Herman Kraut

Perfect rows keep dying in Summer? On our Mediterranean Quinta, a chaos garden that feeds you means plants that return by seed, shoots, or runners—and hard thinning so the mess still harvests. Skip scatter-and-pray seed mixes; start with what already proves it belongs.

Common Name: Narrow-Leaved Ash, Narrow-Leafed Ash, Freixo, Freixo-de-folhas-estreitas, Freixo-comum, Freixo-da-terra Scientific Name: Fraxinus angustifolia Plant Family: Oleaceae (olive family) Lifecycle: Deciduous perennial tree Fraxinus angustifolia is the Mediterranean ash of riverbanks, terraces, and cool soil pockets—the species Portugal already calls freixo. Growing Fraxinus angustifolia in Zone 8a is a natural fit: this fast-growing deciduous tree shrugs off summer heat when its roots...

Portugal’s native shrub layer is easy to overlook. Trees get the attention, but shrubs often do the early work of rebuilding damaged land. Portuguese broom (Cytisus striatus) in spring bloom, a native legume that can play a useful role on disturbed and acidic ground. They cover bare soil, shelter young trees, feed insects and birds, soften wind, and survive conditions that defeat many garden plants. For restoration, wildlife gardening, and permaculture, that makes them valuable allies....