Posts Tagged ‘Mediterranean’

Mediterranean Landscape Design and Garden Designers in Houston Texas

Every garden has a bit of fantasy in it and, for Houstonians longing for the look and feel of, say, Tuscany or the Italian Renaissance period, no garden fills that desire like a Mediterranean landscape design.

Combining elegant elements of nature with the relaxed Mediterranean culture, the Mediterranean landscape design can go from simple, yet cultivated to elaborate lavishness. Crystal clear water and outdoor water fountains, sweet herbs right off the vine to be used in outdoor kitchens, relaxed spaces for entertainment, and lush, practical vegetation characterized the Mediterranean landscape design.

Just as a rose by any other name smells sweet, so too the Mediterranean landscape design. It is known variously as Andalusian, Santa Barbara Revival, Tuscan and Moroccan styles. Primarily taking its name from the climate of the Mediterranean region and southern Europe, it falls midway between the broad formal and informal garden design categories. The influences of classic landscape design can clearly be seen in this style due to the proximity and prominence of ancient Rome.

Mediterranean Landscape Design-Through History

The Mediterranean landscapes originated in ancient Arabia and evolved, as all garden styles have, throughout the centuries. Major influences were the gardens of Greece, Rome and Italy.

Since it is so closely associated with the warm, sometimes arid, climate of the Mediterranean region, this style has little in common with English garden design, largely due to plant material choices. Because of its evocation of another time and place, the Mediterranean landscape design stands apart from modern landscape designs with its emphasis on contemporary choices and imagery.

Features of Mediterranean Landscape Designs

You can pick and choose among several different striking features suitable for residential gardens done in the Mediterranean style. The byword to remember is “Old World ambiance.”

? Stone, weathered bricks, terra cotta tiles, flagstone, tumbled travertine
? Wooden beams
? Wrought iron
? Classical statuary and Roman columns
? Outdoor furniture that evokes Arabian, Moroccan or Italian sensibilities

The architecture of the house needs to be carefully considered when using a Mediterranean landscape design. Actually the house dictates this choice, as some architectural styles-Colonial and Federal-style come to mind-would jar the senses if paired with a Mediterranean garden. The intelligent placement of a hardscape feature, perhaps a wrought iron garden gate in the curvaceous style of Barcelona, can be used to solidify the connection to your home.

When this style is appropriate, the home and landscape can also be tied together through selective use of plantings. Your choice of plants, in fact, further defines your Mediterranean design:

? Trees and shrubs. Given the hot climate from which this style arose, shade is extremely important-making it perfect for the Houston area. Live oaks, with their twists and turns, look lovely in this garden. Also, Italian cypress, olive trees and fruit trees such as orange and lemon trees.

? Vines. Use creeping vines like wisteria and grapevines.

? Herb gardens. Basil, rosemary, sage and thyme enhance the Italian influence and create enticing smells. Herbs are especially attractive in terra cotta planters.

? Vegetable gardens. Since authentic Mediterranean gardens are practical, heralding back to their roots in farming cultures, a vegetable garden fits right into the landscape. A vegetable garden not only provides sustenance, but also color.

The Spaces of the Mediterranean Landscape Design

The residential garden with a Mediterranean flair is beautiful and relaxed, capturing the easy living of the outdoors. In choosing the spaces and hardscapes to further augment that tone, consider these options:

? Outdoor kitchens. A focal point of outdoor entertainment, a summer kitchen provides a natural gathering place. Its design should tie the house and the landscape together and must, above all, be functional.

? Outdoor water fountains. Water is a critical part of the Mediterranean landscape design, so consider fountains done in an Italianate, Romanesque or rustic style. Be mindful of scale-you want the fountain to be in proportion to the rest of the landscape. Also consider the sightlines of the shooting water from your favorite viewing spot.

? Luxury swimming pools. Within the Mediterranean landscape design, classic shapes, like rectangles and circles, work well. Which, given the versatility of basic forms, means the pools can be simple and austere-or eye-catching and mesmerizing. Often, you can combine them with an outdoor water fountain that eliminates some redundancies while adding vitality to your overall design.

? Walkways. Gravel, stone, bricks and flagstone work well for paths in the Mediterranean landscape design. Neutral colors are preferred.

Final Thoughts on the Mediterranean Landscape Design

Jeff Halper with Exterior Worlds says, “Our clients travel to Europe and come home wanting to emulate a scene that they fell in love with in Italy, Tuscany, Spain or Greece. As the name implies, Mediterranean gardens are usually formal, dry-climate gardens. They have the same attributes-linearity, use of axis and central focal points-of formal landscape design. I think their most distinguishing feature is in their use of materials: limestone or gravels for paths, junipers, Italian cypress, dwarf yaupons and other blue-green or grey dry plants. Think of the dry, rocky hills of Austin with olive groves.”

He goes on to say, “What surprises people most with this type of design is the amount of math and order that it takes to create chaos in a garden.”

Mediterranean Gardens

When we think of Mediterranean gardens we immediately think of lavender, sage, clipped box and tall Italian cypress trees and indeed these are the basics for a Mediterranean garden.

If you are thinking of creating your own Mediterranean garden other plants to include are members of the sage family, nepetas (cat mint), santolina, rosemary, juniper and citrus plants.

Mediterranean gardens often contain a lot of clipped plants and box, rosemary, santolina and yew are all good candidates for clipping. All could be clipped into low hedges and then filled with different herbs or lavender, box and santolina could be clipped into balls and scattered throughout the garden.

If you are hoping for some large green topiary shapes -balls, cones or spirals- and you have not the patience to wait for box to grow you could think of training some young laurel bushes. These grow very quickly. The end result is not as good but it is much quicker and can act as a stop-gap whilst your box shapes grow.

Think about having an area with rows of tight clipped lavender to evoke the lavender fields of Provence.

Italian cypress provides height and drama to the garden and could be planted in rows on either side of the drive to give a real Mediterranean touch. For a slightly more modern touch cut the tops of the cypress trees turning them into topiaries.

Colour is largely restricted to the blues and purples of the lavenders, nepetas and sages but some pink can be introduced with some flowering cherry trees and with large bushes of cistus and their pink rose like flowers.

If you live in a fairly frost-free area include some olive trees, perhaps in pots which along with the citrus trees could be moved to a sheltered spot over winter.

Looking for inspiration visit some of the lovely Mediterranean gardens in the South-East of France.

Take Mediterranean Cruises For Life Time Experiences!

There is a history, there is a culture there is the beauty and there is essence of how the civilization has evolved and the purity of its own form. That is Mediterranean. There is nowhere else on earth where you can sample as many flavors, cultures and historic sites as you can on a Mediterranean cruise. Explore the lands where Western Civilization was born and where the fine art of living has been perfected ever since. Discover the Mediterranean’s ancient empires and the wonders of the Holy Lands.

There are several choices of Mediterranean Cruises with some of the finest cruise lines and cruise ships in the Mediterranean waters. These Mediterranean cruises take you to exotic Mediterranean destinations. When you cruise the Mediterranean, you wake up in a new world each morning and relax in the comfort of your very own floating resort. This floating resort offers you fine accommodations, meals, and it takes care of entertainment too, while you re aboard.

There is no doubt that the Mediterranean cruise is the most diverse type of cruise available. With about 120 ports around this historic coastline area, this memorable cruise offers a number of cruise deals to you to celebrate your days and nights. There are trips ranging from a few days to two or three weeks long. You can visit more than 15 countries including Egypt, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Besides the onboard excitements of Mediterranean cruises, this coastline area offers some thing enriching to every person, visiting these coastlines. Huge shopping areas, museums, romantic climate, ancient monuments, diverse cultural attractions, beautiful sight and beaches are huge attractions for tourists. On one hand you enjoy sailing, on the other hand get to be part of exciting city life too. The sea ports here are close to each other, hence you can visit more places in short time. Mediterranean cruise is one of the best modes of touring Europe.

The prime season for Mediterranean cruises is from April through October, although there are ships sailing all year. Take a Mediterranean cruise and explore the 25 centuries of history, art, and culture.