The Italian Peninsula is as long as a boot and the Mediterranean includes parts of North Africa, Israel, Palestine, Turkey and southern Europe. This we all know, therefore it's quite clear that there must be a wide plant diversity and gardening style originating from this area. The gardening style from the Mediterranean encompasses large swathes of history, climate and tradition - so, has therefore always had its arms wide open to, many cultural influences and styles.

The cultural diversity of the Mediterranean region has influenced many cultures in southern Europe and has shaped the development of many new trends across the globe through its rich cuisine and relaxed lifestyle.

Therefore to try to standardize Mediterranean garden style is rather like attempting to eradicate around 3,000 years of world history and to ignore the rich soup of styles and influences that played their part in its development.

The whole concept of gardening, as we know it today, originated in Arabia and continued through Greek and Latin styles, only to be given an identity in Renaissance Italy and later transformed in the 17th and 18th centuries by the Northern Europeans- mainly England and France- into the garden style that we know and embrace today. The glorious formal gardens of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were based upon extremities of rationality and on a culmination of styles, gathered and adapted from all corners, of various empires- the modern garden style has its roots firmly lodged near the Mediterranean... in Mesopotamia to be correct.

Therefore when we set about designing a modern version of a Mediterranean garden we can draw upon many gardening styles… from a Sicilian beach garden… to the Villa Lante, near Rome for inspiration and no-one can really criticize, if components of all of these glorious garden interpretations are present…!

What is important is that we at least try to understand and respect their origins as garden designers. We can feel to express the Mediterranean through Greek style, gravel gardens, that can be found naturally or through the sophistication of an Arabic courtyard with mosaics and exotic plants- without straying too far from true, Mediterranean origins. I have chosen to express the Mediterranean garden through a combination of all of these styles, drawing upon both the Arabic sophistication of a quiet, shaded courtyard and the hot, dry habitats of Greek or sicilian hillside. Given the vast array of choice, both of styles and of plants the Mediterranean garden is by far the most interesting culmination of centuries of gardening and its 'feel' can be both contemporary and antique- a rather exciting design notion...!