Plant These Beauties for a Mediterranean Garden That’ll Thrive in the West

Alstroemeria brings a touch of the Mediterranean to any garden, and is one of those effortless plants that can turn even the most amateur gardener into a green thumb. It spreads easily and quickly through rhizomes, and can be divided every few years to refresh and grow in your stand.

To step up the exotic side of your garden, plant a Leucospermum, a huge family native to South Africa. While there are some varieties that require strict environmental conditions, many will do great in any old well-drained soil as long as the climate isn’t too extreme.

What could be more classically Mediterranean than an olive tree? No matter the size of your garden, there’s a variety of olive you can fit. We love the adorably named ‘Little Ollie’, but check with your local nursery for other dwarf types for the garden. We should all grow more of this sun-loving and unfussy tree.

Jerusalem Sage, or Phlomis maroccana, is as great a garden plant for kids as it is for adults. For the grown gardener, it’s a no-brainer as it quickly forms a robust shrub with little care. Children love to pull off the flowers and taste their sweet nectar.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a flower as easy to care for as Watsonia. This slender, sun-loving spike adds some elegance to the garden no matter where it’s planted. Just think of it as the gladiolas’ lower-maintenance cousin, and enjoy sitting back and watching it thrive.

Lavender is one of those easy, cheerful plants that somehow never goes out of style. It can be a fun challenge to see how many different types you can squeeze into one garden. We’re particularly drawn to English lavender for its versatility in the kitchen as well as the garden.

Australian natives aren’t going out of style anytime soon, and we love banksias in particular as they bring some sexy texture to the garden. For an effortless Mediterranean feel, plant banksias in full sun in a well-draining spot. We love ‘Giant Candles’ for its vigor.

There’s no need to be intimidated by the vast selection of grevillea out there. We recommend the tried and true ‘Red Hooks’ variety as it easily grows into a huge shrub, isn’t as picky about drainage as some other cultivars, and is one of the most cold-hardy types on the market.

Every garden needs a touch of Mediterranean-style creeping vines, and hardenbergia is a great choice. Often mistaken for lilac or perennial sweet pea, hardenbergia can climb 12 to 16 feet and loves warm, sunny weather. Can we blame it?

There’s a salvia out there for every garden, but you can’t go wrong with the Mediterranean-feeling Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’ for its effortless show of bright chartreuse and purple. Depending on location, it can reach 3 to 9 feet tall and is great planted in an otherwise subtle garden.