Nature takes centre stage in this landscaping trend that celebrates wild gardens with wildflower meadows, grasses and native plants
Whether due to water scarcity or lack of soil, especially in urban environments, the fact that a gardening trend has emerged in response to its changing surroundings makes it a smart choice. This is certainly the case with naturalistic gardens, a landscaping solution that looks good and is also sustainable.
This trend of rewilding has gained momentum recently. It returns your garden to a ‘wilder’ state and allows nature to play a bigger role. Wild gardens encourage a richly diverse and natural landscape that supports sustainability. Each garden becomes a living project, and this is where the knowledge of a professional comes in.
The challenge with gardens in Lanzarote is to ensure they can be enjoyed all year round and with as little water consumption as possible. It is not only essential to select the right species but also to know how to combine them. This means having a good understanding of local conditions and how different species interact whilst also bearing in mind their hardiness and flowering times. Much like conducting an orchestra – the landscape designer or gardener must ensure overall harmony as the plants work together; some remain in the background, whilst others have their moment in the spotlight.
The key to this trend is achieving a natural-looking garden in which grasses, herbs, gravel spaces and natural wildflower meadows appear to grow freely but are, actually, the result of careful design choices that ensure a sense of balance and harmony – it’s nature-scaping, not wild abandon.
Although wild gardens are trending everywhere, the appeal of minimalist, rustic or Mediterranean styles remains. There’s no reason, however, why other design aesthetics cannot embrace elements of a sustainable natural garden. For example, wild grasses and multicoloured perennials can be planted to great effect, and organic mulching can be used alongside native trees and shrubs.
When you translate the wild garden look to arid areas like Lanzarote, it’s important to work with nature, not against it. This means using volcanic pebbles (or rofe) and planting succulents and plants that are indigenous to the island and can withstand the sun and wind. Try sweet tabaiba, agaves, Echium lancerottense, red tajinaste, aloe vera, etc.
This natural aesthetic calls for garden furniture to suit. Great options include furniture made of rattan, jute and recycled fibres, or aged wood. Keep it simple, not too chunky and in natural shades of browns,
creams and greys.
