To celebrate the arrival of spring and this month’s Chelsea Flower Show, read our pointers for buying a house in the Med with a garden to enjoy! We’ve picked some properties that might tempt you too…

Outdoors lifestyle
It’s a given you’ll spend most of your time outdoors at your home in the Med, far more compared to in the UK. As such, a large part of your outside space is there to be physically used and enjoyed, rather than just looked at through a rain-drop covered window! Think about the spaces you’ll need for different activities – eating and socialising, sun-bathing or doing a BBQ. If you have a pool, this is likely to be a focal point of the garden.

Bring me water!
Think about your water usage when considering the sort of garden you want. Annual rainfall in the southern Mediterranean is typically around half what it is in the UK, with summers particularly dry. A garden packed with thirsty plants and stripy lawns will need a lot of watering. For properties with their own well or borehole, that shouldn’t be an issue, but if you’re on a water meter, think about your bills, let alone the hassle of maintaining it all. Gather rainwater where you can!

Shade
Shelter from the sun is a vital part of any Mediterranean garden. Where possible, look for – or plant – plant trees or high hedges, and take advantage of the natural shadows from the house, especially on the north side. Besides large sun umbrellas, which are useful on patios or around the pool which needs maximum exposure to the sun, other popular sun-protection devices include plant-covered gazebos and pergolas.

Trees, flowers & shrubs
Fruit, especially citrus, and olive trees do especially well in warm European climes. Mature olive trees aren’t cheap, but make great features and provide extra shade, as do vines trained over a patio. Spice up your landscaping with carefully positioned palm trees, cordylines, cacti and aloes, and for bursts of vivid colour, add some hibiscus plants or encourage purple bougainvillea to go to town on your walls.

Warm temperatures are especially conducive to scented plants that offer a real treat for the senses – these include jasmine, roses, honey-suckle, frangipani, passion flowers, not forgetting herbs. Meanwhile, home-growers are in their element in the Med, where in some areas it’s feasible to harvest vegetables – often ones that won’t usually grow in the UK – all-year round.

Creative terraces
In larger gardens, including those with different levels, think about having a selection of terraces of various sizes and suitable for different activities, such as cooking and entertaining, taking a siesta or sunning after a dip in the pool. Get creative with pathways that lead between each terrace or section of the garden, perhaps making them curvy and varying the surface type. Use potted plants for decoration.

Pass on the grass?
Keeping a lawn lush and green all year round is doable, but it takes effort and an army of sprinklers working over-time. One option is to put up with scorched grass for the hotter months. It’s common for owners of smaller properties to cover their outdoor spaces in shingle or paving, and while this can look a little harsh, including lots of leafy, colourful plants, including potted ones, soon brightens things up.