Re: potting soil mix or: from desert to jungle

akvav wrote: 
Several years ago one August I had to plant my small Cretan garden in
construction rubble with a ton of limestone gravel heaped on top of it.
There was no more topsoil than what the plants carried with them in their
growing pots.  Guess what?  Whatever didn't fry the first week (ivy comes to
mind) is thriving today-really thriving.  I planted nerium oleander,
pittosporum tobira, bougainvillea, cedrus libani, cypress, pyracantha, and
cortaderia first. As more shade was achieved over the years, I planted the
rest:  teucrium fruticans, phlomis, thevetia peruviana, cercis siliquastrum,
acanthus mollis, rosemary, succulents, plumbago, pelargoniums, osteospermum,
felicia and numerous others.  I believe dissolved nutrients in the
limestone, warm rooting conditions and perfect drainage made up for what I
then believed to be "good soil."

It would be interesting to hear if anyone else has had experience with
unorthodox planting media.

Karen
I gather your experience is in no way unique. There has been quite a fad in recent years here and elsewhere for gravel gardens in which a number of plants seem to really enjoy life.

I also remember years ago reading Clarence Elliot's description of the suburban rock garden he laid out with what he called a "rich scree", which had some soil in it but was preponderantly gravel. He reckoned plants took to it like magic.

I wonder if we always understand enough how important air is to roots. So may cultivation recommendations insist on the importance of good drainage and this of course also means plenty of air gets into the soil. The gravely substrate has one other advantage, it allows roots to go down so deeply they are quite untroubled by summer drought. This root protection is particularly important for plants growing in rocky areas, where every deep crack will be eagerly exploited.

I think the breaking down limestone rubble probably also, as you suggest, plays a major part in the plants' well being. Natural limestone areas of the world are mostly renowned for their exciting and beautiful flora. Only the true acid lovers would not thank you for planting them in such a medium.

It seems then that your pile of rubble may have been a disguised blessing. It sounds a lovely and successful garden -wish I could see it.

Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004

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