Moorish garden in landscape design – an oasis of peace and pleasure

Recommendation points

• Features of composition and zoning
• Water
• Tracks
• Fencing
• Furniture and accessories are important stylistic components
• Plants of the Moorish garden
• Moorish lawn

This article is devoted to the Moorish garden, as one of the areas of ethnic style in landscape design. The design of such a site will require considerable effort in styling and landscaping. You end up with a luxurious place to relax with the murmur of fountains and birdsong.

Not a single ethnic garden can be created without studying the historical aspects of its origin, without imbuing with the spirit and philosophy of the people who became the progenitor of a particular style of landscape design.

Unlike the already discussed Chinese and Japanese gardens, Moorish is not overloaded with complex philosophical symbols and teachings. A much greater influence on the formation of the style was exerted by the way of life and ideas about the comfort and beauty of the Arab nomads. The religious component in modern Moorish gardens occupies an extremely insignificant place.

The modern Moorish trend of ethnic landscape design has its origins in the famous gardens of the Middle East, the brightest example of which was the famous gardens of Babylon. The Arabs brought the secrets and techniques of their device to Spain. With the help of powerful irrigation systems, the desert region of the Pyrenees was turned into a real paradise on earth. The gardens of the Alhambra in the residence of the Caliphs shocked the Spanish religious fanatics so much that they considered them the fruit of witchcraft and almost completely destroyed.

It was these masterpieces of park art that disappeared from the face of the earth that became the basis for the emerging and extant style called Moorish, which would be more correctly called Moorish-Spanish, because these ethnic gardens are most popular in Europe. But in their homeland, they look a little different..

Features of composition and zoning

The good thing about a Moorish garden is that it can be arranged in a very small area. Especially often patios are allocated for them. The landscape of the site is of great importance – it must be flat.

The center of the composition is always a body of water. A fountain can act as a self-sufficient reservoir, from which planning will be carried out. If space permits, the central zone can be expanded indefinitely. The fountain can be placed in the center of a stone bowl, which in turn will be located in a basin of strict geometric outlines, four water channels can be diverted from it at right angles or four main paths can be laid.

The number four is not mentioned by chance – it symbolizes the four rivers of paradise. In large gardens, four zones formed by canals can again share canals or paths, only at right angles and only four – it is very important to observe geometric accuracy when planning.

Another feature of the compositional solution of this direction of ethnic design is absolute symmetry. However, it is smoothed out, hidden by lush blooming vegetation, thanks to which the clear lines of the garden seem soft and blurred..

Water

The reservoir is the center of the garden composition. It has its own unique look, which is created using the following techniques:

1. Use of natural stone to create fountain bowls, pool curbs and canals.
2. Geometric mosaic patterns. The most commonly used blue-white-blue color scheme.
3. Sculptural groups are usually not used when creating a fountain. Styled bowls, coffee pots, jugs are acceptable.
4. The jets of the fountain should not create strong noise when falling.
5. Water should always be clean and transparent..

Tracks

If in most ethnic styles the paths should not draw attention to their man-made nature, then in a Moorish garden, on the contrary, they should look like the creation of human hands. Paved with slabs of natural stone, located symmetrically and strictly in a straight line, the paths clearly fit into the overall composition. Chess paving looks very advantageous, or geometric patterns laid out from tiles of different colors in an oriental style.

A very small area can be completely tiled with tiles, arranging stone vases and arranging pots with plants.

Fencing

Privacy is one of the main hallmarks of ethnic gardens. In this, the Moorish garden is no exception – the fence should reliably close the garden from prying eyes and the penetration of strangers..

The role of the entrance group is most often performed by the back terrace of the house. All outbuildings, as well as the summer kitchen, should be placed along the fence, you can immediately arrange a stylized gallery.

There are no internal fences in the Moorish garden. Zoning is done by paths or low trimmed hedges.

Furniture and accessories are important stylistic components

Traditional Arabian furniture is pillows of various sizes, spread out on low trestle beds or sofas located against the walls. It is very convenient for the garden – they are easy to care for.

You can also use any garden furniture, it is only important to style it in an oriental flavor. Bright pillows, tablecloths with traditional patterns, oriental lamps will help with this..

Gazebos in the Moorish garden are not arranged. An alternative can be a stylized canopy or tent..

It is very important not to overload the garden interior by showing a sense of proportion and style. Although, unlike most ethnic trends, the Moorish garden allows for some excesses in colors, luxurious objects, finishing materials.

Plants of the Moorish garden

A huge plus in landscaping a Moorish garden are pots and flowerpots in which thermophilic plants are planted – perennials and dwarf trees. Even at the planning stage, you need to think about exactly where the plants will winter. Perhaps it will be a winter garden in the house, or a glazed heated veranda.

Thus, you can grow citrus trees – lemons or oranges, kenti palms, various types of ficuses (Benjamin, lyre, rubber), yucca, cryptomeria, oleanders, coffee trees and many others..

Bougainvillea is a very successful plant. Only for her it is necessary to arrange a portable support, which should move freely with the pot.

Roses are one of the main decorations of the Moorish garden. Shrubs should be well-groomed and in full bloom. You can also use lilac or mock orange.

All vertical surfaces – walls of a house, fences, tree trunks, can be entwined with ivy, climbing roses, clematis.

From the trees traditional for the middle lane, you can plant any fruit trees – apple, pear, cherry. It is only very important that their crown is lush, and the greenery is bright.

Geraniums (pelargoniums) of all colors will create the necessary color variety, just like any other brightly blooming perennials.

Plants in a Moorish garden should not be sheared or modeled. Splendor, the maximum riot of greenery and flowers that can only be achieved in a fairly arid climate – signs of style.

Moorish lawn

This style gave its name to a type of lawn that is used in many other ethnic styles, but there is no lawn in the usual sense in a Moorish garden. The soil is sown with grass and flower seeds in flower beds, between trees, even in rose gardens. Such a lawn is not stained, it is not walked on. Its purpose is to delight the eye with its bright green colored carpet and scent that attracts bees and butterflies..

Moreover, in the classic mixture of herbs for the Moorish style there is a wide variety of ground cover plants (clover, bryozoans, stonecrops, etc.) and flower seeds (poppies, calendula, cornflowers, irises, delphinium, flax, etc.), while there are no cereals.

All the plants of the Moorish lawn have a different flowering period, and therefore it remains constantly green and blooming. Caring for a Moorish lawn consists of regular watering and feeding.