Contemporary Mediterranean Garden

Description

The Contemporary Mediterranean Garden style features a palette of plants that are centered around the highly popular Marina strawberry tree. This handsome evergreen tree is valued for its interesting trunk and bark character as well as rich, glossy green foliage, pink flowers and orange fruit. It serves well as a focal element in courtyards and garden settings where a great diversity of flowering shrubs, perennials, grasses and succulents help achieve colorful and abundant garden planting.

There are many good foliage and flowering companion plants to combine with the Marina strawberry tree. These include New Zealand tea trees, Dwarf peppermint tree, blanket flower and fernleaf yarrows. Many of these plants grow well in pots in courtyard situations and can be placed to fit preferred sun and shade conditions. Such a planting palette can fit the confines of townhomes and high-density housing spaces.

Plant List

Trees

Marina strawberry tree

Botanical Name: Arbutus 'Marina'
Plant Type: Tree
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 20 ft. - 30 ft. Width: 15 ft. - 20 ft.

Shrubs

Butterfly bush + cvs

Botanical Name: Buddleja davidii
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 8 ft. - 10 ft. Width: 5 ft. - 6 ft.

Dwarf myrtle

Botanical Name: Myrtus communis 'Compacta'
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 5 ft. - 8 ft. Width: 5 ft. - 8 ft.

Dwarf peppermint tree

Botanical Name: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana'
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 10 ft. Width: 10 ft.

New Zealand tea tree + cvs

Botanical Name: Leptospermum scoparium
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 3 ft. - 12 ft. Width: 4 ft. - 12 ft.

Perennials and Grasses

Beach aster, Seaside daisy + cvs

Botanical Name: Erigeron glaucus
Plant Type: Perennial, Native
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 10 in. - 12 in. Width: 24 in.

Blanket flower

Botanical Name: Gaillardia x grandiflora
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 15 in. - 24 in. Width: 2 ft. - 3 ft.

Garden sage + cvs

Botanical Name: Salvia officinalis
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure:
Height: 18 in. - 24 in. Width: 2 ft. - 3 ft.

Gaura + cvs

Botanical Name: Gaura lindheimeri
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 3 ft. - 4 ft. Width: 3 ft. - 4 ft.

Lindheimer’s muhly

Botanical Name: Muhlenbergia lindheimeri
Plant Type: Grass
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 2 ft. - 5 ft. Width: 3 ft. - 6 ft.

Russian sage

Botanical Name: Perovskia atriplicifolia
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 3 ft. - 4 ft. Width: 3 ft. - 4 ft.

Sea lavender

Botanical Name: Limonium perezii
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 12 in. - 18 in. Width: 2 ft. - 3 ft.

Spiny-headed mat rush + cv

Botanical Name: Lomandra longifolia
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade, All day sun
Height: 4 ft. - 5 ft. Width: 4 ft. - 5 ft.

Ground Covers

Lamb’s ear

Botanical Name: Stachys byzantina
Plant Type: Ground cover, Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 6 in. - 12 in. Width: 2 ft. - 3 ft.

Oregon grape

Botanical Name: Berberis aquifolium 'Compacta'
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover, Native
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade
Height: 18 in. - 24 in. Width: 3 ft. - 5 ft.

Wall germander

Botanical Name: Teucrium x lucidrys
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 12 in. - 18 in. Width: 1 ft. - 2 ft.

Vines

Lilac vine

Botanical Name: Hardenbergia violacea
Plant Type: Vine
Water Needs: Moderate 3
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 10 ft. - 15 ft. Width: 10 ft. - 15 ft.

Horticultural Preferences

Plants included in the Contemporary Mediterranean Garden palette are well adapted to a combination of sunny and partial shade exposures throughout the Inland Empire. These plants grow best in well-drained soils; many of the succulents and perennials grow successfully in pots. These plants will grow faster and achieve larger sizes with moderate amounts of water throughout the year; at maturity, most can be maintained with low amounts of supplemental water during the summer, particularly when planted in areas that receive afternoon shade from the hot summer sun.

Aesthetic Character

The Contemporary Mediterranean Garden style palette is strongly influenced by the rich character of the Marina strawberry tree. As this tree matures, there is an increasing character of dark green foliage, rich bark, flower and fruit color, and refreshing shade. There are many interesting and colorful cacti, aloes, grasses and perennials that can be grouped throughout a garden or patio space to add interest throughout the year.

Moisture Needs

The chart shown below provides a baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed to maintain healthy growth for plants of the Contemporary Mediterranean Garden style throughout the average year. It should be noted there are several months noted by an asterisk (*) when winter rains can provide sufficient moisture and irrigation is not needed. The high and low range of this irrigation schedule indicates these plants can grow with varying amounts of water depending upon exposure conditions and maturity of plants. On average, these plants grow best with moderate amounts of water throughout the year, but mature plants can endure summer conditions with deep monthly waterings. Plants grown in containers often benefit from weekly hand watering during the summer to compensate for how fast the limited soil volume becomes heated by the sun and dries out.

Irrigation Schedule and Graph

Moderate Water Use Plants

Irrigation Schedule 3

	Jan*	Feb*	Mar*	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov*	Dec*
Runs per Month	0x to 3x	0x to 3x	0x to 3x	2x to 3x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	2x to 3x	0x to 3x	0x to 3x
Inches per Run	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"

Inches per Month	0" to 3"	0" to 3"	0" to 3"	2" to 3"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	2" to 3"	0" to 3"	0" to 3"

Range of supplemental summer water: 9"-16"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-15"

0"-3"

2"-3"

1"-2"

2"-3"

0"-3"

Jan*

Feb*

Mar*

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov*

Dec*

For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, follow this link.

For information how to calculate your irrigation system’s schedule and precipitation rate, please follow this link.