The Mediterranean Garden is situated on the slopes below the Southern African Garden. Surrounded by native bush in a sheltered microclimate, it provides ideal growing conditions for plants native to the Mediterranean region.
At the top of the garden is an Italianate terrace which includes a water feature. This is positioned to make the most of the magnificent view looking out towards Leith Valley.
Below this, the beds have been raised using dry-stone walls. These were built by garden staff, each rock having been hand-picked from the quarry, and painstakingly placed.
I have been astounded at how many Mediterranean plants are commonly grown in home gardens. For this project many have been gathered from within the boundaries of the Botanic Garden. Others have been sourced from nurseries, and the international seed-exchange programme.
The finishing touch is a limestone-chip mulch, adding to the atmosphere and deceiving you into thinking you have taken flight and landed somewhere exotic.
The iris pictured is orris root, Iris pallida, native to northern Italy and the Dalmatian coast.
• Robyn Freeth is the rock, water and alpine collection curator at Dunedin Botanic Garden.
