Nothing makes your garden stand out more than a touch of exotic life, but the plants themselves are only half of the work. The furnishings, atmosphere and shape of your garden can turn even the most basic arrangement of plants into something straight out of Southern Europe or North Africa.

We spoke to Olive Grove, stockists of and experts on exotic plants, to get some tips on how you’d start creating a Mediterranean Oasis in your backyard.

Start with the oasis

An “oasis” doesn’t have to be anything specific – pools and ponds are ideal, but setting up an artificial stream or fountain can work too. If you’d prefer not to work with water, try creating a ‘dry oasis’ by digging a lowered area with steps that you can use as an extra seating area.

It’s understandable to be worried about safety, especially if you have children, so a good alternative for concerned parents would be a roundoutdoor table or a cluster of sturdy trees. These can work as a central point of your yard without endangering your little ones.

Use soft, warm lights

Outdoor lights are an excellent way to fiddle with the atmosphere of your backyard: the colour, brightness and angle of each light you use will completely change the way a certain area of your garden looks. While an outdoor fireplace or burning torches could be a bit extreme for what you have planned, some soft orange lights (preferably ones that flicker or pulse slowly) will create a nice evening glow when the sun starts to set.

Use different pots

There’s nothing wrong with orange terracotta flowerpots, but they might seem a bit too plain for the style you’re aiming for. More exotic plants like miniature olive trees deserve something more unique, so look around for a different material or shape that suits the Mediterranean style. You might even find it better to get larger sizes that you can grow clusters of plants in, rather than potting them individually.

Make it comfortable

Comfortable outdoor furniture is a staple of the hotter areas of Europe, so emulating it with a covered seating area is a great way to bring that aesthetic to the outside of your home, especially during warmsummer nights. Having a roof to protect you, stops the rain damaging your chairs and rugs, but there are always waterproof ranges available if you don’t like being constrained to a small area of the yard.

Add paths

If you have a lot of grass or dirt in your yard, consider setting up clear paths with spare planks or stone slabs. This can add a touch of “coastal resort” to your home, and if you build them on raised supports or bases, you won’t need to worry about getting dirty shoes while you’re trying to walk across it on wetter days. Combine this with some tall lights and you can even create a ‘street’ in your own backyard!