The Mediterranean Gardener

While South Central Texas (San Antonio) isn't a coastal area (and isn't exactly a "moderate" climate, either), Latymer's book has proven to be a good resource for our area. The pictures helped me to visualize what could be, and the plant lists have been invaluable for choosing plants. While I've always loved "digging in the dirt," no one ever would have accused me of being an accomplished gardener. But that didn't stop me. Thanks to the inspiration I found in Latymer's book, I've been working steadily at replacing my grassy front yard with a Mediterranean-style water-wise garden. And now, many of my neighbors are interested in doing the same. They think my yard is gorgeous. And so do I.

This book is a good reference for moderate coastal areas (we are on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in So. Cal.) The reference area (2/3 of the book) is well organized with lots of photos. Latymer has divided Mediterranean plants into sections on trees, palms, sbrubs, etc. The reader can look at a choice of plants for a particular application, which are grouped together.

The most valuable thing about this book for me was the extensive plant list which contained good information about size, growing speed, minimum temperatures, water need and descriptions of the plant itself sometimes including information about propagation. The list is devided in different chapters for trees, shrubs, climbers, palms, cacti and succulents, perrenials and annuals which made it very easy to use while planning a garden. The information chapters are mainly oriented on style and design though even some chapters about soil and water are included which contain valuable knowledge.

Can't beat this for our climate (So. Calif. by the beach) for trustworthy info. Hugo is dead-on! We own zillions of gardening books and this is by far my personal favorite.

This book is an absolute delight, as much for the prose as for the glorious photographs. As well as recommendations for planting in various Mediterranean conditions, the author gives splendid professional advice on local problems such as water shortage, salt air damage and so on. If you have had failures in your ex-pat. garden through trying to acclimatise plants which only thrive in more northerly regions, this book will help you never again to make those mistakes.No-one should be without it; I have two of them. Yvonne Gregson.