If you live in a climate warm enough to make an olive tree happy, consider your landscape dilemma solved. One olive tree, dramatically situated, is all it takes to inspire awe—and poetic allusions to ancient boughs that sheltered Socrates and his students.
Legend has it, in fact, that the actual olive tree that shaded the philosopher still stands in Athens, as gnarly and cankered as you would expect of an old man who has lived more than 2,500 years. The story may well be true, as olives are one of the longest-lived of all trees (keep this in mind when choosing where to plant one as the spot you pick will be its home for centuries).
Olea europaea (of which there are hundreds of varieties, each with its own distinctive fruit) hails from ancient Mesopotamia and Persia and is a ubiquitous feature of the landscape in warm regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. You can grow on olive tree of your own if your winters don't get too cold—it will tolerate a freeze, but not temperatures that dip below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Not everyone likes to have olives raining down on the front walk; if that describes you, plant a non-fruiting variety. For the rest of us, Sarah has a recipe for DIY: Home-Cured Olives.
Here are 10 of our favorites ways to use an olive tree in your garden:
Anchor a Courtyard
Above: Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
A single olive tree in a Texas courtyard needs no further embellishment to carry the landscape (although the sound of burbling water from a small nearby fountain is always nice).
Shade a Space
Above: For more of this garden, see Steal This Look: A Romantic Outdoor Kitchen in Puglia.
Cooking outdoors creates a conundrum: you don't want the sun beating down on your head but a canopy or shade umbrella can trap smoke and make you feel as if you are the meat sizzling on the grill. A strategically situated olive tree creates shade and allows air to circulate.
Create a Canopy
Above: For more, see Landscape Architect Visit: Jacqueline Morabito on the French Riviera.
If you want to create an outdoor room without having to build anything, pull some chairs outdoors to sit beneath the generous boughs of an olive tree. Suddenly you have a roof over your head (and can still see the stars).
Promote Privacy
Above: For more of this garden, see Garden Visit: A modern California Garden Inspired by the Classics.
Soften a Fence
Above: For more of this garden, see Before & After: A Jet Black and Jasmine Garden in London.
Add an Allée
Above: For more, see Garden Designer Visit: Lavender Fields in Australia.
Honor the Horizon
Above: Photograph via Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture. For more of Cochran's work, see Stone Edge Farm: A Peaceful Retreat in Northern California.
The twisted trunk and gnarled branches of an olive tree will, like sculpture in the garden, focus attention both on itself and on a distant view.
Frame an Entryway
Above: For more, see Vineyard Haven: A Napa Valley Garden That Belongs to the Land.
Play Off Gray
Above: For more, see Before & After: A Malibu Garden for Grey's Anatomy Star Patrick Dempsey.
Hold a Hammock
Above: For more, see Off the Grid: At Finca Es Castell, Mallorca.
You don't need a straight trunk to hold up a hammock, for centuries.
For more, see:
- The Italian Job: A Vacation Villa, Olive Grove Included.
- 5 Favorites: Indoor Olive Trees.
- The Novice Gardener: Help, Can This Olive Tree Be Saved?
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