Turkish Garden Ideas, Décor and Design
Just the suggestion of Turkish garden ideas raises eyebrows for some people. Foreigners have never associated Turkey with extensive, lush gardens of spreading green grass landscapes. Indeed, unless you own a villa with private gardens, most Turks lived and still live in apartments. They planted a few plants in old Salca tins, and that was it. However, when COVID spread and people were confined to their homes during the lockdown, they turned their attention to making use of empty spaces.
Additionally, most doctors now say gardening and plants are good for our wellbeing mental and emotional health. These days, regardless of whether you own a villa or an apartment in Turkey, everyone can enjoy a beautiful garden throughout the year. This article discusses tips for balcony gardens, incorporating traditional Turkish garden décor and design with today's modern gardening ideas and flowers that grow well.
Turkish Garden Ideas, Décor and Design
1: About Balcony Gardening
Do not think living in an apartment with only a balcony limits you. On the contrary, just one search proves balcony gardening is now a verified pastime and hobby. Remember, don't use traditional gardening methods but instead focus on container gardening, with four spaces to utilise. These are window sills, hanging ceiling baskets, railing baskets, and the ground—oodles of space.
There are a few things to remember about container gardening first. Always use flower pots with suitable drainage holes to prevent root rot. Rather than digging up average soil from nearby fields, invest in professional container soil. These cost an average of 30 lira for 30 litres, and a well-known brand is Agrobit, with all nutrients your potted plants need.
Remember larger container keeps the soil moist for longer. For the height of summer, something to bear in mind, if you plan to buy small pots, they need frequent watering because they dry out quicker. The light-coloured containers keep the soil cooler than dark colours. To fertilise your container plants, use sheep's wools pellets. Additionally, with huge balconies, corner an area off to make your little conservatory or seating area.
2: About Turkish Gardens in Villas
As mentioned before, large patches of grass are not part of traditional gardens in Turkey. Villa gardens tend to be courtyards or gravelled areas with designated spaces. Of course, incorporate container ideas as well. But because there is more room to play with, use two standard features in traditional Turkish gardens. Seated areas are typically wooden pallets covered with soft cushions around a central table. When visitors arrive, they take their shoes off, and everyone relaxes on cushions. The seated area is within sharded areas or a wooden gazebo structure. So, even if you do not want palette furniture, you can still incorporate a table and chairs.
3: How to Choose Your Garden Flowers
Planting Zone: Everywhere in the world is designated to a zone that outlines which flowers and plants grow depending on climate and hardiness. Although Turkey has several different climate zones, planting zones sit anywhere from 2A to 12A depending on whether you live in the south, east, north, or west. We are on the Aegean coast, and our zone is 9B. Find your zone here - https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-turkey-plant-hardiness-zone-map-celsius.php If you live in a different country, find the planting zone map by searching Google.
Amount of Sunlight: Before you head out and buy every plant within your zone, track the daily sunshine in designated areas. For example, our corner balcony receives morning sun on the south side and afternoon sun on the west side. Don't forget the sun rises higher in the sky during summer.
Investigate Garden Plants: Research carefully when you spot a plant that catches your eye. For example, some plants tolerate all day sunshine, some only in the morning. Additionally, others are more suited indoors, on bright window sills. We downloaded Blossom's app that identifies plants and gives detailed information about their soil, sun, and water preferences. The plant app also tells us what to expect during their growth period.
Ideas for Plants and Flowers for Turkey
Bougainvillaea: Anyone who has travelled around Aegean and Mediterranean Turkey will verify this is a no brainer. This beautiful plant appearing in crème, pink, and orange flowers appears everywhere and is beautifully portrayed when combined with a trellis. However, you can get miniature bougainvillaea plants for containers. Incredibly easy to look after with no watering requirements in winter, don't be surprised if the bougainvillaea loses leaves and flowers when transplanting. This is shock, but it rebounds and multiplies soon afterwards.
Karenfil: Known by its scientific name of Dianthus Caryophyllids or carnation to humbler gardeners like us, Karenfil is a Turkish favourite loved by homemakers everywhere. The perennial Mediterranean plant grows up to 80 centimetres tall, and sweet scent flowers appear in various colours, including pinkish-purple, red, white, yellow, blue, and green. With a lovely scent, these plants typically bloom from spring through to autumn. However, keep them away from the afternoon heat in July and August.
Petunia: Once spring heads into May, expect to see petunias in Turkish garden centres. One firm favourite for hanging baskets is a million bells that bring bursts of colour into small and dull spaces. However, keep deadheading petunia flowers to encourage blooms throughout summer.
Baby Sunrose: This succulent is popular in Turkey because it thrives with copious amounts of sun. Red, pink, or yellow flowers appear throughout spring, summer, and autumn, but keep pinching stalks so your baby sun rose grows bushy rather than stringy. Additionally, to propagate, place a stem with a leaf node into the soil, and the roots take quickly, so you never have to buy another one again.
Purple Heart: Also known by its scientific name of tradescantia palladia, this is a stunning plant that displays bright purple with pink flowers in ideal conditions. Purple heart is drought tolerant, making this plant perfect if you go away on holiday. Like most tradescantia plants, keep cutting stalks to encourage a bushy rather than stringy appearance. Likewise, place stalks with a visible leaf node back into the soil, and they take very quickly. Winter humidity turns leaves brown, so either bring the plant indoors or cut stems back when spring arrives.
Autumn pansies: Everyone wants colour all year round, and this is when autumn pansies step up as an ideal plant. We live in Aegean, Turkey, and throughout winter, our pansies gave us bursts of colours with their bright purple and yellow showers. Additionally, they are often sold at weekly markets for next to nothing, so this is a plant that won't break the bank.
Geraniums: when buying geraniums, investigate which type. The perigonium geranium needs full sun, but ivy geraniums prefer light shade. This is a firm favourite of Turkish people appearing in gardens and window boxes everywhere since the perigonium flowers beautifully throughout summer.
Other Plants to Consider: Oleander, kalanchoe, and citrus trees, including kumquat are all firm favourites in Turkey. But remember that your garden space, whether on the balcony or within a private villa, is your personal space to experiment and find out how well your garden grows.
Read about Traditional Turkish Houses: Turkey reinvented its real estate market over twenty years. Modern housing now caters for a fast-paced, technology hooked lifestyle. One unexpected turn of events following this reinvention is that traditional Turkish houses gained an iconic status domestically and internationally. As a result, some experts want to keep them intact so future generations remember their cultural heritage. In addition, some foreign buyers who dream of a small renovation project and Turkish garden ideas also take a keen interest in their preservation.
Fethiye
