The M&G Garden

Did you know...

• The stand-out plants in the garden were a pair of beautifully gnarled old pomegranate trees. Their spreading forms contrasted with the more upright shape of crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), grown for their attractive bark and showy late summer flowers. A young cork oak, another common tree of the Mediterranean, also stood in the garden
• The beautiful terracotta-toned walls in the garden were made of rammed earth and blended perfectly with the rest of the design. Some of the walls incorporated trickling streams of water that ran into a trio of angular pools, which provided a cool feel through the otherwise arid landscape
• The carefully chosen plants of the garden formed an attractive mix. Annual poppies in pink and scarlet mingled with the gold domes of woad and lime green euphorbias. Blue Catanache caerulea swayed beside the delicate blooms of Cistus and single-flowered roses. Blue-leaved succulent Senecio serpens and shrubby Canary Island native Digitalis isabelliana with spires of orange flowers provided further unusual notes

About the garden 

The M&G Garden was designed as a romanticised haven for a warm, sunny climate. It expanded on a timeless idea that a wall, a tree and a seat can create an intimate and beautiful place of repose. Using Mediterranean flora and raw materials dug directly out of the earth (clay, aggregate and pigment), the space celebrated the expressive language of colour, texture, light and shadow.

The design was a garden of contrasts. Colour was subtle, but unexpected and dazzling. Semi-opaque glazed tiles brought out the silvery tones of subshrubs, while a clashing cacophony of scarlet, pink, lilac and yellow flowers were held together by grassy swathes. At the heart of the space, pomegranate trees commanded attention, and the glassy surface of a large pool reflected the garden’s composition. Planting included tapestries of ground-hugging, scented herbs punctuated with subshrubs and taller, wispy, diaphanous flowers. Many drought-tolerant plants were also included, which are perfectly suited to our warming climate.