This garden, in Gramacho Golf, shows an extensive lawn with the variety Zoysia tenuifolia, which is classified as water-saving. Despite the water-saving properties of this lawn, it did not show sufficient drought resistance in the summer on the south-facing slope and withered increasingly.
In this situation, it was convenient for all those involved to plant a bed of Mediterranean plants on this slope and to dispense with drip irrigation. The slope proved to be a challenge, the problem was solved by making furrows on the contour lines and interrupting them crosswise at shorter intervals, thus creating small basins (caldeiras), which are extremely important for additional irrigation with the hose.
At the beginning, the still halfway intact and extremely deep-rooted zoysia lawn had to be removed. To make sure that no root remnants would remain in the soil and sprout again later, the top layer of turf, including the roots, was peeled off with the help of a mini-excavator and transported away. The subsoil was then dug through deeply and sieved on the spot. It was only months later that one could see that this procedure was having an effect - turf did not reappear until the end of the summer, only the Cyprus grass appeared here and there and was dug up together with its root bulb during weeding.
Planting did not take place until February, plenty late for Mediterranean plants. It is preferable to plant from October to December, as the plants need time to develop a sufficiently deep root system, as this is the only way they can survive the first summer without frequent hand watering. If all the requirements are met, watering is only necessary every 3-4 weeks during the first summer. In the following autumn and winter, the roots go deeper and deeper and thus reach their independence from supplementary watering as far as possible in the second summer, and that is the goal.
Once this moment is reached, the plants are hardy and sufficiently equipped to withstand the drought.
Garden, in Gramacho Golf Summary:
A classic lawn situated on a slope showed continuous drought damage and was transformed into a Mediterranean bed. The removal of the established lawn and the planting on the slope and the establishment of furrows for manual irrigation proved to be a particular problem. Early planting in autumn is important, as this allows the plants to survive the following summer with little supplementary watering.
Photos 2022 December
Photos 2023 February
Photos 2023 May
Photos 2024 April
