InTouch Magazine Articles Archive

Issue 20, July 2008

Gardening this Month

By Patricia Jordan. Author of "The Cyprus Garden" and "The Potted Garden"

At this time of year everyone is looking for shade and people with new gardens are always asking for advice as to what they can plant to give them this valuable asset. Lots of Cypriot houses have a grapevine in the garden or courtyard. This is usually grown over a scaffolding framework because of the weight of the vine when it is in full leaf and dripping with luscious grapes. Besides giving you shade it also provides a good space underneath in which to have a table and chairs for relaxing.

Modern houses tend to have wooden pergolas attached to the house for shade purposes, and what better to grow over them than a bougainvillea. This lovely climber can be found growing all along the Mediterranean as well as other hot and humid parts of the world. In its natural habitat it clambers up through trees and if you have ever tried to prune a bougainvillea, you will probably have been covered in scratches from the very sharp thorns along its stems. They are there to help the climber raise itself through the forest canopy to the light.

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