Recreating a Spanish Patio Garden – in your garden

Each May the City of Cordoba in southern Spain holds a patio garden competition. Private houses open their doors to the public and small squares dotting the winding streets are festooned with flowers. The effect is terrific. It’s as if you’re surrounded by flowers, a wonderful wrap-round of vibrant colour.

It’s really easy to recreate that impact in your own home or on your patio. The idea is to introduce flowerpots hanging from the walls, trellis, balconies and window frames. You can choose to either ‘zone’ areas of the patio with the same type of flowers and similar flower pot shapes and sizes or mix an assortment of different plants holders and plants to produce a harlequin effect. No Spanish patio garden would be complete without a blaze of deep red Geraniums or Pelargoniums

Once you’ve grouped your pots and plants then you can add those other touches that capture a genuine feeling of the Mediterranean. This could be to add brightly coloured ceramic plates, or candle holders or lanterns on hooks. Another addition could be a lovely water feature with a bubbling fountain.

The Spanish Patio Garden effect is completed by extending the theme to earthbound elements. Palms in pots, and exotic plants with lush leaves like Gunnara’s, Colocasias, Canna Lilies, Banana plants and stunningly exotic flowering plants like Angel’s Trumpets, Red Abutilan, Poppies and Sunshine Tulips. Terracotta containers overflowing with plants that you’d normally seen in conventional hanging baskets can also add a little extra visual punctuation to make the patio garden truly your own.

Spanish Rings are flowerpot holders that are specially designed to create that exciting Spanish hanging garden style. Remember to leave space at the top of the pot for watering space and take care to match the right kind of plant to those that love direct sunlight and those that are happier in the shade.