Page 1 of Jonathan Ya'akobi's writing

1. Dymondia margaretae – An excellent Ground Cover Plant for a Mediterranean Climate Garden A decent ground cover plant is always worth considering. Dymondia margaretae is especially suited to gardens in Mediterranean and other dry climate regions, by virtue of its drought hardiness and ease of maintenance. In fact once established, it... (posted by Jonathan 2 years 117 days ago.)

2. Euryops – A Fine Small Shrub Or Large Perennial For A Mediterranean Climate Garden Euryops pectinatus is one of those garden plants that a gardener in a dry, Mediterranean climate cannot afford to overlook. It may not be fantastically spectacular as far as ornamental bushes go, but it is attractive enough, hardy to pests and... (posted by Jonathan 2 years 132 days ago.)

3. Nandina domestica and Duranta erecta – A Fabulous combination for a Mediterranean Garden Although not Mediterranean in origin, both Nandina, or Heavenly Bamboo, and Duranta are commonly planted in Mediterranean climate gardens. Their cultural requirements, though not identical, are similar enough that they can be grown in many... (posted by Jonathan 2 years 152 days ago.)

4. Water Conserving Gardening – The Golden Rule for Saving Water in the Garden The water crisis that is hitting so many parts of the world, from Australia to the Middle East, is threatening to put a halt to gardening in dry climates. Water conserving gardening is a complicated process involving questions of design... (posted by Jonathan 2 years 159 days ago.)

5. Ground Cover Plants The Benefits of Growing Junipers as Ground Cover, Landscaping Plants There is a wide variety of Juniper forms grown as landscaping plants, ranging from trees, shrubs, high-growing and very low-growing ground cover plants. All are evergreen conifers, with needle-like foliage, and fleshy berrylike fruits instead of... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 41 days ago.)

6. Spring Garden Care:Pruning Landscape and Fruit Trees in Mediterranean Climate Home Gardens Deciduous trees should be pruned in their dormant season, which in Mediterranean and similar mild winter climates, means towards the end of winter. They should not be pruned in the spring as pruning causes the sap that is rising in the plant to... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 46 days ago.)

7. Home Garden Care How to Prune Your Garden Plants in the Spring Correct pruning in the spring is one of the most important factors in obtaining exciting results from your garden plants. As getting it right is largely about timing, it's important to be on the ball at this time of year with your secateurs... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 48 days ago.)

8. Home Garden Care in the Spring: Aphid Control Guidelines for the Home Gardener Spring is the season when a host of pest organisms come to life and feed massively on our garden plants. Foremost amongst them are species of tiny flying insects, known commonly as aphids, which while not generally fatal, cause a lot of visual... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 53 days ago.)

9. Drip Irrigation A Simple But Essential Maintenance Task Before the Onset of the Irrigation Season The life span of dripper lines is usually up to 10-15 years, as mineral deposits in the water eventually make the line inoperable. However, neglecting to wash out the system periodically will significantly reduce their operable life span. I've... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 74 days ago.)

10. Landscape Garden Design: Using Santolina in a Mediterranean Style Garden Santolina as a Mediterranean native, is virtually a "must" plant for a dry, Mediterranean-style garden. It is a sub-shrub or woody perennial, growing to about 70cm (2ft) in height and a meter (1ft) in width. The best-known species is Santolina... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 81 days ago.)

11. Metrosideros (Pohutukawa) An Excellent Landscape Tree or Shrub for a Mediterranean Climate Garden Metrosideros is the botanical name for a genus of landscape trees and large shrubs known commonly by its Maori name as Pohutukawa, or New Zealand Christmas Tree. As a large evergreen plant, it is ideal for screening purposes, but is also highly... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 85 days ago.)

12. Pomegranate : How to Prune Landscaping and Fruiting Pomegranate Trees The Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a deciduous tree or large shrub, which should be pruned at the end of its dormancy, i.e. towards the end of winter. In general, the method for pruning trees differs with ornamental plants as opposed to those... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 88 days ago.)

13. Garden Power Tools How to Use Petrol Strimmers Safely and Ergonomically Unless you have a very small backyard with a tiny lawn, a petrol strimmer is infinitely more efficient and even cost-effective in the end than an electric garden tool. For maintaining the edges on a large lawn, whacking the tough weeds around the... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 95 days ago.)

14. Electric Garden Tools or Petrol Garden Tools: Which are Better for the Home Garden? Many if not most home gardeners buy electric garden tools as opposed to gas-powered tools. Considering that you will hardly, if ever find a landscape professional or garden contractor using an electric lawn mower or strimmer, you might want to ask... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 98 days ago.)

15. Crape Myrtle How to Prune this Very Special Landscape Tree Crape Myrtle, or Lagerstroemia indica, to use its botanical name, is in many ways one of the most special landscape trees suitable for a small garden. It has lovely, fresh-green foliage in the spring, in cold climates it sports dramatic fall color... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 99 days ago.)

16. Growing Roses in a Dry Mediterranean Climate Is it Compatible with Water Conserving Gardening? Roses, for the most part are very demanding in their water needs. With the exception of a number of species roses of Mediterranean and steppe-climate origin (i.e. Central Asia), the cultivated varieties known to the gardener consume, to perform at... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 105 days ago.)

17. Pruning Trees and Shrubs How Pruning Affects the Health of the Plants No matter how necessary pruning is for attaining the desired shape or growth habit of garden trees and shrubs, it is not, as is often assumed, "good" for the plant. In fact, pruning is about as good for the health of plants as surgery is for the... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 105 days ago.)

18. Pruning Roses in a Dry Mediterranean Climate The Purpose of Annual Pruning The second half of winter is the best time for pruning most rose shrub varieties in the mild winters typical of a Mediterranean climate. The purpose of pruning however, is not always clear to the home gardener. "Well it's what roses need isn't" is... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 112 days ago.)

19. Plant Nutrition Chemical Fertilizer and Compost Compared Which form of plant nutrition is better in broad terms chemical fertilizer or compost? Fertilizers, whether chemical or organic, supply to the plants the elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and iron that are essential to their growth... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 116 days ago.)

20. Fertilizers The Real Reasons Against Using Chemical Fertilizer on Your Garden Plants Increasing numbers of home gardeners are turning against chemical fertilizers as the main means of feeding their garden plants. This trend is strengthened by the vague idea that chemical fertilizers are synthetic products and therefore unnatural.... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 117 days ago.)

21. Herb Gardens The Benefits of Growing Garden Sage in a Mediterranean Climate Garden Garden Sage, or Salvia officinalis, to use its botanical name, is one of about 1,000 species of sage. Many are both fragrant and ornamental, and so of immense value as garden plants, but in addition, Garden Sage has culinary, medicinal, and other... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 123 days ago.)

22. Pruning Roses Crucial Tips on Rose Pruning for Mediterranean Climate Gardeners The mild winters common to Mediterranean climates means that pruning woody plants in general, and roses in particular, ought to be carried out differently than in cold, temperate climates. This includes both when and how to prune roses bushes. ... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 126 days ago.)

23. Lawns in a Dry Climate Artificial Grass and Real Grass Compared In dry climates, water shortages are making the large suburban lawn a luxury less and less people can afford. A garden where 90% or so of its area is taken up by grass is becoming increasingly unsustainable in terms of water consumption and the... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 129 days ago.)

24. Winter Garden Care Planting in a Mediterranean Climate Winter In cold winter climates where the ground is either frozen or at best rock-hard, planting is unthinkable. This is not the case in the mild winters typical of the Mediterranean climates in Southern Europe, the Middle East, Southern California, or... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 130 days ago.)

25. Winter Pruning in a Mediterranean Garden Why You Should Postpone Pruning Until the End of Winter Most home gardeners in a Mediterranean climate associate winter with the annual pruning of trees and shrubs. They see some of the woody plants out of leaf and half remembering that plants should be pruned when in their dormancy, rush out with the... (posted by Jonathan 3 years 131 days ago.)