- Author: Lanie Keystone
If you are looking for a demonstration garden that helps define the essence of a Mediterranean garden, then Turtle Bay Botanic Native Garden in Redding is a fine place to start. The garden is a young one, but we can tell that it will grow into a lovely representation of each of the world's Mediterranean climate zones. Moreover, they have planned the garden to include a wide range of biological diversity—as well as some delightful public sculptures.
As the garden's interpretation points out, the world's Mediterranean climate zones make up just 2% of the entire land mass of our planet. It's easy to forget that small percentage since we live and breathe such a habitat!
The characteristics of these Mediterranean zones are: a) they are each on the western side of continents; b) they are each 30-45 degrees north and south of the equator; and c) they each have rain in winters and warm-hot, dry summers. There are 5 Mediterranean regions which, in order of size are: 1) the Mediterranean Basin—(which includes areas in 15 countries on 3 continents, (60%); 2) southwestern & southern Australia, (22%); 3) western California, 10%; 4) central Chile, (5%); and 5) the western Cape of South Africa, (3%).
The survival adaptations amongst the native plant life that grow in each region are very similar, too. Some of these fascinating traits could be-- tough, waxy, mostly evergreen leaves; gray foliage which reflects sunlight; slightly hairy covering on the leaf to reduce moisture loss; re-sprouting and reseeding from late summer and early fall fires; or summer-deciduous bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes such as daffodils or irises.
When we acknowledge and understand the unique characteristics of our Mediterranean climate and the kinds of plant life that thrive in it, we are able to make wiser choices. In choosing from the vast, varied and exciting world of plants “native” to our Mediterranean zone, we create a garden that truly stays in harmony with our own special region and its needs.