There are two main garden types associated with the Mediterranean: informal and formal.
Informal gardens tend to feature gravel planting with plants arranged in groups, perhaps punctuated by rocks and a specimen tree. This style is inspired by the shrubby vegetation of the south of France and the dry regions of southern Italy and Spain. Citrus fruits, grapevines, lavender, rosemary, grasses and succulents thrive in such conditions. Colours tend to be muted, incorporating soft sage-grey greens and purple-blues.
The formal gardens of the Mediterranean tend to utilize water and stone, often with clipped hedges of Laurus nobilis and specimen trees such as the tall and slender Cupressus sempervirens. Some of the gardens of Spain and southern France take on a Moorish influence. Decorative parterre planting is also typical of the formal style, with plants selected for foliage rather than flower colour and densely planted trees such as Salix providing a cooling shade.
Whichever style you choose, it should be low maintenance overall.
It’s the evergreen shrubs of these habitats with their silver-coloured leaves and leathery textures that quickly invoke the shimmering heat of a hillside villa: Arbutus unedo, which can grow to 20ft, Helichrysum italicum with its distinctive curry aroma and Lavandula of any description. The plants you choose do not need to be native to the country you are replicating, so long as they fit in with the scheme and grow happily in the UK.
Scent is almost as important as a shaded area to rest and unwind in any Mediterranean garden. Pergolas are a functional way of allowing climbers to benefit from the uninterrupted sunshine in the day whilst offering much-needed shade below. Use Jasminum officinale or the Wisteria species to quickly cover a seated area with foliage and soft scents from the abundance of flowers.
Container gardening is a famous feature of Mediterranean gardens to add sought-after colour through bold planting. Select pots with wide bases to avoid them being blown over and favour clay pots that will remain cool. Ficus ‘Brown Turkey’ is as at home in a sun-drenched back garden here in the UK as it is in the Mediterranean. Moreover, given a large enough pot, it will do extremely well.
What can be more appealing in a sun-baked environment than an oasis of calm and tranquillity created using water? Whether it’s through a formal square-edged body of water draped in mosaic or an informal water feature, no Mediterranean garden should be without water.
Most plants we associate with the Mediterranean (such as Lavender) come from areas where although they will get cold during the winter, they stay relatively dry. Wet and cold conditions will ensure failure to most of these plants. You can improve the drainage of soil through physical drainage or by building raised beds.
To give your potted Mediterranean planting the best chance of surviving a wet and cold UK winter, ensure you add some grit or perlite to your potting medium and use pot feet to aid drainage.
