Time has come to move from busy Bodrum to our peaceful summer quarters. The two are only 30 kms distant from each other, but sometimes seem to be decades, countries and climates apart. Our Bodrum house has a tiny garden but last week the Cannas, Bougainvillea and Lantana were throbbing with vibrant colour; a warmish damp winter has brought them on a treat.
By contrast, our village garden looks rather subdued. The winter here is too cold to grow any of the above with any success. My bougainvillea is about the same size it was when I bought it 15 years ago. Despite growing in a south facing courtyard, every winter any growth from the preceding summer is taken down to soil level and each spring it starts again from scratch. The same with the Lantana and the Canna gave up the ghost several years ago. Roses are the garden's saviour but it is impossible to keep them flowering during July and August, so this year I am learning from 20 years' experience of what I can't grow and admitting to myself that cold winters and pines trees leave me very little choice: pelargoniums, rosemary and plumbago.
Nature is a much better gardener than I am and the uncultivated garden is at its best when we are not here. Despite the very dry April there are still masses of delicate pink wild orchids and a few lingering poppies. A downpour today may bring out a few more. It certainly gave the pomegranate trees a good wash and brought out the vibrant colour of the flowers. In Turkish "my pomegranate flower" is a term of affection which gives me an idea for another post...
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