Berty is in South West France, where the summers can be hot and dry (typically high 20s and low 30s) and the winters cold and damp (lowest temperature I've experienced here is -15c). We rarely get snow. But even in winter, the daytimes are often wonderfully sunny and warm, so even in January you can eat lunch on the terrace and garden in a T-shirt. In general, lots of the same plants as in England, though we are at the southern extremity of conditions for northern european species. It's not a Mediterranean climate, so doesn't suit olives or oranges.
Living in an area of limestone hills, our soil is basically chalky with some sand and clay, but we are in a river valley and benefit from a good layer of silty topsoil. The 3 acre garden was a field until about 18 years ago.
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Echinops (Globe Thistle). Perennai. Cut back to ground level in early winter or early spring. Will self sow.
Salvia Greggii. This small hardy shrub seems to put up well with poor soil and dry conditions. It's a bit straggly, but has plenty of flowers in late summer.
Sedum (Stonecrop). There are lots of different varieties of this, with succulent leaves which survive drought well.
Lavender. I bought 2 year old plants of a good size (1 litre pots) and watered them with a dripper system in the first year. Now they get no attention at all apart from cutting back to within an inch of the new growth, which I do in August / September
Largerstroemia. Some years this never really gets going in our garden, but 2009 was spectactular. Great for colour when the rest of the garden is flagging in August
Hibiscus. We have several varieties of these, this is the prettiest. This one is growing where it gets some afternoon shade from tall trees and it never gets any attention. One of the pink ones is in a more exposed situation and will go a bit droopy in a long dry spell - but revives after a bowlful or two of washing up water...
Please also see my page of Grasses growing at Berty.