What type of property are you considering when buying a home in the Costa Blanca? Will you want to relax in a beautiful garden, or will you want to make sure that the balcony of your apartment becomes a perfect outdoor space to read a book? Whatever you buy you will be able to find wonderful plants which can cope well with the minimal rain fall, provide shelter, lovely aromas, colour and flavour to your meals.
Life in the Costa Blanca is about spending a lot of time outdoors enjoying the wonderful climate and scenery surrounding you. Your little piece of heaven in Spain should reflect this and gardening is a great way to create a tranquil paradise to relax in either for a moment of “me time” or with friends. Ensure that you have some beautiful shade from a silvery green olive tree, fill the air the smell of lavender, jasmine, rosemary, and other herbs which you can enjoy using when cooking. Citrus trees will add to this wonderful array of perfumes and flavours of Mediterranean cuisine.
It is possible that you have chosen to purchase a townhouse in the heart of one of the Costa Blanca’s friendly towns and, whilst you may not have a garden, you may well have a courtyard where you can create an area reminiscent of Spains Moorish past with the use of a water feature, colourful tiles and terracotta pots full of the plants previously mentioned. Whether you are creating a garden at a villa or a courtyard escape, plant a beautifully vibrant bougainvillea so iconic to the Mediterranean dream. Similarly, if you buy an apartment in Spain create a wonderful balcony garden with hanging baskets full of geraniums and window boxes mixing herbs and lavender, it doesn’t have to be much but, it will make your outdoor space so welcoming.
Whether your Costa Blanca home is large or small you will spend most of your time outside and need an outside space that is easy to manage and does not require extensive watering in a country where drought has become a very normal occurrence. If you have air-conditioning, make it more economical and eco-friendly by collecting the water produced when it is on in bottles or water cans to use on your pot plants. Have a water buff for when heavier rain does fall so that you have a reserve. Invest in drought resistant plants lavender, rosemary, bougainvillea and oleander all meet these criteria. Create a picture using wall climbing plants and trellises; Jasmine and honeysuckle do well in this climate, are pretty and aromatic.
If you are moving into your Costa Blanca home with pets do check which plants to avoid because some may be poisonous for them. Oleander which is so very popular in the Mediterranean can be very toxic to dogs and cats so if yours is one that is likely to chew a plant do avoid this one, if they don’t chew at least keep them out of the way when cutting them back and clear away all debris carefully. Cyclamen may bloom and brighten your winter but, they can irritate your pets’ mouth and stomach and sago palm might look harmless but, it’s seeds can be particularly dangerous for dogs. Check which plants your new garden already has before letting your pet explore. Pet friendly alternatives include fennel, nasturtiums and sunflowers. Create designated areas for your pets if there is space so that they can have areas where they can roam free and unsupervised. If your pet does show any signs of having eaten a toxic plant consult a vet immediately. There are so many other plants to choose from so it is well worth investing in a book that will help you to identify which ones to select for your pet friendly garden in the Costa Blanca. One more word of advice is that the thorns of Bougainvillea are very strong and sharp so when tidying up these beauties protect yourself with gloves and ensure that all cuttings are cleared away carefully to avoid thorns getting stuck in paws!!!
Studio apartment for sale in Moraira, La Sabatera
Your garden will be an ongoing and evolving pleasure which will help to make your new property in the Costa Blanca a home!!!