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Creating a Mediterranean Garden

Mediterranean gardening and garden design is ideal for gardens anywhere in the world which have a Mediterranean style climate of hot, dry summers and fairly frost-free winters. However with careful selection of plants or careful attention to drainage it is possible to have a Mediterranean garden almost anywhere.

The Mediterranean garden evokes the Mediterranean lifestyle and this means lots of outdoor living. It is important therefore to incorporate places for eating and sitting outside. Vine covered pergolas with garden furniture or benches in shady spots preferably with a few cushions to throw on top to add colour and make seating areas more attractive. Think about planting some scented plants in this area to add to the pleasure of outdoor living.

This is not a modern style and so for hard landscaping it is important to use wood, stone and terracotta with perhaps the use of ceramic tiles to add colour and maybe a moorish influence.

Soft furnishings such as cushions on benches, tablecloths on tables when laid for eating and even curtains hanging from pergolas add to the effect.

Shade is very important. Pergolas can be elaborate bought structures or can simply be rough wooden structures. Vines, ornamental vines, roses and wisteria are common choices for plants to climb over the pergola to provide shade.

Garden ornaments will tend to be in terracotta – large terracotta pots and jars are ideal. These often need to be protected over winter. Clipped topiary is common in Mediterranean gardens, box, santolina, rosemary and bay are all ideal plants for topiary.