Home Garden & Home Garden Design Get the Look: Mediterranean Garden

Get the Look: Mediterranean Garden

A Mediterranean garden emits a timeless charm and sophistication which makes it a great chic possibility for any outdoor area. With its innate appeal and elegance, it conjures images of the sun-soaked landscapes of Portugal, Greece, Malta, and beyond.

This garden theme creates a mature and refined ambiance, reminiscent of leisurely strolls through picturesque vineyards and fragrant citrus groves. To help you capture this captivating allure in your own garden, we have curated a comprehensive guide filled with expert tips and inspiration.

What is a Mediterranean Style Landscape?

A Mediterranean landscape is predominately mineral due to the nature of the environment. Therefore, you should focus on the architectural interest that you can introduce into the space to create a Mediterranean style landscape in your garden. Adding drought-tolerant plants in a repetitive manner will also help to embody the landscape design.

Ideas for a Mediterranean garden

There are many structures and accessories you can include to create a Mediterranean garden. Whether you are looking to have a Mediterranean patio or go all out across your outside space, you can increase the Mediterranean feel and the atmosphere of a natural environment.

Include Water Features

The addition of a water feature will deliver calming and gentle sounds that encourage relaxation and can be used in any size garden.

Water features also have other benefits: installing a water feature can reduce noise pollution as the sound of the water absorbs other noises that may occur, as well as being a wonderful attraction for guests who come to visit.

Add a Pergola

A pergola can create a wonderful shady space in a Mediterranean style garden – the idea being that they are perfect for escaping the warm sun! You can use a pergola in an area of your garden that may be overlooked, as it offers you a bit of extra privacy and is the ideal place to entertain.

Consider the Dining Area

Nothing says Mediterranean garden quite like an oven to cook fresh, homemade, and authentic pizzas in.

Ooni pizza ovens have taken gardens by storm, making authentic, flame-cooked pizza achievable in the smallest of spaces. See our range of pizza ovens available online.

Terraced Levels

Mediterranean gardens are known for their wonderful focal points and bursts of colour to add attraction throughout. To create this feel, terraced levels help to draw the eye up and around the garden space and can keep a wonderful fluidity to your space.

Mediterranean Garden Patio Ideas

To produce a Mediterranean patio there are four guidelines you can follow:

Ensure you have shade for any seating areas. This will provide a little relief from any sunrays and will create a comfortable and tranquil space to escape to. Pergolas work well for this.
Controlled colour palette. Selecting just a few of the Mediterranean colours to accessorise your patio with will help it to remain minimalist, clean, and calm. Picking one specific colour and using a variety of shades will help to keep this idea consistent, but if you decide you’d like different colours, choose opposites on the colour wheel as these will work well together.
Find placement for wooden benches. By incorporating natural earthy tones, particularly wooden materials, you can really highlight the Mediterranean style, and by including a seating area on your patio, you can create a wonderful social space.
Dining alfresco is very popular in the Mediterranean, with outdoor kitchens becoming more and more fashionable. Generate the rustic feel of a Mediterranean garden patio with simple, understated furniture and warm tones for your accessories.

Low Maintenance Mediterranean Garden Ideas

Mediterranean gardens don’t have to be complicated in design. The most effective Mediterranean looks are those with a simple décor that screams elegance. By sticking to the same colour and working around this as your focal point, all the other touches and choices of what to plant should fall into place.

Pale gravel also adds to the Mediterranean ambiance and removes the worry of lawn care. Not only does the gravel enhance the mineral, natural theme, but it is also subtle and understated without needing too much care.

Mediterranean Garden Ornament Ideas

Oversized pots really bring the Mediterranean look to life. Terracotta works brilliantly, as it is plentiful in Mediterranean countries, and also acts as a wonderful background for vibrant, colourful plantings.

Mediterranean Tiles for Garden

mediterranean inspired steps next to potted succulents

Tiles are an excellent way to not only reduce maintenance in your garden but also to add the extra style of a Mediterranean outdoor space. Natural stone works well and really brings to life the landscape aspects of the scenery. Ensure that the stone has a rougher finish to give it that aged appearance. Alternatively, include a mosaic within your tiles, as this wonderful decorative feature will add a beautiful focal point to your garden.

Colours for a Mediterranean Garden

Terracotta,
Red,
White,
Azure blue,
Cobalt blue,
Any wood painted black.

Hillier top tip: You can’t go wrong with earthy tones for a Mediterranean garden. Feature colours like terracotta heavily for the Mediterranean zest and incorporate orange and blue for a complimentary colour combination!

Plants for a Mediterranean Garden

Agapanthus

Agapanthus is a fantastic choice for a Mediterranean-style garden because of its stunning appearance and coastal vibe. Its bold flowers and lush foliage add a touch of exotic elegance to any outdoor space. Plus, it’s easy to care for, thriving in sunny spots with well-drained soil.

Agave

Agave would be a great addition to a Mediterranean-style garden owing to its striking appearance and capacity to flourish in hot, arid conditions. Its architectural form and blue-green foliage evoke the rugged landscapes of the Mediterranean, imparting character, and allure to any outdoor area. Moreover, its low-maintenance attributes make it an ideal choice for those wanting a hassle-free garden with a hint of exotic charm.

Caryopteris x clandonensis

Caryopteris x clandonensis is a charming addition to a Mediterranean-style garden, thanks to its vibrant blue flowers and aromatic foliage. Its compact growth habit and long flowering period from late summer to early autumn make it an asset for adding colour and interest to garden borders and beds. With its ability to attract butterflies and other pollinators, Caryopteris x clandonensis brings life and vitality to Mediterranean-inspired landscapes, enhancing their beauty and allure.

Echinops

Echinops, commonly known as Globe Thistles, is an excellent choice for a Mediterranean-style garden due to its striking spherical blooms and silvery-blue foliage. Its spiky appearance adds texture and interest to the landscape, reminiscent of the rugged coastal terrain of the Mediterranean region. This drought-tolerant plant thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it a resilient and low-maintenance choice for gardeners seeking to capture the essence of the Mediterranean landscape.

Eryngium

Eryngium is a captivating addition to a Mediterranean-style garden with its spiky, metallic-blue flowers and thistle-like appearance. Its tough, drought-tolerant nature and ability to thrive in sandy, coastal conditions make it an ideal choice for Mediterranean-inspired landscapes. This unique plant adds texture and visual interest to garden borders and rockeries, evoking the untamed beauty of coastal habitats.

Euphorbia

Euphorbia is a versatile plant that complements the Mediterranean aesthetic with its architectural form and vibrant foliage. With a wide range of varieties available, from low-growing ground covers to tall shrubs, Euphorbia offers gardeners plenty of options for adding colour and texture to their outdoor spaces in a Mediterranean-inspired way.

Geranium

Geraniums are a classic choice for Mediterranean-style gardens, offering a profusion of colourful blooms and a long flowering season. Whether cascading over walls and borders or filling containers and window boxes, Geraniums add a splash of vibrant colour and charm to any Mediterranean-inspired garden.

Grape Vine

The Grape Vine is an iconic symbol of Mediterranean gardens, evoking images of sun-drenched vineyards and rustic landscapes. Its lush foliage, delicious fruit, and twisting vines add a touch of romance and authenticity to Mediterranean-style gardens. Whether trained along pergolas, arbours, or trellises, Grape Vines provide shade, privacy, and a bountiful harvest, enhancing the ambiance of outdoor living spaces in a distinctly Mediterranean way.

Lagerstroemia indica

Lagerstroemia indica is a stunning flowering tree that brings a touch of Mediterranean elegance to gardens with its vibrant blooms and smooth, peeling bark. Its showy flowers, which appear in summer and autumn, range in colour from shades of pink and purple to white, adding a burst of colour to the landscape.

Olive Tree

The Olive Tree is synonymous with Mediterranean landscapes, embodying the timeless beauty and resilience of the region. Its silvery-grey foliage, gnarled trunk, and delicate flowers lend a sense of history and authenticity to Mediterranean-style gardens. Whether planted as a solitary specimen, used to create a focal point, or incorporated into a grove, Olive Trees evoke the spirit of the Mediterranean, providing shade, character, and a connection to the land.

Passiflora caerulea

Passiflora caerulea is a captivating vine that adds a touch of exotic beauty to Mediterranean-style gardens. Its intricate, fragrant flowers and rich foliage create a tropical ambiance indicative of Mediterranean coastal paradises. With its vigorous growth habit and ability to attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, Passiflora caerulea brings life and vibrancy to garden walls, trellises, and arbours, enhancing the allure of Mediterranean-inspired outdoor spaces.

Succulents

Succulents are an excellent choice for a Mediterranean-style garden due to their drought-tolerant nature and striking appearance. Their fleshy leaves and unique shapes add texture and visual interest to any outdoor space, evoking the arid landscapes of the Mediterranean region. Succulents thrive in sunny, well-drained areas, making them ideal for garden beds, rockeries, or containers.

Herbs

Herbs like oregano, sage, jasmine, thyme, and rosemary are essential elements of a Mediterranean-style garden, infusing it with fragrance, flavour, and visual appeal.

Discover the Hillier range of herb seeds for a productive kitchen garden.