Garden Inspiration - Provence and Tuscany

Pale, chalky Limestone baked by the endless summer sun; sandy blonde grasses blown by the warm breeze perfumed with lavender, herbs and citrus; clipped boxwood brings a sense of order to the landscape; bleached, gnarled trunks of ancient olive trees contrast against crisp, white rendered walls; regimented rows of pencil thin Cypress point towards the heavens and the endless Mediterranean skies... Inspiring elements to make your garden a place to dine, a place to relax, a place to escape...!  

Above image: The divine hotel - Casa Olivi in Le Marches Italy renovated by architect Markus Wespi and Jerome de Meuron 

Above image: 1.Casa Olivi Marches Italy  2.colour palette suggestion by The Paper Mulberry 3.garden lighting by Tekna Belgium 4.fabulous planters (and planting!) by Anthony Paul Landscape Design

Above image: sublime Provencal hotel Le Verriere

Above images: 1.image of Le Jardin Plume in Normandy France from the programme with Monty Don taken from the BBC iplayer 2.colour palette suggestion by The Paper Mulberry 3.gorgeous contemporary gardens by James Aldridge Landscape Design 4.concrete pot 'how to' by Martha Stewart using milk cartons! 5.contemporary garden landscaping in a modern South African home article by House and Leisure Magazine

Above image: handmade, reconstituted stone wall cladding 'Haus' by Stonemarket

Above image:stunning grasses and contemporary garden decking in a scheme by Annie Pearce of Metamorphosis Design

Above image:lovely Notting Hill property Crayson estate agents by Stiff and Trevillion Architects (now sold) 

Above images:1.image of Le Jardin Plume in Normandy France from the programme with Monty Don taken from the BBC iplayer 2.colour palette suggestion by The Paper Mulberry 3.half standard olive trees in vintage pots from the great garden blog Slottstradgarden Ulriksdal 4.Tall contemporary plant pots by Atelier Veirkant 5.the sublime landscape designs of Andrea Cochran

Above image: palest limestone sunken patio by James Aldridge Landscape Design 

Above image: sublime clipped Cypress and lavender topiary at Jardin de la Louvre from the programme with Monty Don taken from the BBC iplayer

Above images:1.wide stone steps set amongst gravel with clipped cubes of box - contemporary garden landscaping by Peter Fudge 2.colour palette suggestion by The Paper Mulberry 3.grasses (Miscanthus) and decking at Le Jardin Plume in Normandy France from the fabulous garden blog 'Out of my Shed' 4.contemporary oak planters from the divine architectural web site Herbosch Van Reeth - Belgium 5.stone water feature detail from Arne Maynard's heavenly garden for Laurent Perrier - the Chelsea Flower Show 2012 6.stunningly tall contemporary plant pots by Atelier Veirkant  

Above image:ancient olives in a contemporary landscape - Andrea Cochran's inspired landscape garden design

Above images: Andy Sturgeon elements for The Daily Telegraph Garden - Chelsea 2010

Above image:perfect planting in a Mediterranean palette by Wilson McWilliam Studio

Above image: contemporary and rustic combined beautifully in this al fresco dining area by interior designer Claudia Pelizzari (love the Panton chairs by Vitra!)

Above image: serene roof top terrace by London garden designer Charlotte Rowe

Above image:The divine hotel - Casa Olivi in Le Marches Italy renovated by architect Markus Wespi and Jerome de Meuron

Further research and inspiration for your garden (please click below to go through to my pinboards on Pinterest):

Also a date for your diaries: Chelsea Flower Show next week Tuesday 21st May until Saturday 25th - the London 'fashion week' for landscape garden design! 

For more information on anything shown in the above images and links to tutorials, please click on the names under each photograph to go through to their respective web sites. I create my mood boards/colour palettes with a computer programme called Photoshop by Adobe which is available for both Apple Mac and PC computers.

As always, if I have featured your photograph and you would rather I didn't, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will remove it with my sincerest apologies. 

With warmest wishes