Tuesday, July 13, 2010

the use of succulents in the ecological italian garden
In this new world of suspected climate change where humans are told to feel responsible for just about everything that occurs on our planet we are witnessing new styles of living in just about every aspect of human life and garden design is certainly no exception.
New garden design styles are emerging that demonstrate an almost religious respect for natural species, water consumption and ecological philosophies in general. Whether or not we are the primary cause of this climate change remains extremely dubious, however, most of us are glad to improve and re-think the way that we regard our green spaces. New ways of saving water are being sought through intelligent garden design and many innovations are taking place.
Garden designers in Italy are slowly becoming more conscious of the types of plants  that they  use in their gardens and we at ecologica garden design are proud to support this new garden design innovation by suggesting great plants that do not require water in order to survive. We believe that by studying the local environment and by using native plants that are already present around your garden space we can save masses of water and the succulent species are a great example of such plants.

Plants like Sedum rupestre, Sedum acre and Sempervivum tectorum can be found growing on old dry walls, rocky slopes and gritty soils in full sun yet without the need for regular rainfall. These particular plants have several varieties and they all form small clumps of neat,  mat-forming,  ground-covering foliage that remains evergreen throughout the year. They can occupy the most inhospitable of situations and are quite happy growing in the driest of soils and even in the cracks between  rocks- forming pleasing cushions of cactus like vegetation that suggest a Mediterranean garden style.
They require nothing more than a good watering upon planting and a sunny position and they will flourish for years creeping along in the harshest of garden environments.
A group of plants most definitely to be investigated for any Italian garden!