Hosea Omole

Few garden types can match Mediterranean Gardens when it comes to leisure. They are as hedonistic as they come. They evoke visions of an exotic holiday; with lots of sun, crystal waters, lush vegetation and endless sun.

Over the years Mediterranean garden styles have evolved into distinct garden types which you can consider for your home. Here are some of them:

Tuscan garden

A Spanish Paradise garden.

Tuscan gardens draw their name from a region called Tuscany in central Italy where they were first formalised. Built for pleasure and romance, a Tuscan garden is where family, friends and food come together to spend care-free days and romantic evenings.

They are a sight to behold; casual yet elegant, comfortable, inviting and extremely romantic. Rich herbs and spices for fragrance and flavour abound.

Ornate urns, intricate floral arrangements, Italian pottery draped with lush greenery come to life in a Tuscan garden. Moreover, wrought iron benches, roses trained on trellises, statuary and water fountains accent the garden.

In addition to the beauty, Tuscan gardens are innately utilitarian. Typically, a rustic stone path leads one to a vegetable garden filled with tomatoes, kale and other greens. Fruit laden trees literally surround the garden.

Moroccan garden

A Moroccan garden is all about outdoor living. Outdoor rooms are planned and furnished just as the interiors. There is space for sitting, dining, cooking and entertaining.

It is not uncommon to find a bed in a Moroccan garden. To accommodate all these activities, the floor is mostly hardscaped, with tiles placed in combination to suggest artistic, mathematical, spiritual or cosmological patterns.

The gardens are also traditionally set in a courtyard, with the surround buildings providing enclosure and privacy from the neighbourhood.

Yet these gardens still maintain a strong sense of the outdoors. Citrus trees and abundant foliage plants set in terra-cotta pots leave no doubt that you are out in the open.

Water is an integral part of these gardens.

To crown it all, the Moroccan garden is accessorised with hand carved furniture, birdcages, filigree gates, strips of jewel toned fabric and lanterns to extend the fun late into the Arabian night.

Spanish Paradise garden

Like the Moroccan garden, the Spanish Paradise garden is also set in a courtyard. Its most distinct feature, however, is the central cross axis which is usually defined by a long water feature that divides the garden into quadrants.

Everything else takes the cue from the central axes with clearly defined geometric patterns and shapes.

Coastal Mediterranean vegetation including citrus trees and palms are planted in straight lines to fit in with the strong architectural features that surround and define the garden.

Living areas are clearly defined and intricately furnished. They are located along the edges and are oriented to look into the garden. These ‘outdoor rooms’ and patios that literally surround the garden are filled ornate Spanish or Persian ceramics, decorative tiles and artistic motifs.

-The writer is a landscape architect