If you’re buying a property with a garden in Cyprus, lucky you! Nowhere is better for outdoor living and life around the pool, the garden or on a sundrenched terrace. But tending a garden in Cyprus holds different challenges and opportunities to one in the UK. See what you need to know.
Over the last three weeks I’ve been playing host for a British relative visiting Cyprus. The weather was kind, changing from cold temperatures and torrential rain to our current 26°C. Suddenly it became clear that Cypriots were feeling the need to move outside again at last.
They were also entertaining relatives and friends in their gardens for the first time property since 2019 because of the strict virus restrictions. It was great to be able to enjoy the familiar smell of souvla on the charcoal, along with haloumi, loukaniko (Cyprus sausage) as I prepared evening food for my relative.
These delightful times made me realise that it is so important to have a garden with your property in Cyprus. I would definitely recommend it. Not only will you be able to share fully in the Cyprus culture but a garden can allow you to bond with your family and friends too.
Your own oasis in Cyprus
The rules and regulations for gardens have changed for the better too. At one time people wanted huge houses in preference to a garden. That has changed and architects and developers in Cyprus are now maximising garden space by designing houses of two or more levels and an L-shape garden.
Most of my British friends wanted some form of garden when they moved here. So they avoided living in the centre of the towns where the land space is limited and lived in the suburbs and villages that always surround the towns, such as Pareklissia, where land is more plentiful. Pareklissia is about 18 kilometres from Limassol and there is a direct road link that will take you about 24 minutes by car. You will also find that having a garden will raise the value of your home a great deal.
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Cyprus planting
So what would you plant in your garden? This depends on your budget of course. Remember that your garden will always require maintenance. You can choose whether you can afford a high initial cost or whether you prefer a more low-cost option.
Personally, though, I went for a more expensive option because I wanted my garden to look luxurious, even in our hot Mediterranean climate. So I started with some trees – I have orange, mandarin and apricot trees in my garden. These give me some beautiful scented blossoms as well as the lovely fresh fruit every year. You can choose how you maintain these trees but I give them minimal effort and they still reward me. Other trees you could choose are olive and tropical looking palm trees which also require minimum maintenance.
Cyprus’s weather is not kind to lawns. While you can have natural grass you will find it needs a lot of water and maintenance and there is no shame in going for a lower-maintenance option, especially for a holiday home where you might only visit occasionally. Yes, even artificial grass that just needs sweeping every now and then!
Apart from trees there are some wonderful flowering plants that you can grow here in the Cyprus climate. We have so many beautiful orchids that love the Cyprus temperatures and they can also be grown inside your home. Outside plants include hydrangeas, rhododendron bushes (common Cyprus plant), azaleas, fantastic chrysanthemum plants that will give you fantastic colours and smells. Many of my British friends have typical hanging flower baskets that they fill with border plants and fuschias and hang them to adorn their verandas.
Easy outdoor space
If you don’t really have green fingers, that’s fine too. Your garden can simple be your outdoor space. First, nearly every garden in Cyprus has a barbeque area. Barbeques are the central part of Cypriot life and culture. For us British, it’s really fun.
If you have a barbeque area you might like to put an outdoor sink and drainage in too, for convenience. Some people like to place the traditional kleftiko oven in their outdoor space as an alternative to the barbeque. It is an oven that cooks lamb without oil and with potatoes and vegetables wrapped in foil over wood and often overnight. It’s healthy and the meat is exceptionally tender and soft. These ovens cost you roughly about €600.
Many people choose to have a swimming pool in their outdoor space. The most common size is a 4m x 12m pool, which costs around €20,000 to put in. That’s the pool itself for around €15,000, the patio adds another €4,000 euros and a shower another €800. Fpr safety reasons the depth should be about 1.80m.
Relax in an easy-to-maintain garden
My garden has lighting surrounding it and I have also put external wall sockets for me to use my laptop outside. You can also place an external TV aerial socket outside if you like. Lighting costs about €4,000 and this includes the light fittings. There’s also the potential to have a covered bar area if you have enough space.
For those with the space, nothing says you’re a success in life quite like your own tennis court! A basic tennis court with an asphalt surface will cost you around €20,000. Basketball is popular in Cyprus, and for a standard basketball with one basket you’ll be looking at just €3,500.
Whether you choose to have a garden in your new home or an outdoor space I hope I’ve given you some good ideas here. Happy gardening and relaxing!
