How to use Mediterranean style in landscaping
Every year the Mediterranean style in the landscape design of garden and backyard plots becomes more and more popular. Flowers and shrubs growing in the subtropical zone attract not only with their abundant flowering, but also with a delicate aroma.
Features of the landscapes of Mediterranean resorts
Citrus fruits and palms in containers will certainly delight vacationers, but in the design it is impossible to do without:
- decorative artificial stones;
- natural boulders, distinguished by their original shape and unusual shade;
- various types of sea pebbles and marble chips.
For a Mediterranean-style landscape, you can choose not heat-loving cypresses, but columnar thuja, junipers... To decorate the site, you can use a combination of decorative elements reminiscent of the art of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. All kinds of terraces, stylishly decorated walls and stairs have become widespread. This bright and warm garden will certainly appeal to those who are in the mood for relaxation and enjoyment.
South patio in temperate latitudes
It is unlikely that it will be possible to grow plants of the subtropical zone strong and healthy in areas with a cool climate. But, if you really want to give your site a Mediterranean flavor, then you can make a special recreation area - a small patio. This is a courtyard located between the house and the outbuildings. As a rule, it is hidden from prying eyes and is almost completely protected from bad weather and wind.
Mediterranean-style patios are decorated with various types of stone, but sometimes the floor can be paved with porcelain tiles. In its arrangement, they use rather simple, unassuming furniture made of natural wood or woven from willow vines. Metal fittings or embellishments can be cast.
If a marine theme is chosen for the decoration of a Mediterranean-style courtyard, then tablecloths, pillows and other decor can be white, blue or turquoise, and in a variety of tones and shades.
The walls of the houses also have a role to play in Mediterranean-style landscaping. Most often they are roughly processed, and their surface is markedly uneven. The gratings are fixed on them for clematis, blue or purple. Wooden shutters should be installed on the windows. Sometimes they can be located in the doors.
The landscape of any southern manor is always combined with the surrounding nature. Therefore, the basis of the color scheme of small southern courtyards is often white and ocher shades, as well as sandy, brownish-yellow and chocolate. Textiles, which are also successfully used for decoration, give warmth to the environment. Vases with spectacular southern plants are placed on the floor and stands, and the creation of a stylish patio is completed.
Mediterranean style in landscape design, a choice of small architectural forms
Almost all houses on the Mediterranean coast are equipped with graceful balconies, and fountains are often located in the center of the garden plots, giving people coolness on the hottest days. They can be very simple. Small wall fountains in the shape of a lion's head are in fashion. But sometimes they are decorated with real works of art, for example, sculptures of beautiful girls or animals.
For greater authenticity of the Mediterranean style, many natural materials are used in landscape design, as well as:
- sandstones, which are easy to shape by processing;
- limestones with a wide range of colors and shades, from white-gray to brownish-yellow, greenish and reddish-pink;
- concrete products and coatings;
- terracotta sculptures and vases;
- full mosaic pictures and small fragments.
Small architectural forms include not only fountains, but also gazebos, walls, which sometimes act as supports for climbing roses and other spectacularly climbing plants. Original poles, ladders, with containers with heat-loving plants fixed on them, will also not leave anyone indifferent.
The pool is another characteristic feature of southern architecture. In the hot summer, all the inhabitants of the house gather around it. Children's joy, combined with the bliss of adults, are invariable components of relaxation by a small artificial reservoir.
Several zoning arches or obelisks are useful for dividing the landscape on the site. We must not forget about pergolas - canopies made of climbing plants, laid on supports and supporting beams. Most often, grapes are placed on pergolas, its vines are quite leafy and can give more than one bunch of delicious berries. Pergolas are installed over recreation areas, terraces, walkways.
Mediterranean-style terrace decoration
Terraces harmoniously combine the residential building with the surrounding landscape. These are a kind of open flooring on supports or a prepared base. In small areas, the terrace is installed near the house, and on large areas they are made in the form of islands or surround pools with them.
If the landscape on the site is uneven, choose a multi-level terrace, preferably with a fence. A partially roofed terrace looks best outside the house.
Certain types of terraces can be called verandas, balconies, gazebos and even such an element of the entrance group as a porch.
In the Mediterranean style, terraces are made of hardwood or stone. The floor on open terraces is laid with tiles, and best of all with porcelain stoneware, which is unusually resistant to abrasion. Large terraces are covered with mosaics reminiscent of ancient Greek or Roman patterns with the inclusion of pebbles.
Mediterranean verandas
Verandas - premises attached to low-rise buildings on the south coast are usually open. Glazed options are also found, but they are used in the construction of residential high-rise buildings. They are not heated, they are equipped with protective devices from the bright rays of the sun. A photo of the Mediterranean-style veranda can be seen below.
On a personal plot, semi-open or fully glazed gazebos are often installed, which are also considered verandas. Their walls are traditionally decorated with wall pots, with ampelous plants planted in them: begonia, nasturtium or lobelia.
Near the veranda, you can plant honeysuckle, honeysuckle. The shoots of this woody vine can grow up to 6 m. About three weeks in early summer, it will delight everyone with fragrant flowering.
To maximize the conformity with the Mediterranean style in landscape design, you need to “fence off” the temperate trees growing nearby or in the neighborhood. So that they are not so conspicuous and do not destroy the created harmony, high trellises entwined with vines need to be installed near them.Girlish grapes or hops - ordinary or yellow-leaved, look especially beautiful as a natural decoration.