Tips For Mediterranean Garden Design

If you love holidaying in the south of France, Italy or Spain then you may long to bring a touch of that Mediterranean feel to your very own garden. If you love the feel of those sunny climes and want to bring some of the plants, and the vibe, of that region into your garden then these tips for Mediterranean garden design should help you to achieve your goals.

Consider Whether You Would Like a Formal or Informal Mediterranean Style

Mediterranean gardens can look considerably different depending on whether they are formal or informal in style. A formal Mediterranean garden will often be symmetrical or highly ordered, with a strict structure, straight lines and orderly rows. An informal Mediterranean garden, on the other hand, will have soft drifts of fragrant herbs and scrub plants between winding sand or gravel paths, and a much more relaxed and uncultivated feel. When creating your garden, it is important to decide which of these two looks you would like to do for.

Think About Structure and Height

While, when thinking about a Mediterranean garden, you may picture drifts of low lying plants, good garden design dictates that we should also think about structure and height in the garden. Consider how you can elevate the design by incorporating trees and plants of different heights, as well as other garden constructions, which will provide a more three dimensional design.

Choose Drought Tolerant Plants from the Mediterranean Region

The Mediterranean garden is perfect for more arid areas as it involves a planting scheme which includes many drought tolerant plants. It may sound obvious, but if you are looking to achieve a Mediterranean look in your garden then it is important to include only those plants which belong in that region. Think cypress trees, olives, rosemary, thyme, and other herbs, and wildflowers which would be found in the Mediterranean region.

Select a Gravel To Spread Around The Plants

A sand or gravel spread around the plants in a Mediterranean garden will not only help retain moisture and suppress weeds, it will also help to create the look and feel that you are going for and evoke the tracks and pathways of a Mediterranean area of scrubland.

Choose Bright, Warm Colours To Evoke Sunnier Climes

Another way to psychologically make a grey garden feel like the south of France, Italy or Spain is to use bright, warm colours to make you think that you are in a much sunnier and warmer climate.