Secret Spanish Gardens - Costa Life Magazine

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Secret Spanish Gardens
by Annika Jonnson

What I find very exciting is that you never know what’s behind the door of some of those small village houses. They are full of surprises, secrets. It could be a small patio filled with the most beautiful flowers in all kinds of different containers; a gorgeous old vine climbing on a shady, bamboo roof; lots of pots hanging on walls, all with different flowers, colours and scents. And to complete the picture, the old woman herself sitting in the corner knitting something for her granddaughter. What I really like about this is the randomness; it isn’t work done by a designer - far from it - it’s done by the old Spanish woman herself who utilises whatever she has to grow her plants in, and it shows that she has been doing it for a very, very long time.

I have tried to create this traditional and very harmonious garden, but it just doesn’t work. Maybe it’s because I don’t have enough knowledge about which plant should be where. I go by trial and error. If my newly planted flower doesn’t seem to thrive, I simply take the pot to a shadier place or vice versa. It’s fascinating to see how a different position can make all the difference. Also, as I mentioned before, it will take a long time to be able to create something even slightly similar to what the Spanish women do. On top of this, I don’t knit, and I don’t have a grand-child either!! I suppose I still have a long way to go.

Sometimes, behind another door, there is not only a very pretty garden, but there is the most stunning view as well, all the way to the sea. I am fortunate to live in Mijas Pueblo, which lies 483m above sea level. It is so elevated that my husband used to say that up here the swallows always fly low! The view from here is one of the best, if not the best on Costa del Sol. It is the best ‘‘garden’’ you can have, and it needs no maintenance! Just keep it clear of more golf courses please.

Now of course, this kind of garden is not to everybody’s taste. No, I don’t mean the view - I am sure that everybody likes that - I mean the little Spanish garden. Some like it very modern; some like it a bit more traditional. For me, it all comes down to the property you have and what personality you have. If you have a penthouse by the sea, for example, the modern look is possible, if this is what you want. However, if you have an old townhouse you might go for the more traditional look. What you need to think about when you are creating your outside space is to think of it as another room to your house. Your garden should reflect the style and personality of yourself and your home. Here are some things to consider when you are planning your garden/outside space.

>>Tiles The basic terracotta ones are always a good choice. They are usually quite cheap, and they weather with time brilliantly. To cheer them up a bit, you can always put in some small, decorative tiles here and there. They come in all shapes and textures, as you probably know. Big, small, red, green, blue, yellow, plain, textured, squared, rectangular etc. etc. There is such a huge collection out there that I could go on forever!

>>Water Water is an important feature of a Spanish, Moorish garden. We all know how hot it can be here during the summer months and nothing is more soothing to both the ears and the soul than to listen to murmuring water.

>>Lighting Having lights in your garden make it feels like another room. It also means that you can use it all night if you wish. The best type of lighting is diffused lighting, which is light filtered through translucent materials. This provides glare-free illumination. Use downlighting on pathways and uplighting to enhance feature plants. If you don’t want to bother with electricity, there are many lights with solar panels that work really well.

>>BBQ What is a garden without a BBQ? To me, it doesn’t exist. You could have a built-in or a portable. You could have one with gas or with charcoal. One thing you shouldn’t forget though, is to make sure that you have some light so that you can see what you are doing if the night falls. This is a mistake I have made, and I sometimes ended up with - how shall I put it - a not perfect dinner!

>>A shaded area This is very important. Spain has intense heat during a good part of the day, so to incorporate a shaded area is crucial.

For me the outside space you have, when living in Spain, is very important, if not the most important area of your living space. This is, of course, because of the lovely, warm weather. To sit down and relax in your garden after a hectic day is the best way of winding down. What could be better than to smell the scent of the fresh flowers, breathe the fresh air and, if possible, listen to the murmuring of a water feature?

Sitting, sipping a glass of wine and waiting for your husband to sort out the BBQ - this is heaven in my book.

PS. I almost forgot, AGAIN, to let my cat, Mr Kaiser Otto, have a word. He has been pestering me for some time about not being mentioned. So, I asked him what he had to say about gardens and garden designs. This was his comment: ‘‘A garden without a cat is like a kitchen without a cooker!’’ Mmmm, point taken.