Magical Mallorca

Early morning light illuminates palms along steps in the Jardines de Alfabia

Jolene Telles

On a recent vacation to Spain I had the great fortune of visiting the enchanting island of Mallorca, or Majorca as the English would say. A small group of Fresno, California, garden enthusiasts, including fellow MGS members Bruce Honeyman (my husband) and Jolene Telles, went to the island intent on taking in some veritable Mediterranean landscapes. Prior to our departure, I contacted Northern California Branch co-chair, Bracey Tiede, who put me in contact with Sally Beale, chair of the Balearic Islands Branch. By including us in branch activities and recommending gardens to see, Sally was tremendously helpful with our stay.

Main entrance to the Moorish governor’s home at Alfabia

Jolene Telles

In terms of public gardens, Sally recommended the Jardines de Alfabia, a historic, now-public site, built by Mallorca’s Moorish governor in the 1400s. The gardens were spectacular and, along with the well-done museum, should not be missed, especially by palmophiles.

Cherub figure rides a baroque-style dolphin in the main entry courtyard of Alfabia

Jolene Telles

Eye-level window in a garden wall reveals an unexpected and breath-taking view of the garden beyond

Bruce Honeyman

Moorish arcade of water jets, turned on manually for a momentary celebration of the simple beauty of water

Kirsten Honeyman

Palm wonderland in the inner gardens of Alfabia

Bruce Honeyman

A refreshment stand sells fresh lemonade and orange juice from fruit grown in the Alfabia gardens

Kirsten Honeyman

Period furniture, murals, and walls covered in "tela de lenguas" (locally produced ikat fabric) in the fine museum

Kirsten Honeyman

Large copper vessel in the hallway of Alfabia’s museum

Kirsten Honeyman

With Sally’s help we were also able to connect with many expatriate garden professionals and enthusiasts. We were generously invited to visit several private gardens, and it was at this point that an already great vacation to Spain morphed into the trip of a lifetime. Between the arresting experience of being in such lovely spaces and the adrenaline rush of seeing possibilities for one’s own California garden, the visits to these private properties amounted to a garden junkie’s peak high. The photos accompanying this article are only a smattering of the loveliness we were exposed to.

Teucrium fruticans clipped into a whimsical hedge in a hillside garden

Kirsten Honeyman

As MGS members are well aware, there are several quintessential elements which combine to create the gestalt that is Mediterranean design. Among those elements is the use of clipped hedges. True to the European tradition of topiary shapes in the garden, many of the Mallorcan landscapes we saw included mounded or spherical hedges tucked among the plant material. While some clipped hedges are meant to mimic the natural, compact shapes of drought-tolerant plants found in the Mediterranean wild, others are meant to be whimsical. For example, one garden owner playfully snaked tucreum fruticans across a section of her garden to act as a screen. In some settings, clipped hedges were used to divide large areas of the garden from one another. This was done on a grand scale to separate, for example, a wildflower meadow from a formal section of the garden. In other instances, clipped hedges were used in an intimate fashion to create the feel of a smaller garden "room."

Clipped euonymus japonicus is used effectively to create parterres

Kirsten Honeyman

Clipped olive trees (olea europaea) line a hillside path with a hidden garden bench beckoning from above

Kirsten Honeyman

Cacti, succulents (including agave attenuata), and clipped olea europaea grace a hillside garden

Kirsten Honeyman

Clipped olea europaea in the “Her” garden

Kirsten Honeyman

The liberal use of succulents constitutes another key element of Mediterranean design. Given that they are perfectly suited to a mediterranean climate pattern of dry-summers, wet-winters, and minimal frost, they were used extensively in both public and private gardens. Mallorcan master gardeners variously used succulents as specimens or in mass plantings. One delightful couple couldn’t agree on an overall plan for their garden and decided, in the interest of marital peace, that the area in front of the house would be hers to plant and the area behind the house would be his. They each arrived at wonderful succulent plantings.

Aeonium arboreum on the "Her" side of the house

Kirsten Honeyman

Succulents and palms on the drought-tolerant "His" side of the house

Bruce Honeyman

If you're planning to go to the AGM in October, you are in for a real treat. Many of the gardens we saw will be on the planned tour, and they will not disappoint. And, if you’re not among those fortunate enough to be going, put Mallorca on your list of must-visit places. With the island’s stunning gardens, unspoiled European villages, charming capital of Palma, and breath-taking ports, it is simply a world-class destination.