Many garden designers in Italy are now using Mediterranean plants to save on water consumption. Mediterranean plants are also being used in dry Californian gardens, Australian gardens and, surprisingly, in English gardens, where climate change is having a dramatic effect even there.

The choice of plants for your Tuscan garden that originate from Mediterranean climates is vast and the colour range is nothing short of exceptional. Foliage colour ranges, present in native Med plants, range from metallic silver greys (lavender and artemesia), blue greys (sage and euphorbias) to standard grass greens (like fatsia).

Flower colours range from the light, pastel mauves of the many lavender varieties, the light pinks of lavateras to the dreamy, azure blues of perowzkias and salvias. These wonderful, pastel colour tones can be set off perfectly against the backdrop of indigenous Mediterranean grey foliage. Establishing a dreamy silver-grey base to your colour scheme will offer you the choice of creating two stunning colour themes, both offering completely differing moods.

Silver greys can neutralize, harmonize and pacify pastel colour ranges yet, at the same time can enhance, intensify and literally propel hot colours into the human eye. They provide a launching pad for reds, oranges and orange-yellows, therefore great care must be taken to ensure that those hot colours are treated with care, when placed against greys.Grey Mediterranean plants are naturally less dependent upon heavy watering and will provide a stunningly native effect that will set the perfect colour base/ theme to your Mediterranean garden.

Foliage shapes range from the broad Acanthus leaves to the lanceolate leaf shapes from plants like Iris with their blue-green foliage colour, which provide interesting verticals against more obtuse foliage. Their flowers are available in many colours and they are exceptionally easy to establish within a Mediterranean garden. Hardy and undemanding they are a must for the Tuscan, Italian or Mediterranean garden.

The choice of Mediterranean plants is endless and when combined with classic roses wisteria and even vegetables the visual effect can be nothing short of spectacular!