However if the ‘worm’ shape that you have moulded in your hand instantly breaks up while rolling it then it is likely to be of a sandy nature, which is always free draining and generally tending towards an acidic pH. This acidic, sandy soil is clearly ideal for acid-loving plants (‘calcicole’), such as camellias, rhododendrons and hydrangeas, etc. The free-draining qualities of sandy soils generally benefit most Mediterranean plants and an alkaline sandy soil could be considered one of the ideal soil types for most Mediterranean plants. However, by far the best soil type for growing the ‘classic’ Italian plants like the olive, lavender and most other Mediterranean plants is a free-draining, poor, rocky alkaline soil, the type which one would generally find near the coast. Mediterranean plants are native to this kind of soil and thus, they have adapted perfectly to growing in the conditions that it provides.