South Australian Mediterranean Garden Society
Glorious foliage contrast at The Huntington 2017

INTERNATIONAL Mediterranean garden society

 

THE INTERNATIONAL MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY

The Mediterranean Garden Society was founded in 1994 in Greece by a small multinational group of friends – including some from South Australia – concerned that there was very little information available on gardening in the Mediterranean countries and in Mediterranean climate areas worldwide.

Now based in Athens, this group has spread to 39 countries and has a total of more than 1600 members.  The society's official language is English and is affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK.

The International Mediterranean Garden Society is a significant focus of information and exchange of ideas on Mediterranean Gardening.

 

Mediterranean Climate Regions
Credit - Coastal Southern California Science & Learning

 

The International Mediterranean Garden Society offerS:

An international conference

An international conference in a different part of the Mediterranean climate areas every year, with an extensive programme of garden visits and lectures.

 

Guided wild flower excursions

Guided wild flower excursions to different Mediterranean regions to enjoy wild flora

 

A quarterly journal

A quarterly journal with articles on plants, garden techniques and gardens plus book reviews and news items

A dedicated website

A website with illustrated descriptions of members’ gardens throughout the world and information and photographs to link you with the broader MGS community

 

Seed exchange 

Seed exchange – the current seed catalogue covers more than 500 species

 

A travel opportunity

A great travel opportunity to link up with MGS groups around the world and join in with their locally organised events

 

Haworthia radula_at_garden_of_Sparoza.JPG

SPAROZA

 

SPAROZA INTERNATIONAL MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN

This 1.2 hectare estate outside Athens is the heart of the Mediterranean Garden Society.  It is an experimental garden in which plants are tested for their tolerance to hot, dry conditions and poor soils.

The house and garden were created in the 1960s by Jaqueline Tyrwhitt, a British town planner.  She was a pioneer in the use of drought tolerant plants.  Sparoza is believed to be one of the earliest gardens to adopt this approach.

When the Mediterranean Garden Society was founded in 1994, Sparoza became its base with the permission of the Goulandris Museum of Natural History whose property it became after Ms Tyrwhitt’s death.  The society has sole responsibility for the development and maintenance of the garden.

Garden at Sparoza

Haworthia Redula at Garden of Sparoza

Haworthia Redula at Garden of Sparoza

Some parts of the garden receive no summer irrigation at all, while others are given some water.  Rainfall has been meticulously recorded at Sparoza since 2003.

The garden contains a rich collection of plants adapted to Mediterranean conditions.  Some are native to Greece and other countries of the Mediterranean Basin while others are from the various Mediterranean climate regions of the world.  Sparoza has both cultivated and wild areas.

Sparoza provides a training programme with horticultural students from around the world able to learn the practices and techniques of Mediterranean gardening from the current custodian of the garden, Ms Sally Razelou.

Our MGS branch makes an annual contribution to Sparoza and has also sponsored one of its members to train there and plans to do so again in the future.

The garden is not open to the public but all members of the MGS are welcome to visit by appointment.  To arrange a visit, email:  sparozavisits@gmail.com