PlantMapper
Mediterranean Garden Hub

Mediterranean Garden Planner: Plants, Gravel, Courtyards and Low-Water Design

Create a warm, relaxed Mediterranean-style garden using gravel planting, drought-tolerant plants, olive trees and simple layout tools designed for UK gardens.

Start Planning Your Garden Explore Mediterranean Plants Calculate Gravel Quantities

Plant suggestions are general guidance only. Always check final suitability, hardiness and your own conditions before planting.

A warm Mediterranean garden with gravel, structural planting and terracotta tones
Mediterranean garden planting · photograph via Wikimedia Commons
The basics

What is a Mediterranean garden?

Warm, relaxed and quietly elegant. A Mediterranean garden trades thirsty lawns and fussy borders for gravel, stone and drought-tolerant planting that looks wonderful and asks very little once it has settled in.

Gravel gardens

Warm stone underfoot in place of lawn, drought-friendly and easy to keep.

Olives and herbs

Olive trees, lavender, rosemary and thyme for evergreen calm and scent.

Terracotta and stone

Warm pots, render and natural stone that age beautifully over the years.

Outdoor living

A relaxed courtyard feel, made for long, slow evenings spent outdoors.

How it compares to other garden styles

Mediterranean Garden

Sun-loving, low-water planting in gravel and stone. Warm, calm and relaxed.

You are here

Cottage Garden

Soft, romantic and abundant. Layered borders of flowers, herbs and climbers.

Tropical Garden

Bold leaves and exotic shapes for a lush, dramatic, jungle-like feel.

Wildlife Garden

Native, habitat-led planting, left a little wild to support birds and insects.

The structure

Mediterranean garden design principles

A Mediterranean garden looks effortless, but a few simple ideas hold it together. Lean on these and your garden will feel calm, warm and intentional.

01

Gravel and drainage

Free-draining ground is the foundation of every Mediterranean garden.

02

Structural planting

A few strong evergreen shapes give the garden its year-round bones.

03

Olive trees and evergreen form

An olive or bay tree anchors the planting and holds it through winter.

04

Terracotta and pots

Warm pots add height, focus and a place for tender plants.

05

Drought-tolerant planting

Silver, needled and waxy leaves shrug off heat and long dry spells.

06

Warm colour palettes

Soft silver, olive green, lavender blue and gentle terracotta.

07

Outdoor seating

A shaded corner to sit, eat and linger is part of the planting plan.

08

Courtyard microclimates

Warm walls and sheltered corners let you grow a little more tender.

09

Layered textures

Spiky, soft, feathery and glossy leaves set against one another.

10

Architectural silhouettes

Bold outlines, from a clipped bay to a spiky agave, read against the sky.

Interactive tool

Gravel quantity calculator

Work out how much gravel your project needs before you order, so nothing is wasted and nothing runs short.

How much gravel will I need?

Enter the area and depth, then press calculate.

Useful for laying a gravel garden

Limestone gravel Warm, pale stone View product → Gravel grids Stabilise the surface View product → Weed membrane Keeps gravel clean View product → Wheelbarrow For moving stone View product → Landscaping rake Levels gravel evenly View product →
Plant library

Mediterranean plant finder

Browse drought-tolerant plants suited to UK gardens and filter by the conditions you have. Tap any filters that apply, and combine a few to narrow the list.

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Interactive tool

Patio pot & terracotta planner

Pots are the heart of a Mediterranean garden. Plan compost, drainage and planting for a pot that will thrive.

Plan a Mediterranean pot

Choose a pot and a planting, then press calculate.

Helpful for planting up pots

Terracotta pots Warm and timeless View product → Pot feet For free drainage View product → Peat-free compost A healthy base View product → Horticultural grit Sharpens drainage View product →
Interactive tool

Olive tree winter planner

Olives are tougher than many people think, but a UK winter still asks for a little care. See what yours will need.

Will my olive be happy this winter?

Answer three quick questions for tailored guidance.

Useful for winter protection

Plant fleece Frost protection View product → Pot trolley Move heavy pots View product → Moisture meter Avoid winter wet View product →
Interactive tool

Water savings calculator

See roughly how much water a Mediterranean gravel garden can save against a watered lawn over a UK summer.

How much water could I save?

Enter the area of lawn you are thinking of changing.

A little inspiration

Mediterranean gardens to dream on

Seven warm, relaxed garden ideas to plant towards. Copy one closely, or let it be a gentle starting point of your own.

Copy This Courtyard

Olive treeLavenderRosemaryThyme
Layout
A small olive in a central pot, herbs softening the edges
Materials
Pale gravel, terracotta, a warm rendered wall
Atmosphere
Still, scented, sun-warmed at any hour

Olive Tree Terrace

Olive treeAgapanthusStipaSedum
Layout
An olive raised in a large pot, grasses moving below
Materials
Stone paving, gravel borders, a simple bench
Atmosphere
Open, breezy and quietly elegant

Gravel Driveway Border

Russian sageSea hollyFestucaCistus
Layout
A low, hard-wearing band of planting beside gravel
Materials
Self-binding gravel, the odd large pale boulder
Atmosphere
Relaxed and forgiving, lovely in low sun

Lavender Walkway

LavenderSantolinaThyme
Layout
Lavender lining both sides of a straight gravel path
Materials
Pale gravel underfoot, low stone edging
Atmosphere
Scented, humming with bees, deeply calming

Small Mediterranean Patio

Bay treeRosemaryAeoniumThyme
Layout
A cluster of pots in differing heights against a wall
Materials
Terracotta, warm stone, a single soft seat
Atmosphere
Intimate, green and easy to care for

Coastal Mediterranean Garden

Sea hollyCistusFestucaYucca
Layout
Tough, salt-tolerant planting drifting through gravel
Materials
Shingle, driftwood tones, weathered stone
Atmosphere
Wind-brushed, silvery and wonderfully relaxed

Evening Outdoor Dining Space

Olive treeJasmineLavender
Layout
A table beneath a pergola, jasmine climbing overhead
Materials
Warm stone, a pergola, soft low lighting
Atmosphere
Scented and golden, made for long evenings
Ready-made schemes

Planting combinations that just work

Seven tried groupings designed to thrive together, with the texture and timing already considered for you.

Sunny Gravel Border

Russian sageSea hollyStipaSedum
Why it works
All four love the same hot, free-draining ground
Texture
Hazy violet against spiky steel and soft grass
Flowering
July to October
Upkeep
Low — one tidy in spring

Silver Foliage Border

SantolinaLavenderFestuca
Why it works
Silver leaves cope with heat and unite the planting
Texture
Cool, soft and gently mounded throughout
Flowering
June to August
Upkeep
Low — trim to keep neat

Terracotta Courtyard

Olive treeRosemaryAeoniumThyme
Why it works
A pot scheme that is easy to move and protect
Texture
Glossy rosettes beside needled and feathery leaves
Flowering
Quiet, foliage led, with herb flowers in summer
Upkeep
Low — water pots, shelter tender plants

Pollinator Mediterranean Border

LavenderRussian sageOreganoSedum
Why it works
A long, overlapping run of nectar-rich flower
Texture
Soft spires and flat flower heads for easy landing
Flowering
June to October
Upkeep
Low — leave seed heads for winter

Architectural Planting

YuccaAgaveCordylineFestuca
Why it works
Bold outlines that hold the eye all year
Texture
Sharp rosettes set against soft blue mounds
Flowering
Foliage led, the odd dramatic flower spike
Upkeep
Very low — site spiky plants away from paths

Coastal Border

Sea hollyCistusRed valerianStipa
Why it works
Salt and wind-tolerant plants for an open site
Texture
Silvery, wiry and softly moving in a breeze
Flowering
May to September
Upkeep
Very low — happy in poor, free-draining soil

Small-Space Patio Planting

Bay treeLavenderThyme
Why it works
Three pots that give structure, scent and herbs
Texture
A clipped evergreen above soft, low mounds
Flowering
June to August
Upkeep
Low — clip the bay, trim the lavender
Growing it here

A Mediterranean garden, in a UK climate

Our summers are kinder than the Mediterranean, and our winters are wetter. A few honest adjustments are all it takes for these plants to thrive here.

☼It is winter wet, not cold, that kills

Most Mediterranean plants cope with frost. What they cannot bear is cold, soggy soil. Drainage is everything.

☼Improve the drainage first

Dig in plenty of horticultural grit, plant on a gentle mound, and let gravel mulch keep the neck of each plant dry.

☼Raise and shelter your pots

Stand pots on feet so they drain freely, and move tender ones to a sheltered wall or porch for the coldest weeks.

☼Plan around frost

Keep tender plants such as aeonium and agave in pots so they can be moved under cover before hard frost arrives.

☼Working with clay soil

On heavy clay, build a raised gravel bed or choose the more forgiving plants: sea holly, red valerian, Russian sage and sedum.

☼Make the most of a warm wall

A south-facing wall holds the day's heat and shelters from wind. It is the best spot for an olive, a bay or a tender climber.

☼Less water, less work

Once established, this planting needs almost no watering, no mowing and no feeding. Give it a year to settle, then simply enjoy it.

Curated kits

Helpful kits for a Mediterranean garden

Grouped suggestions, organised by job. Everything here is optional, and much of it can be added slowly over time.

The links in this section are paid affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Olive Tree Essentials

  • A pot-grown olive tree
  • Large frost-proof pot
  • Horticultural grit
  • Plant fleece
Shop the kit

Gravel Garden Setup

  • Decorative gravel
  • Weed membrane
  • Landscaping rake
  • Edging
Shop the kit

Mediterranean Pot Collection

  • Terracotta pots in a range of sizes
  • Pot feet
  • Peat-free compost
  • Saucers and trays
Shop the kit

Courtyard Lighting

  • Solar festoon lights
  • Lanterns
  • Warm-white spotlights
  • Candles for the table
Shop the kit

Outdoor Dining & Seating

  • A simple table and chairs
  • A bench for a sunny wall
  • Soft outdoor cushions
  • A parasol or pergola shade
Shop the kit

Drought-Tolerant Planting Tools

  • Hand trowel and fork
  • Gardening gloves
  • A long-spouted watering can
  • Kneeling pad
Shop the kit

Irrigation Kits

  • A drip irrigation starter kit
  • A simple tap timer
  • Soaker hose
  • Pot drippers
Shop the kit
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More from the PlantMapper garden library

Cottage Garden

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Gravel Garden Guide · soon

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Pollinator Garden · soon

Planting that hums with bees and butterflies all season.

Shade Garden · soon

Calm, leafy planting for the shadier corners of a garden.