You may also like:<\/strong><\/p> There are drifts of grasses<\/a>, including Lygeum spartum<\/em>, with its tufted flowers that catch the light under the shifting shadows of mature olive and jacaranda trees; a grove of silken-leaved Agave<\/em> attenuata<\/em> and towering Aloe<\/em> arborescens<\/em>; and hummingbird hawk moths that dart about swathes of resinous-scented Salvia leucantha<\/a><\/em>.<\/p> The garden speaks directly to the rugged Balearic landscape, but it didn\u2019t always sit so easily in its surroundings. \u201cThe garden was mainly lawn that was heavily irrigated,\u201d explains Tom, describing the site on his first visit. \u201cThere were hedges of Australasian shrubs that had been clipped within an inch of their lives. Everything was cut with shears and everything, other than the Phoenix palms, was maintained to look like poodles.\u201d<\/p> The fields of olive trees that surround the finca were often managed using damaging, modern approaches that involved annual ploughing. Tom\u2019s client wanted to move forward in a much more sustainable <\/a>way and reduce their reliance on water<\/a>. Together they set about clearly defining the areas of the garden. \u201cI wanted to distinguish what was going to be garden with precious things, such as citrus The garden speaks directly to the rugged Balearic landscape, but it didn\u2019t always sit so easily in its surroundings.<\/p> <\/blockquote> The main garden further down is a little over an acre but borrows a lot from the landscape beyond, which features species commonly found in the Mallorcan landscape, such as lentisk trees (Pistacia lentiscus<\/em>), Mediterranean heather (Erica multiflora<\/em>) and rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus<\/em>). These plants, together with the beautifully crafted, traditional stone walling that is synonymous with the island, help blur the lines of where the garden starts and the landscape beyond continues.<\/p> Many interesting species from Mediterranean<\/a> climate zones around the world have also been skilfully incorporated into the design. Eremophila nivea<\/em>, endemic to Western Australia, provides a gleaming silver contrast, punctuating the planting at irregular intervals. Lomelosia cretica<\/em> (native to the Balearic Islands and Italy), also works hard in the garden, drifted through Lavandula dentata<\/em>, Phlomis lychnitis<\/em> and Euphorbia rigida<\/em> \u2013 its delicate, scabious-like blooms providing a long season of interest, which concludes with translucent, spherical seedheads that glow when illuminated by the sunlight, and quiver in the slightest breeze.<\/p> This area of the garden was planted in 100-120mm of grit. Gardens planted in this way, with the right species, require very little water, and, Tom confirms, very little to do in the way of weed management. One drawback to this is that there can be little in the way of self-seeding, which means there is less sense of the dynamic change that occurs when plants place themselves.<\/p> Tom\u2019s client wanted to move forward in a much more sustainable way and reduce their reliance on water.<\/p> <\/blockquote> Nick Pusterla, a director from Tom\u2019s studio, works with him on their projects in the Mediterranean and, three years on from planting, is watching closely how it is developing. He has found that some species are now starting to move around more dynamically, including Stachys byzantina<\/em>, Hyparrhenia hirta<\/em>, Lavandula dentata<\/em>, rosemary, Russian sage and euphorbias<\/em>.<\/p> Areas close to the edges of paths<\/a>, where there is more dust and perhaps an accumulation of organic matter, is where seedlings seem to be able to take purchase. These self-directed shifts and movements of plants create a beautifully natural feel to a space, and it is evident that this garden is really starting to bed in and develop a quiet confidence and sense of place.<\/p> Drifts of grasses include Lygeum spartum with its tufted flowers that catch the light under Despite the garden\u2019s air of effortless beauty, the team did experience some challenges. Compaction from heavy machinery was an issue for the planting, which involved approximately 18,000 plants. There were some losses in the first year and the team had to de-compact the soil using a drill to bore holes. Most of the plants had been sourced from the renowned French nursery, P\u00e9pini\u00e8re Filippi, run by Olivier Filippi <\/a>and his wife Clara near Montpellier. The couple specialise in growing drought-tolerant <\/a>species, and all of their stock is grown in a free-draining medium that helps the plants adapt well when planted, without the need for excessive irrigation.<\/p> But the style of garden that had existed on this site before required a lot of regular watering and it took time for some of the original garden team to adapt to the new maintenance regime. \u201cDespite the very dry conditions, the garden was only watered once every 14 days. Any more than this and we would start to experience losses,\u201d explains Nick.<\/p> Gardens like this, which gently highlight and elevate the natural elegance of a place rather than imposing on them, seem to capture the zeitgeist within contemporary horticulture and landscape design. Its success, in design, construction and maintenance, seems to hinge on careful observation and a clear understanding of the specifics of the location. It is a perfect example of a garden that gently and respectfully accentuates the characteristics of the place \u2013 a garden carefully stewarded into being.<\/p>
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![\"Palm](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/12\/RBD070524_288_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
![\"Mediterranean](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/12\/RBD070524-350v3_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
![\"Succulent](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/12\/RBD060524_222_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
In brief<\/h3>