging baskets
or branches of trees, and make use of vertical space
which is otherwise unused.  A large basket of
Neoregelia 'Fireball' can become 2.5 feet across in
time, and be glowing red year round with bright enough
light.  A good site to explore mail order bromeliads
might be www.tropiflora.com or
www.birdrocktropicals.com, or browsing the web site
with photos of the Bromeliad Society International web
site at www.bsi.org, or the photo gallery of the
Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies, which has a
very complete photo index, and is linked to the BSI
site.

These are all things that I grow outdoors in our
cooler mediterranean climate here in Berkeley,
California.  Some of the more tender things such as
Melastomes like Centradenia grandifolia, Schizocentron
elegans, Medinilla teysmannii are also very showy in
winter, as are other epiphytes like Juanulloa
mexicana, and Metrosideros carminea.

Unless the conservatory has lots of space, I would
stay away from things that grow too fast or large,
except as possible accents.  Slow growth and
restrained ultimate size can be a virtue in a small
space.

Hope this helps,
David Feix


--- Einionygarddwr@aol.com wrote:
> A garden designer/consultant friend has asked me for
> advice about which 
> plants I would recommend for an orangery one of his
> clients is having built. 
> I know nothing about the building itself, or where
> it is in the UK, but as 
> the query was entitled 'Mediterranean Plants', I
> assume that's the owner's 
> chief area of plant interest.
> 
> The list of potentiaIs I've sent him consists of:
> correas, grevilleas, 
> callistemons, abutilons, Tibouchina semidecandra,
> maddenii rhodos, nerines, 
> Ipomoea indica, brugmansias and jasmines.
> 
> In my reply I rather foolishly indicated that I
> would list further 
> possibilities if required - which is what he has
> now, rather understandably, 
> done. Any suggestions? Help!
> 
> Einion Hughes,
> scratching his head in Sunny Rhyl,
> Wales, 
> UK
> 

> ATTACHMENT part 2 message/rfc822 


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