Mediterranean Style: The Latest Garden Trend We Love in Bournemouth

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You don’t need a villa in Mallorca to bring a little Mediterranean magic into your garden. Sun-loving planting, warm stone, oversized pots and relaxed outdoor dining are bringing a distinctly southern European feel to British gardens — and it’s a look that feels particularly at home here in Bournemouth.

The appeal goes beyond good looks, too. With warmer, drier spells becoming increasingly important when planning our gardens, Mediterranean-inspired planting can offer a more practical approach to creating an outdoor space that still looks fabulous when the temperature rises.

Here’s how to bring the look home.

Start with the planting

The easiest way to introduce a Mediterranean feel is through plants.

Think lavender spilling over pathways, rosemary and thyme within easy reach of the kitchen, ornamental grasses moving in the breeze and the distinctive silvery foliage associated with hotter climates.

Olive trees in large terracotta pots can make an instant statement, while drought-tolerant perennials can add plenty of colour without creating a garden that constantly demands attention.

The trick is not to turn the garden into a Mediterranean theme park. A few carefully chosen plants mixed with varieties that thrive in your particular garden can create a much more natural look.

Local Expert

Matthew Wilkins Landscapes Ltd

A Bournemouth landscaping company covering everything from garden design and planting to patios, paving, decking and complete garden transformations — ideal if you’re planning a bigger rethink of your outside space.

Address: 27 Alma Road, Bournemouth BH9 1AB
Phone: 07930 803009
Google rating: 5.0 | 105 reviews
Google Business: View on Google⁠ 

Mediterranean gardens tend to feel relaxed rather than manicured, which is excellent news if maintaining a perfect lawn isn’t your idea of a relaxing Sunday.

Gravel pathways, stone terraces and areas of drought-tolerant planting can introduce texture while reducing the amount of traditional lawn.

Warm, natural materials work particularly well. Think sandy limestone tones, terracotta and weathered timber rather than anything overly polished.

And don’t be afraid of a few imperfections. Part of the charm of this style is that it should look as though the garden has evolved rather than been installed yesterday.

Local Expert

MacWest Gardening & Landscapes

Bournemouth-based MacWest specialises in bespoke landscaping and garden transformations, including patios, pergolas, decking and garden rooms. We particularly like the garden-room idea for creating an outdoor space that can be enjoyed long after summer disappears.

Address: 60 Richmond Wood Road, Bournemouth BH8 9DJ
Phone: 01202 985193
Google rating: 5.0 | 68 reviews
Google Business: View on Google⁠

Make terracotta your secret weapon

One of the quickest ways to get the look without redesigning the entire garden is through pots — and lots of them.

Large terracotta planters filled with herbs, lavender or an olive tree can transform a patio, courtyard or even a small Bournemouth garden.

Try grouping pots of different heights rather than positioning them individually. It’s an easy way to create that wonderfully informal, collected-over-time feel.

Better still, pots allow you to move more tender plants into a protected position when the Dorset weather inevitably reminds us that we haven’t actually relocated to the Med.

Create somewhere to linger over dinner

Mediterranean gardens are as much about how you use the space as how it looks.

A generous outdoor table, comfortable chairs and somewhere shaded can turn even a relatively simple garden into somewhere you’ll actually want to spend a summer evening.

Pergolas work beautifully with this style, particularly when softened with climbing plants. Add subtle outdoor lighting, a few pots of herbs nearby and perhaps an outdoor kitchen or built-in barbecue if space allows.

The aim is less formal garden, more long lunch that somehow turns into dinner.

Local Expert

Kustom Landscapes and Ecology

Based in Southbourne, Kustom combines landscape design with an ecological approach — making this an interesting local name for anyone who wants a beautiful garden that works a little harder for nature too.

Address: 12 Burleigh Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth BH6 5DU

Phone: 07733 408222

Google rating: 5.0 | 12 reviews

Google Business: View on Google⁠

Embrace a sun-baked colour palette

You don’t need bright colour everywhere.

Much of the Mediterranean look comes from combining muted greens with warm neutral materials: terracotta, sandy stone, aged timber and gravel.

Against that backdrop, flashes of purple lavender, white flowers and deeper greens suddenly become much more striking.

Blue can work beautifully too — particularly in pots, tiles or small accessories — but restraint is what keeps the finished garden feeling sophisticated rather than themed.