THaveels conductors, our experts Stéphane Amat, owner and manager of the Aspres nursery in Grasse and Eric Lerda manager of Jardins Terre de Provence (see section Our partners ) set them to music in a clump of heather earth plants. They tell us all about the varieties, how and where to plant them.

EHaveRick: They are magnificent at this time, while the rest of the garden is rather tired at the end of summer. Their leaves offer a gradient that goes from red to yellow, with deep green. We also have bright red berries, and showy flowers during the winter.

Frédéric Valente and Eric Lerda - Gardeners of Terre de Provence

EHaveRick: On the north facade of the house, a terrace in the shade or under pine trees. The massif advantageously fills in the sunless areas where our Mediterranean plants grow poorly.

SHavetephane: Our customers often have a negative preconception about heather plants, they think they don't correspond to our region. However, we have very positive feedback from the development of heather plants in the Alpes Maritimes: hydrangeas, camellias, azaleas and many others, when they are housed in a sheltered, humid area, shady and sour. It is the essence of our job to transform a so-called disadvantage into an advantage: an often neglected area, to the north, can accommodate varied colors and magnificent essences.

Eric: As the name suggests, they need heather soil, typically acidic – the kind found naturally at the foot of pines, for example. Our soil on the Côte d'Azur, which tends to be chalky, is not ideal. Before planting, it is therefore necessary to dig a pit and line it with a geotextile or an anti-rhizome tarpaulin to isolate it from the existing soil. Once the pit is dug, it is filled with heather, sand and peat. You can then plant, and it's really nice to mix several species – shrubs, trees, ground cover plants – to alternate colors, shapes and foliage.

Stefan: I have a big weakness for the camellia, its persistent foliage of a frank green and its abundant flowering. In the foreground as in the background in a massif or as an isolated subject, it will never go unnoticed. The colors oscillate between different shades of pink, white, red, two-tone or veined. Our historical producers are located on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Italy and have developed unfailing expertise in heathland plants, while benefiting from the mild climate of the lake which favors their breeding.

These plants are of excellent quality because they grow at their own pace, without being pushed artificially. A plant that is brought to its peak of flowering artificially is much less likely to resume. The Japanese maple "Bloodgood" appears to us as one of the masterpieces in this type of massif. Its intense blood red foliage evolves with the seasons and remains one of the most striking of the purple maples. Its leaves are large and chiseled with great precision. Even bare (because the tree is obsolete), it will present itself as a remarkable sculpture. Very hardy, it can be grown in pots or in the ground.

On the right: Stéphane Amat / Manager of the Pépinière des Aspres; - On the left: François Henry / Purchasing and landscaping consultant manager

Stefan: It is a Nandina, or sacred bamboo – not to be confused with the bamboo that is feared for its rhizomes. This evergreen shrub is very original, light, graphic with colors that change with the seasons from green to red. Its panicles of flowers and its red berries give it a Japanese character. As an isolated subject, in clumps, in pots or in the ground, everything is possible with it.

On the left: the acer palmatum bloodgood - On its right: A nandinia

Stefan: The field of possibilities is vast, but here we have selected a perennial plant, the Heuchera, at the front of the massif, for its multiple palette of colors from pink to red and green. It is a robust plant, with marbled and evergreen foliage, capable of adapting to all gardens.

We have also placed the mahonia confuse Nara Hiri from Japan, with its graphic and airy silvery branches. Cold-resistant, it produces pretty yellow flowers similar to mimosa in October-December. It is also a useful plant: its faded flowers are extremely popular with birds.

On the left, you also see a hydrangea quercifolia or oakleaf hydrangea, which takes on a pretty copper color in the fall. It requires rich, acidic soil. Its flower panicles are white and turn red in the fall.

On the right, several heuchera plants in different colors.

Eric : In the fall, I recommend amending the soil and adding heather soil to compensate for compaction. In the spring, fertilizer can be added. When it comes to watering, I prefer drip to keep the soil moist and fresh. Mulching has its place here, it limits weeding and water evaporation, and it hides automatic watering. For the heather earth, poplar fiber, naturally acidic, brings a luminous and light touch. It is very aesthetic.

There is also RCW or fragmented ramial wood, less expensive and similar to forest humus. In terms of maintenance, hydrangeas can be pruned at the end of flowering. You can also leave the leaves on the ground, which turn into humus as they degrade.