A Cotswold Mediterranean Inspired Garden

The Project

In January 2022 we were commissioned to design a new garden for a new build on the exclusive collection of luxury houses and gardens for clients moving to the area. The brief was to fill the windows with vegetation, provide a space for entertainment and a include a touch of Ibiza. We didn’t think this meant a garden pool party.

Mediterranean inspired garden in the Cotswolds by Emotive Landscapes

mediterranean inspired garden in the Cotswolds

The first reaction to drawing a similarity between the Ibizan hills and Gloucestershire’s hills might seem ridiculous but they are not so far apart. Ibiza’s bedrock is limestone as is the Cotswolds and both drain well. Gloucestershire is though, as I am reminded writing in June with rain slaking the office window, colder and wetter. The tones and textures of the plants, paving and garden materials are not so dis-similar. We therefore took our inspiration from the Mediterranean hillside and designed a stylised Maquis. Using shaped trees and hedges to blend and mix amongst the loose Festuca and Stipa grasses and perrenials, Tulbaghia, Lavandula, Perovskias and sages.

Big windows are such a treat and offer such a good view to the outside world. It is such a shame though that too often this view is filled with a set of table and chairs. To avoid this we designed the patio further away from the house so we could fill the windows with the movement and interest of plants and sculpture. This gives the clients a big terrace to entertain on away from the shade of the building with a big lawn to spill out onto.

The garden deliberately has two halves. The intimate Maquis and the open lawn to take a marque and maintain the feeling of open space. They are meant to compliment and contrast each other.

We use wildflower turf to soften the edges of the garden and blend it with the long-range views out into the Cotswolds and beyond. The garden is a windy one and the play of the grasses taller plants is mesmerising to watch.

The clients brought their gorilla sculpture with them. We thought it would be fun to place this looking into the house. We try to design from the inside out. We spend 90% of the time in the house looking at the garden rather than in the garden looking at the house. This way there is a fun interaction through the narrow windows which are in an occasionally used part of the house.