Written by Meridith Moore | Photographs by Alexander Warren-Gash
Imagine your perfect Mediterranean garden. Perhaps it’s a sanctuary of soft colours and swaying grasses, an al fresco gathering space or an oasis escape. As landscape designers, we see ourselves as Mediterranean dream makers, bringing these visions to life through thoughtful design and a deep understanding of plants.
In this article, we share that expertise, exploring our favourite garden styles to inspire and guide you in creating your Mediterranean dream garden.
Classically Mediterranean gardens are full of old-world charm – ancient Olea europaea (olive), hillsides dotted with Cupressus sempervirens (cypress) and stone walls draped with vibrant pink Bougainvillea spp. (bougainvillea). While our Mediterranean gardens capture this sense of timeless beauty, they also go a step further, blending casual elegance with outdoor living.
Year-round enjoyment. We plant a structure of evergreen perennials around the home to ensure year-round beauty and lushness. These evergreen gardens have a more manicured look, featuring cloud gardens made from shrubs like Salvia rosmarinus ‘Prostratus’ (rosemary), Teucrium fruticans (germander) and Pistacia lentiscus (lentiscus). Planted in groups, they grow together and are clipped into organic, cloud-like formations.
White or pink Oenothera lindheimeri (gaura), Rosa ‘KORbin’ (iceberg rose) and Agapanthus Africanus (agapanthus) accent the green clouds, adding seasonal colour and whimsy with their blooms.
Harvest Garden. Mediterranean gardens were historically utilitarian spaces, serving as both sources of food and areas of beauty. We honor this tradition but infuse the gardens with our unique, Mashamba-like style.
Herbs like rosemary, Thymus vulgaris (thyme), Salvia officinali (sage) and Laurus nobilis (bay laurel) are planted alongside flowering perennials, succulents and olives. Similarly, fruit trees such as Citrus spp. (citrus) and Punica granatum (pomegranate) are integrated into the garden – rather than planted in orchards – mimicking nature to create an elegant and bountiful landscape.
In contrast, we often plant Lavandula dentata (French lavender) in neat rows. Come wintertime, it transforms into a field of soft-textured, fragrant blooms, bringing joy and calm beauty to the Mediterranean garden.
Outdoor living. Our Mediterranean gardens are designed for outdoor living, and we like to include elements such as outdoor kitchens, sunlit and shaded dining areas, benches to enjoy scenic views and even pétanque courts for a touch of friendly competition.
Terraces and courtyards can include custom water fountains, offering soothing sounds and a refreshing cooling effect. Handmade pots planted with lollipop olives and overflowing with Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane) blooms bring nature right to your doorstep. These elements encourage you to slow down and enjoy the luxury of a Mediterranean life rooted in nature.
Wildly romantic gardens embody the untamed beauty of the Mediterranean landscape. They appear spontaneous yet thoughtfully designed, relaxed yet enchanting. At Mashamba, we view these gardens as a step toward nature. The relaxed look blurs the line between where your garden ends and where the wild of Mallorca begins.
Exploration. Our romantic designs include pathways that wind through the garden, beckoning exploration and sparking curiosity. They not only create a practical flow, but lead you to secret escapes, like a hammock hidden among tall grasses, a fire pit or a table for two under the shade of an olive.
Sensorial meadows. Prairie-like gardens are one of our signature designs. By layering perennials and ornamental grasses of varying color, texture and height, we create meadows that captivate the senses. Strolling through, you’ll be surrounded by birdsong, the buzz of bees and rustle of swaying Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass). Brushing against the velvety leaves of Salvia yangii (perovskia) releases its sage scent, offering yet another dimension of sensory delight.
Contrasting permanence. Ancient and gnarled olives, carobs, almonds and native shrubs like lentiscus punctuate our sensory meadows and borders, providing focal points and a contrasting sense of permanence. It’s a landscape that encourages you to lose yourself and embrace the wild, the beautifully imperfect and the romantic in both nature and your own life.
Stepping into a tropical feeling garden – brimming with exotic-looking, vibrant greenery – feels like entering another world. The luxuriant abundance sweeps you away to a place far removed from the routines of everyday life, embodying the sense of escape and tranquility we seek from our life here in Mallorca.
Poolside escapes. We like to design pool areas as serene, tropical retreats – perfect for relaxation and escape. The majestic canopy of Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) invites you to spend long, languid days under its dappled shade, surrounded by lush evergreens like lentiscus and the glossy-leafed Pittosporum tobira (Japanese pittosporum).
Variety & density. Abundance is essential to achieving a tropical feel. We layer a mix of textures, colors and shapes, incorporating plants such as cycads, agaves and yuccas. The striking contrast of their prehistoric forms against native plants infuses the garden with an exotic allure while adding depth and richness to its plant life.
For colour, we like to include bold Strelitzia reginae (bird of paradise), oversized blue and white agapanthus and carpets of Tulbaghia violacea (society garlic).
Illusion. What makes our tropical gardens so interesting is that their jungle-like luxuriance is an illusion fashioned from the careful selection and placement of plants. The gardens are all designed with species well-adapted to the dry Mediterranean climate – some plants are even native to deserts – to ensure that the sense of exotic exuberance persists year-round with minimal care and water.
At Mashamba, we approach garden design as an art form, where the landscape is our canvas and plants are our palette. The artistry, however, goes well beyond creating moments of beauty. Our gardens not only look good, they are resilient, growing stronger and more beautiful each year. We accomplish this with a ‘practicality trumps beauty’ philosophy that has Mother Nature at its core.
Appropriate plant selection. We design our gardens using native and other drought-tolerant species that are naturally suited to the Mediterranean climate. These plants are more resistant to local pests and diseases, require less water and chemical interventions and can withstand drought conditions once established.
Lawn reduction.
We aim to minimise or completely eliminate lawn areas in our designs, favoring expansive gardens. These spaces feature a mix of hardy species like cacti, agaves, euphorbias, native shrubs and succulents that are complemented by softly-textured and colourful perennials like gaura, perovskia, lavender and ornamental grasses. Such gardens reduce water consumption by over two-thirds compared to lawns and boost biodiversity, providing habitat and food for birds, tortoises and pollinators.
Gravel mulch. Our designs often include a top layer of thick gravel mulch. Not only does the gravel form natural pathways between the plants, it helps retain soil moisture, reduces herbicide use and looks much neater than topsoil. We use a local sandstone gravel that’s even soft enough for bare feet, allowing you to truly immerse yourself in nature.
Are you inspired and ready to make your Mediterranean dream a reality?
Get in touch to learn how we can transform your landscape and life in Mallorca.
