An interesting focal point and reflective pool.An interesting focal point and reflective pool.

Our busy lifestyles are dictating many aspects of our lives, including how we socialise, the way we shop, what we eat, our choice of residence and even our garden designs.

“Now more than ever, people are seeking the refuge of gardens to escape their hectic lives,” says landscape architect Antoine Gatt. “As gardens are unfortunately being lost to building development, we are seeing an increase in roof and terrace gardens, and small gardens or patios. People still try to seek nature wherever possible.”

His clients are mostly asking for a stylish but practical garden with plenty of flowers, yet which requires low maintenance, and where they can sit back and relax.

Antoine, who has been working in the field for 13 years, explains that successful garden designs are built on a number of principles. First and foremost, a garden should be functional.

“Imagine a stylish kitchen which is not practical; it would make life a misery. Same goes for the garden: it needs to cater for the owner’s needs and lifestyle.”

A garden must also be aesthetically pleasing: “After all, what generally appeals to us most in a garden is the endless colour produced by flowers, leaves and furnishing. However, good aesthetics are not just related to colour, but are also achieved through appropriate scale, balance and harmony within the garden.”

The design of the garden should also complement the context – the architecture and the design of the residence and the setting of the garden, that is, whether it is located in a town, city or village.

Antoine says that a garden should also tell a story by way of design: “It should encourage a sense of movement and mystery by the inclusion of focal points and areas hidden from site to elicit curiosity.”

The senses could also be stimulated through the wise and imaginative use of plants: “Deciduous trees create seasonal change, while citrus trees fill the air with a pleasant perfume of orange blossom in spring. Flowering plants attract butterflies and other wildlife, all of which enrich our garden experience.”

Other important considerations when designing a garden are the constraints of the site – where one has to look at the privacy, the location of services, ground levels and orientation, among other factors – and the maintenance needs and the time allocated for the upkeep of the garden. The latter dictates the type of materials and plants used.

A major challenge to designing gardens is the climate, which also limits the type of plants one can grow.

“Wind, solar radiation and the proximity to the sea makes designing a garden quite challenging. Our island is pretty dry and windy. However, this does not limit the use of plants and materials used; one just has to know how to work around these factors,” Antoine points out.

Good aesthetics are not just related to colour, but are also achieved through appropriate scale, balance and harmony

“Unfortunately, many people are stuck with the idea that the perfect garden is the typical English cottage-style model. We have to understand that our climate is semi-arid and creating a cottage-style English garden requires plenty of energy and resources. It is still possible to create a stylish and colourful garden with Mediterranean-type plants, without having it look like some sort of desert. It’s just a matter of getting used to the new look.

Climate also has to be kept in mind when planning for the use of hard landscape materials. Certain materials do not perform satisfactorily in our hot weather and would eventually cause undue problems.

“Utilising incompatible construction elements or plant materials will eventually result in plant loss and increased maintenance cost at best. They will also create a less functional garden or outdoor space, with the possibility of the space being totally underutilised or redesigned.”

In densely urbanised areas, where gardens are small, the trend is to have a simple, minimalistic design. These gardens are generally composed of hard landscape elements such as wood, stone, concrete or metal, with minimal use of plants, which are usually bold, architectural plants. Features are an important addition as they create drama, interest and highlight specific areas; and water and sculptures take centre stage in contemporary spaces.

However, there is a trend nowadays to create a garden that is governed by sustainable principles.

“Such actions include the provision of habitat for wildlife, the use of plants that require less water, and the renouncement of pesticides and other harmful agrochemicals that have a negative impact on wildlife and our health.”

If ones does not own a garden, rooftops (which can also be a luxury nowadays!) can also be designed into a space for gardening and recreation. They can be as aesthetically pleasing and stylish as a ground-level garden, according to Antoine.

One can grow plants in nice pots and use hard landscape elements to create paths and decks for recreational purposes. Another option is to create a green roof or what is called a “living roof”.

Green roofs provide benefits beyond the creation of amenity space and a pleasant view. Insulation of the house makes the building more energy-efficient, thus reducing the cooling bills in summer, and increasing the value of the property, among other benefits.

The University of Malta has recently embarked on a research project on green roofs, called LifeMedGreenRoof, which aims to illustrate how green roofs have the potential to meet environmental and energy targets.

A green roof can be costly, but a stylish garden, rooftop or outdoor space does not necessarily mean spending too much: it all depends on the materials utilised, how these are used and the complexity of the design.

“If you are limited by your budget, do not go for complicated design and expensive materials.

“Luckily, minimalism is in fashion. There is also no harm in recycling materials; in fact, some of the nicest gardens I have come across have a percentage of recycled elements,” claims Antoine.

“Using reclaimed stone, for example, will give a mature effect to the garden and reclaimed coloured glass bottles could create an interesting focal point.”

He also suggests to plant in low density. “High-density planting will give an instant effect, but planting at a low density will cost less and only delay the time when the garden will look full.”

As regards his own ideal garden, Antoine describes it as “one with plenty of colour and water and that attracts plenty of wildlife.

“It would stimulate the senses and change according to the season, thus creating interest. It does not really matter whether the style is classical or modern, as long as the garden is well-balanced, in harmony with the context and stimulating.”

Things to keep in mind when creating a garden

• A garden should be big enough for the owner to handle its maintenance requirements. Although gardening is therapeutic, you still need to have time to sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of your work.

• Plan your garden to be as water wise as possible. Grass and many exotic plants require large amounts of water and resources to maintain. By using species tolerant of arid climates (in the case of Malta), watering needs are greatly reduced. The list of arid tolerant flowering plants is pretty long and one is spoilt for choice.

• Consider having a composting area. It takes no effort at all to produce compost. If done well, it will not smell and you will be rewarded with plenty of nutritious compost which can be used to feed your plants.

• Do encourage wildlife into your garden; it will enhance your garden experience. Avoid the use of agrochemicals, especially pesticides. Agrochemicals persist within the food chain and are harmful to beneficial fauna and human health.

• Make sure that the design stimulates the senses through the use of fragrant flowers and leaves, seasonal change (use deciduous plants and annuals), sounds (chimes, bamboo, water features, etc), and colour (flowers, leaves, etc).

Tips to make the best use of your space

• Use accessories that do not take up too much space, such as a smaller-sized table or chairs.

• Make use of the vertical aspect of the outdoor space, for example by the use of upright trees rather than a more rounded canopy, by using creepers to add greenery and/or by using hanging flower pots.

• Keep the space clutter-free and do not overdo it with accessories.

• Use mirrors or a tromp l’oeil to trick the eye in thinking that the garden extends further. By screening part of the garden, it would give the onlooker the impression that the garden extends further.

• Keep the design as simple as possible.

Advice for practical gardens

• Grass needs cutting, fertilising, etc... Substitute grass with other types of ground cover if the area will not be trampled upon, or use bark chipping or gravel.

• Timber requires biannual application of oil to keep it from drying out whereas stone and ceramic tiling is maintenance free.

• Use an automated drip irrigation system and use the appropriate plants for the appropriate location.

• Do not dash off to a nursery and buy the first plant you see; research the plants’ requirements beforehand and the location where it will be planted.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.