IN THE GREEN

It was a bit of a trek through a warren of narrow streets to find this little garden – but it was worth it. Last week, I was in the Mallorcan capital of Palma in a rainstorm. It was pouring so hard, drops were bouncing off the shiny paving, gushing down the gullies at the sides of the pavements and splashing with such force on the roof of the little cafe we were sheltering in that it was splattering onto the terrace soaking our feet.

Tropical storms are a rare treat as long as they don’t turn treacherous.

And this one is intense enough to whip amber and butter coloured leaves from the maple trees that line avenue after avenue here. They are made all the more bright against the heavy, battleship sky. Everything smells of autumn, both musty and clean.

Gardens in the rain take on their own quality, not warm, shady sanctuaries of sunny days but somehow closed in on themselves and at rest.

Behind a high wall in the medieval part of the city, and belied by a small sign reading Banos Arabes, are the Arab baths and the last remains of the city of Medina Mayurqa. Dating to the 10th century, they were once part of a merchant’s house, and are surrounded by a little courtyard garden. Soaked and shining, all the greens are glossy. There are giant monstera clambering on towering fan palms and tradescantia creeping below. There are pomegranates, brugmansia and bright dots of pelargoniums flowering still. Delightfully, the umbrella tree, Schefflera arboricola, that my mum used to grow as a house plant, has been used as low hedging, the way we use box at home.

But loveliest of all were the pure white flowers that were framing the archway into the baths. Hibiscus are common enough in warm climates, so common in fact that they almost become invisible.

But today this hibiscus had become extraordinary, soaked by rain, its pale petals had become translucent and made almost ethereal in the gentle mist hanging in the courtyard. It was made all the more white by the deep berry colour at its centre. I took photos and have delightfully found out its name. Evocative and atmospheric, it is called Hibiscus ‘Cairo White’. Such a rich little find worthy of my rain-soaked exploration.