Designing dry gardens and aromatic oases

Mashamba Garden Design's cutting-edge, native landscape design

When Englishman Alexander Warren-Gash and American Jennifer Warren-Gash met in Costa Rica 12 years ago, they never imagined they would become a cutting-edge landscape design duo in Mallorca. Ten years ago the young couple moved to the island to “upgrade flip flops for sandals…we were ready for a little more culture,” Jennifer laughs. Alexander had an interest in garden design and began working in gardens when they arrived on Mallorca to learn about plants and the Mediterranean climate.

Today the couple work as a team, creating modern conceptual “aromatic meadows” that flow in “rhythms” of wild grasses, rows of pale pink Gaura, scented violet Lavender Dentata, bushes of silver-green Teucrium, and blue spires of Echium.

Hearty banks of Seville roses are a favourite for long-lasting blooms and vibrant hues. The focus for Mashamba Garden Design is on the blooming from season to season, balancing the plants’ shape and colour changes throughout the year. Jennifer is the brains behind the terraces, designing special vessels for pool areas and furnishing outdoor living spaces. “We want to create secret places, places to retreat to and read or nap,” she explains.

Dry gardens for sustainablity

In designing dry gardens, Mashamba’s emphasis is on low water consumption and sustainability. “We prefer not to make sprawling green lawns,” Alex says, “they are expensive to maintain here and suffer disease.” Instead, they opt for local porous marès stone gravel paths and sub-tropical species of plants; Agave, Yucca, Aeonium and Aloe are planted with bulbous Teucrium and Buxus bushes to create structured, geometric dry gardens.