GREEK VILLA MEDITTERANEAN GARDENS

Words and photographs by Pete Wilcock

"...our intention has been to capture the summery hedonistic atmosphere that Greece / Rhodes offers."

Read all about the design, creation and our ongoing plans to evolve the gardens of the villa into something special....

Creating a Mediterranean Garden at Villa Lindos Kalliopi was just as important as getting the interior correct. In fact since January 2008 (when the work began on creating the garden) this aspect has continued to be the most satisfying and enjoyable. Almost four years in and it is clear this is now going to an ongoing labour of love as we learn about and nurture this new (to us) type of gardening. All we have ever learnt about plants in the UK was virtually redundant when we embarked on this exciting scheme discovering how to make a garden on Rhodes flourish…

But just how can you turn an empty garden space of rubble remnants (from the finished development) into a Mediterranean garden? A nice villa is one thing, but without a fine garden it is not a place to call home.

A collection of plants is no more a garden than a collection of words can be considered to be poetry. Creating a garden to cope with a Mediterranean climate takes a lot of time, planning, execution and an ongoing commitment to offer great care to those gardens.

Making a garden that will last for a long time also requires some knowledge as to how to go about it. As we learn we have had a few casualties along the way - but actually very few! At Villa Lindos Kalliopi we are positioned very close to the sea so this itself limits some specimens we can use. What is also, in some aspects, limiting is a summer temperature that can be in excess of + 40C. Those two key conditions have made us realise that establishing this garden takes some determination and time to discover what works and what does not. Of course the temperatures also very much work in our favor, the heat and regular sunshine have allowed planting the likes of which we can rarely attempt in the U.K. The speed of growth some of the plants have achieved is staggering, noticeably increased by the climate.

Big differences also exist between a “garden in the Mediterranean” and a “Mediterranean garden”. The former is unlikely to have been built to last and it simply will not last. The latter is built to be durable and will mature into something very special, not ignoring climate but embracing it.

What we want at Villa Lindos Kalliopi is a Mediterranean garden that is lush, exotic with a laid back appearance and appeal. The front entrance gardens and the rear garden spaces either side of the pool terrace need to be a perfect antidote / retreat from the hectic pace of life we find ourselves in when we are all working hard. We want it to be a heavenly place to enjoy.

With the gardens at Villa Lindos Kalliopi our intention has been to capture the summery hedonistic atmosphere that Greece / Rhodes offers. You need to lose yourself in the garden, enjoying all the plants, pots and scenery around you.

All across the Dodecanese islands (and on Rhodes notably at the nearby areas of Lindos and Kalithea) you will find magnificent pebble mosaic designs embedded into the ground. The correct name for this is Krokalia (in Greek meaning "the back of a crocodile" - because of the resemblances) and they form a carpet of patterns that instantly add charm. We were keen to add our own tribute to this - so within this garden, close to the Greek chimney barbecue, you will find a small area featuring our own design of Krokalia (see picture above). This is our own, freehand, attempt to add a little touch of historic Rhodes within the gardens. It is a very intricate and slow process but we decided to attempt more in early 2011 and an even bigger section was created adjacent to a new large banquette seating area on the lawn terrace. This new area of garden, that has a striking backdrop of a (Lindos style) white washed wall, has, within months, matured at an incredible rate and has allowed us to showcase even more planting.

Over the past few years we have introduced trees such as olive, orange and lemon, small alpines, a banana plant, Kumquat, Cacti, Bottle brush tree, strelitzia (Bird of Paradise), fig tree, palm tree, rubber tree and bouganvilla. An assortment of low growing succulents are also a key component of this garden and in particular the ice plant (Lampranthus)- this dense and compact plant has a rich green leaf and will flower in the spring / early summer with flowers that almost give a "cottage garden" feel with some really intense colours - a simple, low maintenance plant and one of our favorite additions.

Another favorite is the Purple Heart (Tradescantia Pallida) that started off as a potted plant but has proved so striking with its deep purple stem / leaf and small lavender blooms that we could not resist taking cuttings to mix this around the garden to spread (picture further down on this page).

Cacti in borders and in pots are well represented too and this includes the prickly pear which is already producing an unusual, decorative, red fruit.

Roses, less in favor with gardeners in such climates over the past few years, are also proving to be a success and the varieties we have included are a welcome addition to this garden (see picture below). In the Classical period Rhodes was renowned as a major cultivator of the Rose, so it is fitting that they form an integral part in the creation of our gardens.

The garden is framed with some bold architectural statements such as increased use of the stunning stone walls that surround the garden, snow white Cycladic style rendered walls, two Cycladic style banquette seats (one at the front garden and one on the rear lawn terrace. A cream trellis fence and gate seperates the front and rear gardens and has a fragrant jasmine climbing its way through it.

Thrillingly this new garden is establishing at great speed and we hope you enjoy the results. The opening chapter of this garden is now complete and much is to be enjoyed marvelling at the speed it has matured. Although coming out of its infancy the gardens will be nurtured further and we will be adding to and rearranging the planting until we get it just right. And after each planting session it is bliss to sit down to sip a glass of wine, admiring the new plants in their new home overlooking the bay of Vlicha.

Below is a taster of what has been achieved this past couple of years. We have ongoing plans for 2012 and beyond. We hope you enjoy our efforts so far and if you can offer any advice on helping create this garden by all means share it with us....

Philip & Peter

(below) The front garden / drive has borders including this one. Roses form the main collection of planting here, with Banana planted in September 2008. Other planting in this area includes a small Fig tree, Hibiscus bushes and assorted Roses.

(below) By March 2011 that same Banana plant has flourished into a thick trunked, over 15ft tall, multiple leafed specimen. An impressive showpiece plant as you enter the grounds...And it is still growing!!

(below) Jasmine climbs the cream trellis fence and also not only has this Prickly Pear Cacti grown well in its new home, it has also produced succulent fruit on the tips...

This stone enclosed barbecue seating area now includes a young Palm tree, mint, bottle-brush, a twisting olive tree and specimen cacti and bonsai.

The fluted lines of large Greek oil jars, planted here with a Frangipani (right) and palm (left). Contemporary pebble borders and stone dog statue, old wooden bowls add curiosity and charm. A striking avenue of olive trees frame the swimming pool.

(below) border with Calliandra Calothyrsus (red bottle brush plant), stunning purple flowered Carpobrotus edulis (ice plant), purple Salvia, a peach coloured Brugmansia (Angels Trumpet), Yucca, ornamental grass, sturdy Olive Tree & hand painted pots.

On the front drive garden - an ancient olive tree with a cascading jasmine rapidly climbing over, dark rubber plant with two matching coloured grasses either side, drift wood and stone, large decorative urn, ice plant, lemon & orange trees, fuchsia & rose

(below) The large banquette seating with krokalia mosaic floor leads to the spacious lawn area at the end of the garden - taking you to the precipice of the panoramic views....

Colour is important and the Purple Heart (Tradescantia Pallida) is a nice contrast to the cream of the floor tiles.

The decorative pots around the gardens add much detail and plants, such as this strikingly contemporary display of sansevieria trifasciata (a.k.a snake plant or mother in law`s tongue) add further beauty to the surroundings....

No such thing as a slow growing Cacti here! Several varieties have been planted, growing with much expedience. This one quadrupled in size in just 6 months.

Contrasting nicely with the greys & whites of the pebble borders and the stone BBQ station is the ambundance of mature planting now exploding all around...

Large ornamental, boldly planted pots added to the sea view sun terrace...

The wording and photographs on this web site are copyrighted to the owners. Please have the courtesy not to copy without obtaining our permission.

" The fluted pots you see in gardens across Rhodes, at Villa Lindos Kalliopi and on other Greek islands are PITHARI and the original use of those large terra-cotta containers was to glaze them and then store grain or olive oil inside. "

" The bright white walls with rounded edges found across the Greek Islands, particulary on Santorini but also on the likes of Rhodes are Cycladic in style. Characterised by picturesque white painted villages we add an essence of this at Villa Kalliopi "

" This garden has two tributes to the GODDESS ATHENA, from Greek Mythology, this first one (below) sits proud at the entrance to Villa Kalliopi....

"...and (below) built into the wall above a banquette seat, are created in the style of NEOCLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE, both have become something of a signature of Villa Kalliopi. "

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