½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Oleander is ideal and only toxic if you eat it.

It grows fast has beautiful flowers and other than a once a year chainsawing back requires little or no care.

I have three!:yes: and have, thus far, resisted the urge to tuck in.

Am sure a proper gardener will be along in a moment or two with some alternatives for you!

Moxie

( agree with Moxie, it is only toxic if you eat it. The main problem may be young children, because pets would not touch it. Otherwise, it is a beautiful bush which needs very little care and adds colour to the garden.

Buddleia is good, also Lantana, Callistemon ("bottle brush") and Broom, all have loads of flowers, grow vigorously and are good in the ½ûÂþÌìÌà climate. Pruning is easy and doesn't have to be done regularly.
I didn't mention Oleander because both Gala and Moxie already have, but thats ideal too.

cheers all, i'm over next week so i will get busy with the trowel and spade

If you wish to join our Gardening Group, you will be welcome. No invitation needed, it is a public group. There are quite a few posts that cover the subject of easy to grow, flowering bushes. Torchiarolan's recommendations are very good. I find Lantana particularly care free. The only problem is that you will have to prune it regularly to keep it under control. There are many colours available, including mauve, white, yellow, orange, pink. You can plant different varieties together and that will give you plenty of colour in the garden in very little time.
Happy gardening!

We had a Buddleia in the UK and it grew very tall, but was beautiful.

Can I ask a further question? I have a bank behind the house and am trying to dig out the brambles and replace with something else which a) isn't too heavy (as there's nothing supporting the bank except earth) and b) will put down roots to keep brambles out and bank up. I'm at 500m, with cold winters and hot summers. Oh, and something that doesn't attract hornets! Any suggestions very gratefully received!

I remember that someone told me that "viburnums" are excellent for banks. There are many varieties:
[url=http://www.finegardening.com/plants/articles/viburnums-are-versatile-shrubs.aspx]Viburnums are Versatile Shrubs - Fine Gardening Article[/url]
Check with your local nursery to see what they have and recommend.

I am being a purist I realise but I personally would avoid broom it is not indiginous to a lot of areas (certianly not northern Tuscany) and it spreads quite rapidly. It would be a shame to have a area suddenly flooded with a plant that shouldn't really be there. We have noticed over the last five years more and more in our valley and whilst it is pretty it changes the landscape quite dramatically. The other suggestions are good and I personally would go with Buddleia or Orleaner ... Hydrangeas are also lovely but need a lot of water and are not evergreen.

I am being a purist I know :eerr:

There are broom varieties which are natives of the Mediterranean area. Actually, it is a European native although there are some invasive species, mainly from Northern Africa. Here is quite a bit of information: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broom_(shrub[/url])
It may be a matter of keeping them under control but they are very easy to grow and will provide a touch of colour. I do not mind at all those that have been planted along the highways throughout Europe.
As for viburnum, "viburnum tinus" is a native of the Mediterranean.
Basically, I agree with you in that we should try to avoid the introduction of too many non-indigenous species.

Not sure if Lavatera is the same as Lantana?
Anyway, this is a very hardy shrub which blooms from mid-summer to autumn, with pink, purple or white flower varieties.
It grew well in my clay soil, so is not fussy what soil it grows in! It is quite a vigorous grower and will need pruning down to its base in spring. Also, you can trim it after flowering to keep its shape.

Francesca

No, they are not related. The "lavatera" is a mallow or malva. Good to hear that it does so well.

In my (UK) experience, Lavatera isn't a long living plant, but quick growing to a medium size with pretty flowers. (Lavatera "Barnsley")

Hi Neil,

I have read that Lavatera's are meant to be an annual plant, but I had one growing in my garden here in London for several years and only last year dug it up as it had grown very lopsided. I pruned it every year, but it still grew wonky and was encroaching on other plants. Maybe some varieties are more hardy than others?

Francesca

There are over 25 species of lavatera and amongst those there are annual, biennial and perennial ones.