7 tips to create a typical Mediterranean garden.
Somewhere I read that the Mediterranean garden is an alliance between man and the land: man cultivates it respecting the natural environment and the garden satisfies his needs with vitality and warmth. A statement with which I could not agree more.
Teucrium (Teucrium fruticans)
In this evocative way begins this article by Monica Marco, editor of "Garden Guide" and guest author today in our blog. I do not know about you but it has already aroused my interest. Many will ask themselves when starting their project: what should I consider to enjoy in harmony of my Mediterranean garden? Well today you will discover it. Attentive to your 7 tips!
The Mediterranean garden
Growing a garden on the Mediterranean coast can be a challenge for the beginning gardener. In my case, it was like that. When we propose our first garden we have a tendency to imagine it as a green and humid oasis, full of all the plants we like and even a green lawn to lie down in the sun or play with the children. It seems that the English garden is the ideal that prevails in our head, but it is an impossible model when the weather is totally different. In the Mediterranean region water is scarce, summer temperatures are high and the wind can dry a pot in a few minutes. Drought, sun and wind are restrictions, but there are no limitations that can not be overcome to get the beautiful garden of our dreams.
For me there are seven points that are key in a Mediterranean garden. They are typical of the style and necessary if you are in this climatic zone, but you can also use it in any other place with different weather if you want to recreate a garden with Mediterranean aesthetics.
# 1. Minimize water consumption
Garden in spring
Considering the scarcity of such an essential resource as water, one of the first things to avoid in a Mediterranean garden are plants that need a lot of humidity. To begin with, the effort to maintain a large green meadow is the least convenient. I admit that I was also attracted to the idea of having all the grass possible, but after a few years of trying I came to the conclusion that it was a fight against nature and I decided to reduce it to the minimum expression.
It is not necessary to renounce the soils covered in green, there are alternatives to traditional grass much more appropriate for the Mediterranean climate. Rustic cobertoras can be used to upholster the soil, such as thyme or yarrow, which in summer will resist without yellowing the heat. There are also groundcover plants among the succulents, such as lamprantus or sedum, which can replace the thirsty lawn.
Joys (Impatiens walleriana)
And there is the option that saves more water, which is the use of aggregates. The gravel may not look as nice as the grass, but it creates a really pretty deck on the ground. It is very typical of Provençal gardens in southern France, where it is used as mulching around plants to prevent evaporation of water and prevent the growth of weeds. We found it a very appropriate alternative and except for a small area of grass next to the terrace, the rest of the garden we covered with pink gravel.
# 2. Create shadow zones
The Mediterranean climate is pleasant for much of the year and the garden is an extension of the house that can be used very often, even on sunny winter days. Rest in the garden on summer nights or breakfast with the first rays of the sun is a very pleasant experience, but it is necessary to create shaded rest areas. When the sun is high, the shadow becomes vital.
What should I take into account to enjoy in harmony of my Mediterranean garden?
Porches or pergolas with climbing plants are usually the most typical structures to protect from the sun. They provide the necessary shade and can be covered with fragrant climbing plants to increase well-being. We plant a wisteria and a jasmine next to the porch. The wisteria has a fabulous flowering, but something short because of the excessive heat it makes in our region. The jasmine, however, does not stop blooming all summer. Its flowers are not as striking as those of wisteria, but the aroma that floats in the air during the summer nights is a real gift.
Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)
Somewhere I read that the Mediterranean garden is an alliance between man and the land: man cultivates it respecting the natural environment and the garden satisfies his needs with vitality and warmth. A statement with which I could not agree more.
Teucrium (Teucrium fruticans)
In this evocative way begins this article by Monica Marco, editor of "Garden Guide" and guest author today in our blog. I do not know about you but it has already aroused my interest. Many will ask themselves when starting their project: what should I consider to enjoy in harmony of my Mediterranean garden? Well today you will discover it. Attentive to your 7 tips!
- 1 The Mediterranean garden
- twenty-one. Minimizes water consumption
- 3 # 2. Create shadow zones
- 4 # 3. Choose resistant plants
- 5 # 4. Use pots
- 6 # 5. Cut-off hedges and topiary
- 7 # 6. Plant an orchard
- 8 # 7. Install the appropriate automatic irrigation, this way you will fight the drought
The Mediterranean garden
Growing a garden on the Mediterranean coast can be a challenge for the beginning gardener. In my case, it was like that. When we propose our first garden we have a tendency to imagine it as a green and humid oasis, full of all the plants we like and even a green lawn to lie down in the sun or play with the children. It seems that the English garden is the ideal that prevails in our head, but it is an impossible model when the weather is totally different. In the Mediterranean region water is scarce, summer temperatures are high and the wind can dry a pot in a few minutes. Drought, sun and wind are restrictions, but there are no limitations that can not be overcome to get the beautiful garden of our dreams.
For me there are seven points that are key in a Mediterranean garden. They are typical of the style and necessary if you are in this climatic zone, but you can also use it in any other place with different weather if you want to recreate a garden with Mediterranean aesthetics.
# 1. Minimize water consumption
Garden in spring
Considering the scarcity of such an essential resource as water, one of the first things to avoid in a Mediterranean garden are plants that need a lot of humidity. To begin with, the effort to maintain a large green meadow is the least convenient. I admit that I was also attracted to the idea of having all the grass possible, but after a few years of trying I came to the conclusion that it was a fight against nature and I decided to reduce it to the minimum expression.
It is not necessary to renounce the soils covered in green, there are alternatives to traditional grass much more appropriate for the Mediterranean climate. Rustic cobertoras can be used to upholster the soil, such as thyme or yarrow, which in summer will resist without yellowing the heat. There are also groundcover plants among the succulents, such as lamprantus or sedum, which can replace the thirsty lawn.
Joys (Impatiens walleriana)
And there is the option that saves more water, which is the use of aggregates. The gravel may not look as nice as the grass, but it creates a really pretty deck on the ground. It is very typical of Provençal gardens in southern France, where it is used as mulching around plants to prevent evaporation of water and prevent the growth of weeds. We found it a very appropriate alternative and except for a small area of grass next to the terrace, the rest of the garden we covered with pink gravel.
# 2. Create shadow zones
The Mediterranean climate is pleasant for much of the year and the garden is an extension of the house that can be used very often, even on sunny winter days. Rest in the garden on summer nights or breakfast with the first rays of the sun is a very pleasant experience, but it is necessary to create shaded rest areas. When the sun is high, the shadow becomes vital.
What should I take into account to enjoy in harmony of my Mediterranean garden?
Porches or pergolas with climbing plants are usually the most typical structures to protect from the sun. They provide the necessary shade and can be covered with fragrant climbing plants to increase well-being. We plant a wisteria and a jasmine next to the porch. The wisteria has a fabulous flowering, but something short because of the excessive heat it makes in our region. The jasmine, however, does not stop blooming all summer. Its flowers are not as striking as those of wisteria, but the aroma that floats in the air during the summer nights is a real gift.
Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)
