This garden design was implemented by Katerina Gkoltsiou and commissioned by the Ministry of Culture. The redesign of the existing green spaces aimed to highlight the gardens of Iliou Melathron and to acquire a particular character for this historical place.

 

The design proposal followed the suggestions and recommendations made by the Technical Department of the Ministry and took into consideration the existing vegetation, the soil conditions and the climate.  In particular, at the perimeter of the garden new climbing plants were proposed, enhancing the existing ones, and ensuring the visual and sonic isolation of the place from the surrounding areas.

In the flowerbeds, ground covers of small shrubs were planted, replacing the existing lawn. The plantings were massive in free shapes (curves) in a staggered planting (high-mid-low shrubs), referring to the gardens of the 19th century.

 

The planting design around the statues was highlighting them rather than obscuring them.  The majority of the proposed plant species were small indigenous shrubs, with a long lasting flowering period. The selection of species was based on the historical references about the garden.

 

Most of existing species were maintained and enriched with fruit trees such as lemon trees, pomegranate trees and so on. Three cypresses were planted in a triangular composition near the secondary entrance of the garden, acting as a landmark for the particular place.