Planning a Small Garden: Strategies for a Narrow Mediterranean Space

Determine your likes in detail. Moore wanted a Mediterranean garden matching her Spanish stucco home and Mexican folk art interior. She researched books, visited gardens, organized files; brick steps with broken tile inserts inspired by Malibu’s Adamson House.
Devote a large portion to hardscape. Small gardens need higher hardscape-to-greenery ratio; include room for people.
Try it on paper. Measure, draw to scale, use vellum overlays to test configurations until satisfied.
Indulge in premium materials where they count. Moore chose top-grade Salmon Bay pebbles for the prominent pathway and first-rate tiles even for broken pieces.
Offset indulgences with savings. No sprinkler system—hand-watering is manageable with low-water plants. Furniture from swap meets; free bricks from earthquake-damaged house.
Keep color scheme restrained and scale appropriate. Main motif: red-orange (cigar plant Cuphea ignea); harmonious accents: yellow, chartreuse, bronze.
Use vertical space. Climbers (Pyrostegia venusta, ‘Royal Sunset’ rose), trees (sweetshade, Euphorbia cotinifolia, pomegranate), ornamental fence.

Landscaping: Designing a Patio Garden: Planning for Beauty, Privacy, and Year-Round Enjoyment; Planning a Garden Shed: Step-by-Step from Design to Build; Small Garden Design: Maximizing Beauty in Minimal Space; Planning a Vegetable Garden: Soil, Layout & Companion Planting; Budget Garden Planning: Creating Beauty from Seeds and Cuttings; Planning a Wildlife Garden: Balancing Nature and Cultivation; Garden Planning for Different Types: Small, Large, Urban, Rural; A Small Backyard Landscape Plan: Functional Outdoor Living; Planning a Spectacular Fall Garden: Seven Expert Strategies; Fashion-Inspired Garden Design: Fire and Ice

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