Creating A Mediterranean Garden

Before

The plan complements, but doesn't overwhelm, the small backyard. Egger uses plain, red brick for the pathway; the brick will keep the focus on the main events — the plants and accents. She creates a quadrant garden surrounded by the brick path, using a birdbath as the focal point in the center, and she will add a sitting area on the side. Egger says bricks work well in a formal or cottage-style garden and will do well here.

Young really likes this project because it will cost her only $1500 to do herself versus $4800 if she pays a professional. It will take her two weekends to complete and is rated a 2 on the difficulty scale (1 = easy, 5 = difficult).

Step One: Preparing the Area

You'll need to clear the ground and lay irrigation pipe before laying the path. Get rid of any weeds or unwanted plants and rake the ground until it's level. Use landscapers' paint to mark the spots for your new planting areas, remembering that the lines you mark will serve as guidelines for the irrigation pipe. Dig 16-inch-deep trenches for the drip irrigation lines.

Figure A

The crew is using 3/4-inch PVC pipe in the trenches for all the quadrants. Attach the horizontal and vertical lines using right-angle and T-shaped connectors (figure A) glued with an adhesive. Fill the trenches with soil and level the surface.

Step Two: Building the Forms

Figure B

Gentle curves are the goal, so Egger uses bender board made from synthetic material. She says this material won't rot like wood and will blend well with the new brick and existing deck. Lay the bender board along your spray-painted lines, staking it every two feet (figure B). Then screw the stakes and board together. To create the finished curves, create a circle. Define the middle of the circle by measuring from one outer bed to the other and drive a post into the center mark. Attach a string to the post. Use the string to create a circle, keeping in mind how wide the path around the circle needs to be (in this case about two feet).

Figure C

Use the center post as a guide and pull a string across the circle to create the center of the first path. Move the string exactly one foot to the left and one foot to the right of the circle to create a two-foot wide path. Create a second path in the other direction to form a circle (figure C).

Figure D

Now it's time to bring in more bender board — cut it to the length of each straight line in all four quadrants. Connect the boards to form all four inner corners of the quadrants and stake them into place. To build the outer curved corners of the quadrants, cut the end of the straight board at an angle and attach the curved side (figure D).

Figure E

The angled curve guarantees a flush fit between boards. When the quadrants are complete, fill all the beds with fresh soil (figure E).

Step Three: Building the Paths

Egger says it's important to take the style of your house into consideration when you're selecting the brick for your paths. She uses common red brick to keep it simple and focus the attention on the plants, not the path. Egger offers this tip to homeowners who are looking for ways to cut project costs: buy used or chipped bricks; they usually cost about 25 cents a brick. Compare that to the cost of a new brick--about 75 cents--and you can see why this is a pretty valuable tip.

Figure F

You can choose to pattern your brick patio in a number of ways; because this yard is so small, Egger has chosen a running bond pattern--two bricks will run next to each other in each row, and the rows are staggered (figure F). To create this pattern, begin by evenly covering the path areas with a 1/2-inch layer of coarse-grade sand and pack it down with a tamper.

Figure G

Start at one corner and begin laying your bricks end -to-end, staggering them every other row to create the running bond pattern ( figure G). Use a rubber mallet to tap and secure them as you go, remembering to check that they're level.

Figure H

For small spaces and corners, mark the bricks at a cut point, then use a wet-saw to make the cut (figure H). Bastida says you can rent one for about $70 a day — it's faster than cutting by hand. When you've finished placing the bricks, cover them with sand and sweep it into the spaces between the bricks.

Figure I

It's time to add the accents that make your garden special. Egger keeps the lines clean and simple to match the style of the pathway using a simple birdbath in the center and adding a bench to create a small sitting area. Because Young loves rabbits, Egger scatters bunnies throughout the area (figure I). Choose your own accents based on personal taste. Once you add those, it's time to plant your Mediterranean garden.

Planting Plan

Because the homeowner knows what sort of plants are found in Mediterranean gardens, it's no surprise that Egger incorporates some of her ideas into the planting plan. She uses purple, lavender and blue flowers and accents them with bits of silver-gray foliage. She fills the outer beds with low-growing shrubs and groundcovers near the front of the beds. Taller plants grow in the back, near the fence, and the quadrants contain Mediterranean herbs, vegetables and low-growing flowers. Here are some of her choices:

• Lavender (Lavandula anguistifolia), Zones 5 - 8
• (Plumbago auriculata), Zones 9 - 10
• Rose (Rosa) 'Flower carpet', Zones 5 - 9
• Purple princess flower (Tibouchina), Zone 11