How to Create a Piet Oudolf Inspired Mediterranean Garden in Bordighera

There is something deeply moving about a garden that does not try to dominate nature.

A garden that breathes.

A garden that dances with the wind instead of resisting it.

A garden that ages beautifully under the Mediterranean sun.

In places like Bordighera, the Italian Riviera, Menton or the Côte d’Azur, many people arrive searching for a dream: a beautiful Mediterranean house surrounded by olive trees, sea light and silence. Yet often, the outdoor spaces feel dry, abandoned, overly mineral, or difficult to maintain.

This is where a new vision of landscaping can emerge.

Inspired by designers such as Piet Oudolf or Gilles Clément, I create signature perennial gardens in Bordighera and Liguria that are ecological, low-water, poetic and alive. Gardens designed not only to look beautiful in photographs, but to become truly livable spaces.

What is a “naturalistic perennial garden”?

Unlike traditional gardens based on rigid hedges, thirsty lawns and high maintenance, a perennial garden works with movement, seasons and biodiversity.

The goal is not perfection.

The goal is emotion.

A perennial garden evolves through the year:

• grasses dancing in golden evening light,

• salvias attracting bees,

• lavender releasing perfume after the rain,

• agapanthus emerging like fireworks,

• rosemary cascading over old stone walls,

• dry flowers remaining sculptural through winter.

In a Mediterranean climate, this approach is not only beautiful — it is intelligent.

How to create a drought-tolerant Mediterranean garden

One of the biggest mistakes I see on the Riviera is trying to recreate northern European gardens in a dry climate.

A sustainable Mediterranean garden should work with the territory.

My main principles:

• choosing drought-resistant plants adapted to heat and salty air;

• creating shade naturally through vegetation and pergolas;

• reducing unnecessary irrigation;

• mixing structure with wild softness;

• preserving breathing space and views;

• encouraging pollinators and biodiversity;

• creating gardens that remain beautiful even in summer drought.

A good Mediterranean garden should not feel “heavy”.

It should feel breathable.

Signature gardens for private villas, Airbnb and hotels

I accompany private clients, boutique hotels, Airbnb properties and hospitality spaces in Bordighera, Sanremo, Ospedaletti and the Italian Riviera to redesign outdoor spaces into living atmospheres.

Not simply “gardens”.

Experiences.

A forgotten terrace can become an aromatic sunset garden.

An abandoned entrance can become a romantic Mediterranean pathway.

A dry slope can become a resilient perennial landscape full of movement and colour.

I offer turnkey garden design solutions adapted to the Mediterranean climate:

• landscape concept design,

• planting plans,

• drought-resistant plant palettes,

• artistic direction,

• mural integration,

• Mediterranean atmosphere creation,

• outdoor styling for hospitality projects,

• low-maintenance perennial compositions.

My favourite plants for a Mediterranean perennial garden

Some of my favourite plants for naturalistic gardens in Liguria include:

• Salvia leucantha

• Teucrium fruticans

• Lavender

• Erigeron karvinskianus

• Rosemary prostratus

• Gaura lindheimeri

• Agapanthus

• Stipa tenuissima

• Verbena bonariensis

• Santolina

• Myrtus communis

• Cistus

• Bougainvillea

• Jasmine climbing over pergolas and old walls

These plants create texture, fragrance, movement and resilience while requiring far less water than conventional landscaping.

A garden should make you feel more alive

Today, many people are exhausted by noise, screens and over-designed spaces.

A garden can become the opposite of that.

A slower rhythm.

A place where nature reorganises the nervous system.

A place where light changes everything.

Especially here in Bordighera, where the sea, the mountains and exotic botanical history create one of the most unique climates in Europe.

The most beautiful gardens are not the most controlled ones.

They are the ones that feel inhabited by life.

Looking for a landscape designer in Bordighera or the Italian Riviera?

I create signature Mediterranean gardens inspired by nature, movement and emotion.

For:

• private villas,

• Airbnb properties,

• boutique hotels,

• artistic outdoor spaces,

• Mediterranean renovations,

• low-water gardens,

• perennial planting design.

Based in Bordighera, Italy.

Available for projects across Liguria, the French Riviera and selected international projects.