Any Mediterranean-inspired planting design tends to have a color theme that relies predominantly on the addition of cool shades of olive green, silver, gray and blue-green foliage. Plants in these colors often have an interesting architectural shape too that adds a sense of drama, as well as making ideal plant partners
Many plants with leaves in these colors are drought tolerant, and thrive in full sun, and this is why they tend to be a key part of Mediterranean garden ideas. In addition their foliage reflects harsh sunlight, loses less water, and enhances the signature Mediterranean color palette of pale stone, warm terracotta, and the deep blue of sea and sky.
There is something cooling about the addition of these colors to your planting design too, especially when combined with white or blue flowers. Plants with silver and gray-green foliage will add impact by introducing luminous contrast to the other elements in your planting scheme. Really, this Mediterranean garden trend makes so much sense on every level as summers are getting hotter. Leading landscape design experts now reveal how you can get the look in your own garden.
1. Choose Layers of Cool And Elegant Resilient Planting
Resilience is the buzzword on everyone's lips at the moment and there's no better place to look for inspiration than Mediterranean plants. Easy to grow, tough and drought-tolerant, these don't need a lot of attention and thrive in hot temperatures. So if you're aiming to create a cool place where you can retreat from the sun, always opt to add gray-green and silver-leaved plants to the mix.
“We favor a restrained palette of silvery-green foliage to create a sense of calm, sophistication and timelessness, particularly when working alongside contemporary architecture," says Sophie Bertrand, head of design at Rosebank Landscaping.
"Mediterranean species such as Teucrium fruticans ‘Azureum’, Ballota pseudodictamnus and Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ are favorites for their ability to thrive in dry, sunny conditions once established, making them increasingly well suited to warmer, drier summers."
In this London garden design, layered planting creates a relaxed, immersive feel, combining clipped evergreen forms with softer ornamental grasses and perennials, and moving from low-growing ground cover plants through to mounding shrubs and architectural trees. "We often use this approach to blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors, repeating colors, textures and materials so the garden feels like a natural extension of the home."
Inspired by the understated elegance of Mediterranean landscapes and courtyards, the result is a garden that feels tranquil and luxurious, but is also designed for longevity, with a planting palette that remains beautiful and resilient well beyond the summer months.
This evergreen plant is drought resistant, easy to look after (just needing a light prune), with the blue flowers contrasting beautifully with the silvery leaves.
A distinctive evergreen perennial prized for its softly felted silver-grey leaves on long curving stems, this provides outstanding contrast among green-leaved plants.
Artemisia has light, almost silver, aromatic foliage, and this one is a particularly handsome cultivar, with fern-like leaves that make it a Mediterranean garden must-have.
2. Make A Gray-Green Olive Tree The Focal Point of Your Design
With their elegant silvery-green hues, slender leaves and resilience to drought olive trees are at the heart of every Mediterranean garden. They can endure extreme heat and lack of water. They are extremely tough, can withstand neglect, and are very easy to grow.
Olive trees are a versatile, elegant addition to Mediterranean garden ideas, with the gray-green leaves introduce a cooling note. You can choose one whatever the size of your space, as they thrive in pots too, like these standard olive trees from Thompson & Morgan, which are happy growing in a large pot.
There is a trend right now for introducing mature olive trees as sculptural focal points, bringing an immediate sense of character and a strong Mediterranean identity to a garden design.
"In this design the grand, architectural entrance is framed by a pair of mature olive trees," says designer Katharine Pooley. "On this particular occasion, the olive trees were flown in. However, for our other Mediterranean projects, if there is an olive tree in a place of pride, we like to ensure that they are preserved in their designated roots and to form the surrounding setting around them."
Katharine approaches each project with sensitivity, prioritising the preservation and repurposing of elements where possible. This includes established planting, as well as the paving tiles pictured in this Mallorca property, carefully recycled from a Barcelona renovation.
3. Add A Sculptural Element With Reflective Silver Planting
Silver foliage is invaluable in a Mediterranean-style garden because it reflects the light and gives a border a luminous, sun-bleached quality. It also acts as a visual bridge between stronger colors: pinks and purples appear richer beside silver, while fresh green foliage looks more vibrant. Many silver-leaved plants are naturally adapted to hot, dry conditions, but good drainage is essential.
"I prefer to repeat silver foliage through a border rather than confining it to one isolated plant," says garden designer Katrina Kieffer-Wells. "Combining different leaf shapes is particularly effective: broad, velvety leaves can provide a focal point, while finely divided or needle-like foliage creates movement and texture."
But in this design Katrina uses shapely Senecio candicans ‘Angel Wings’ as a bold punctuation point instead, rather than dotting individual plants throughout a border. We asked Katrina for more recommendations for silver planting that adds a sculptural touch. "Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ is one of my favourite plants for creating a soft, billowing layer with its finely cut, aromatic silver foliage."
Lavender is on everyone's list of Mediterranean garden ideas too but there's one in particular that Katrina is a fan of. "I like the lavender cultivar ‘Richard Gray’ for its woolly, silver leaves and deep purple flowers. It brings fragrance, movement and pollinators into the garden, so it contributes far more than color alone."
Katrina is also a fan of Santolina ‘Pretty Carroll’, a compact evergreen with finely divided, aromatic silver-gray foliage (Santolina makes it onto my list of the 9 best mediterranean garden plants too). "It's ideal for repeating along the front of a border or beside a path, where its neat mounds give structure throughout the year. The yellow button flowers add a warm accent, although the foliage is attractive enough for it to earn its place even without them.'
A striking foliage plant with large, silvery white leaves that makes an eye-catching feature for a border or pot where it will thrive in a hot, sunny spot.
Narrow grey-green leaves provide year-round interest and set off the long, upright flower spikes, which open in rich pink tones for a slightly more unusual variety of lavender.
A compact rounded shrub with aromatic grey-white foliage. In mid to late summer, it produces an abundance of small, yellow, button-like flowers on slender stems.
As well as the aesthetic and practical plus points of using plants with silvery-green and gray foliage as part of Mediterranean garden ideas, they also help to create a cool and calm garden retreat that's a wonderfully soothing space. It's a good idea to add gravel landscaping ideas to the mix too as it's the natural medium to set off your Mediterranean garden ideas perfectly.
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