Creating a mediterranean style garden

If you are looking for a reasonably low maintenance garden that can cope with stresses of climate change maybe a mediterranean style garden might be worth some consideration.

When you say mediterranean garden to someone they will have their own idea of what that may mean, for some it’s terracotta pots, brightly painted walls and vibrant plants, for others its more muted with soft foliage and fragranced plants. Whatever your vision here are a few tips to get the look.
Let’s start with the plants,
Olive trees can be grown in pots or as a large specimen and they can really create a statement, with their gnarled trunks they look incredible lit up at night,
Lemon trees can be grown as standards in terracotta pots to sit on patios or outside doors.
Oleander and Bougainvillea with their bright colourful flowers delight the senses, they may not be hardy enough to survive our damp winters so growing these in pots will make them easier to move inside.
Conifers such as Juniperus ‘Skyrocket’ or Cupressus Sempervirens add height but be warned some can reach up to 80ft in height so always check the label for information.
Palms can add an exotic touch to the garden and the Trachycarpus fortunei and the chamaerops humilis both do well in the british climate.
Succulents such as sempervirens, sedums and agave add to the look and require very little care once established.  
Let’s add some colour with plants such as cannas, agapanthus, osteospermum, santolina, crocosmia, gaillardia, rudbeckia, verbenas, salvias the choice is only limited to your imagination, but don’t forget must have geraniums for pots and windowsills.
No mediterranean garden would be complete without scented plants and some to consider would be Rosemary or Lavender and of course trachelospermum jasminoides that releases its heady scent on summer evenings.
Mediterranean life revolves around food so rustic tables and chairs for dining al fresco are essential.
Provide some shade to escape the midday sun with a Pergola it’s also perfect to grow climbers such as wisteria, honeysuckle or jasmine.
Use gravel, stones, slate or large pebbles as a top dressing over your soil.
Hopefully these ideas that can help you start to plan your garden with a mediterranean influence for additional help check out our MyGardenTeam service and our one day gardening courses carried out in your own garden.
 

Gardening course for beginners from GardenAdvice

One day gardening courses especially created for beginners run in your own garden by the GardenAdvice expert gardeners. Available as a gift voucher for the gardener in your life. Become a gardener with the GardenAdvice Gardening Course. If you are new to gardening it can all seem a bit complicated at first with all the Latin names and the gardening terminology. GardenAdvice.co.uk have developed a especially designed short one day course to be able to teach you all the basic skills of gardening to get you started. The courses in your own garden cover such basic skills as pruning, correct digging methods, growing your own shrubs and creating the perfect lawn. See some of our clients our gardening course and our MyGardenTeam service on Instagram and the client section on the GardenAdvice website. For further information visit or gardening courses section.