Blog

Creating and looking after your own Mallorca Mediterranean garden is a great way to get to know more about the environment of Mallorca and do your bit to care for it. Gardening can also be a wonderfully relaxing, meditative experience. So, even if you have acres of garden that has been professionally designed, you might like to have a piece of your own green oa
sis to tend yourself. 

With this in mind, Alexander Warren-Gash of Mashamba Garden and Terrace Design has kindly passed on his top five tips for creating and caring for your own Mallorca Mediterranean garden.

1. Choose easy to grow plants and herbs that look good

It’s best to keep to classically Mediterranean woody herbs such as bay, rosemary, thyme, sage that don’t require much water. Oregano, mint and tarragon also thrive in Mallorca and are nice additions to your garden.

With plants, we’re fortunate here in Mallorca that we have an excellent selection of plants to work with. It’s important, though, to this an island with many microclimates in which certain plants flourish more than others.

The best thing to do is look around and see what plants are growing well in your areas because these will probably work well for you too.

2. Make sure your Mallorca Mediterranean garden is water friendly

We live on an island with a limited water supply. So, whether you have your own borehole that provides you with water or not, you should always work with plants that are drought tolerant and adapted to the Mediterranean climate. Your garden and our island will be much healthier as a result.

If you’re not sure which are the most water friendly plants to grow, the vivero – garden centre – you choose will be able to advise you.

3. Selecting fertiliser

Using the right fertiliser and associated products is also important. You’ll be able to buy conventional and organic fertiliser and get sound advice at the garden centre you choose. If you’re growing vegetables, you might like to find out more about the benefits of biochar from our friend Christer Soderberg of Circle Carbon.

4. Finding the equipment you need

Most of the simple gardening tools you’ll need are readily available at a garden centre or decent hardware store.

If you’re feeling more ambitious for your Mallorca Mediterranean garden and want to use pieces of kit like rotorvators, tractors or diggers, it’s best to rent these or subcontract the work to a local farmer or gardener.

5. The key to good Mallorca Mediterranean garden design

The key to a good garden design is to create something that you will use and enjoy. Think about your wants and needs for the space and design the garden around that. Especially, consider space for outdoor dining, secret hideaways and romantic paths.

Simplicity is also key. Stick to a limited number of species of plant. Also, make sure you know how big the plants you choose are going to grow and how fast.

Garden centres

Alexander recommends Fronda for decorative items such as small plants, plant pots, dried and and fresh flowers and accessories like outdoor cushions, vases and baskets.

Sa Porrassa is especially good for larger plants like olive trees. Vivers Santa Maria is also well worth checking out.

We’ve also heard good things about Jardins de Tramuntana, Can Juanito in Son Ferriol – especially when it comes to advice – as well as Llabrés in Manacor and Edeen.

Useful reading

Before you get started, our friend Tomás Graves suggests you might like to track down the book Gardening the Mediterranean Way: How to Create a Waterwise, Drought-Tolerant Garden by Heidi Gildemeister. Heidi used to own the Ariant estate near Pollença so she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to creating and maintaining a Mallorca Mediterranean garden.