Sunday, April 21, 2013

OUR DOWNSTAIRS GARDEN


We tried to design our gardens with most of the plants true to the Mediterranean climate and ambient. Especially in the lower main garden. It is modest really, nothing fancy there. We have olive trees, a fig tree, a pistacia tree, a big lemon tree, and pomegranate trees. The lemon tree is so fertile, we have plenty of  lemons to give away, and to make limoncello each year. 

There are a lot of herbs growing, like rosemary, sage, hyssop, mint, as well as pelargonium, lemon verbena and lemon grass, with the lovely lemon scent. All the herbs are perfect for tea and cooking. The huge prickly pear grew from only one leaf that my husband planted ten years ago, its flowers are very pretty.
We have several oleanders and beautiful lavender shrubs, competing with their sweet fragrance. The white and pink cistus bushes are bursting with color. In the upper garden passiflora and feijoa are very generous with fruit each year and we make feijoa jam. Four years ago we planted a date palm there too, we hope to have dates in the near future.

Our two gardens are quite easy to maintain and do not cause too much work, nevertheless we need the help of a gardener once a month, mainly for mowing the grass, weeding, and cleanup. Since it is so hot here for two thirds of the year, we have an irrigation system for monitored watering.



The olive trees are blooming right now and the olives can be seen forming.


All photos taken by Uri Eshkar.

13 comments:

Clare said...

The view from your garden is amazing. You need to write a blog post about that view. It looks as if you live right out of town. I always imagined people in Israel living in apartments because of the lack of space. That's why I love reading your blog because it really gives me such an insider view of what it is like to live in your fascinating country. I had to laugh when I read your comment to my last post - of course we can all learn to draw - even if it is only a stick man. I work with rural women in my day job and at one training session I asked them to draw themselves - they all said they couldn't draw - yet what they did draw was wonderful - I wanted to keep all the pictures but they all took their drawings home - I think they were surprised at what they could do. It just takes practice I suppose.

Anonymous said...

Was für eine reiche Natur. Viele Pflanzen sind mir durch den Garten meiner Schwester bekannt, die seit Jahrzehnten in Südfrankreich lebt und einen kleinen Garten pflegt. Eine ganz andere Welt, als die schwedische. Die Vielfalt ist grandios.

Liebe Grüße
Beate

Dies und Das vom Neckarstrand said...

Liebe Yael,
stellt euer Licht bitte nicht unter den Scheffel. Euer Garten ist ein Paradies. Wunderschön - und sicher auch immer wieder für Überraschungen gut. Es wächst, blüht und gedeiht. Und der Garten bedarf sicher auch viel Arbeit und Herzblut.
Einen guten Start in die neue Woche wünscht
Irmi

Dawn of LaTouchables said...

Your views are spectacular, Yael! Can you eat the prickly pear? It's good for all kinds of ailments of the digestive system, and is very low calerie and refreshingly sweet. Put some of the citrus blossom in your coffee--just a petal...it's wonderful! What a paradise you live in. Thank you for this wonderful post!

wandamarie.blogspot.com said...

what a MARVELous MARVELous job you both have done to our earth. i just took a stroll in both your gardens, thank you yael. such color for your area! xo

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful garden, downer garden, lol. It doesn't like there is plenty to do, lol again. Beautiful beautiful beautiful, is the way that I can see it, Yael, you are superb.

Hilde said...

What an abundance of flowers and colours in your garden, and the view is spectacular :) Your downstair garden is beautiful too, Yael. Oh, I love that lemon tree, and it looks like a lovely place to sit in the shade under the olive trees.
Your garden must be a little paradise :) Love the photos!

Have a happy week :)
Hugs.

Eva said...

Dieser Garten ist doch zauberhaft! Und umso besser, wenn er so ein bisschen seinen eigenen Gesetzen gehorcht. Ja, das ist ein kleines Paradies, und ich beglückwünsche Euch dazu.

TarracoStyle said...

sin duda unas fotos maravillosas.
besos

Friko said...

I know - and grow - some of the plants in your garden here in England. But they are probably not as prolific as the ones in your garden. I have a lemon tree which has to come in after October. It’s still sitting in the conservatory, looking very sad and dejected.

Your garden look lush, you must be using a lot of water?

You need to email me your address for the seeds. I bought a packet today. Use my email on my profile page.

Unknown said...

thank you for the walk-about .. I love your Mediterranean garden!! Oh how would it be to have an olive tree or a fig... When I lived in Arizona we had orange & lemon trees .. you must be similar in climate. How hot does it get in there?

stardust said...

Hello, Yael, you have such a spacious and beautiful gardens! Except some tropical plants, we seem to share the same plants as our summer is like subtropical. We mow the grass every month from June to September. I like the wind-chimes (right? in #14) and wooden chair under the tree. Thanks for this garden tour.

Yoko

Annuk said...

I had missed this post... Your garden is wonderful, Yael!!! You have created a true oasis for the eyes and soul! Of course I know quite a few plants from the Mediterranean coasts and Rhodes :) I love the chimes too!