gardening & plants

[Lizzy]

quite a few things to ask here so anyone not interested in plants, now's the time to go and get a cuppa.

I have an upper floor apartment with a solarium but no soil garden at all, although I have lots of space in terms of patio and walls.

I like flowers!

I am only in spain 6 weeks per year and mainly over summer months.

I do have a key holder who will water for me but he does not have access to the solarium.

I am a novice!

my thoughts:

stephanotus - in a pot and up a trellis ( key holder could water) - to hide a partciularly yuk wall

bourganvillea on my patio - in a pot - key holder could water.

questions:
are there any colours of bouganvillea which can do with less attention than others?
suggestions for garden centres - I am in Los Altos
should I put anything on my solarium - or is is too hot for everything (my key holder does not have access and therefore could remain unwatered for 5 months)
are there any watering devices which drip-water?

over to you folks - think of this as a Ground Force project!

Liz

[CavaCarol]

Hola Lizzy
Unless you have someone to water regularly in the summer you will only be able to grow cacti and succulents and even those might die. I have a small garden and kind neighbours who water it but nothing grows on the solarium because I can't ask them to climb all of those stairs!
I treated myself to some good artificial plants and concreted them into really nice pots + pebbles and statues and a water feature. I don't know how long your visits are but if you go to the markets, or Valentines at Los Montisinos you can get nice,cheap plants for your visit and give them away when you go home!Do you know that bouganvillia is very prickly not good in a small area also neighbours who grew it in pots were not successful and it is very messy. I grew honeysuckle instead but it has its roots in the ground.
You can get drip systems at garden centres or Carrefour, my husband won't let me incase it goes wrong and we come back to a huge bill but our Norwegian neighbours have used it very successfully
Hope that helps a bit

[squeals]

Many people I know have their watering on a timer which you attach to the tap/hoze. I agree, for your solarium buy some nice pots, fill them when to are out, there are some very colourful/cheap plants about, then give the plants away.