On a stunning Greek island hillside, a garden that embraces and softens the elements

Perched high on a ridge overlooking the sea on the on the Cycladic Island of Kea, in Greece, this villa on a steeply sloping site provides spectacular views of the Aegean from every room in the house. In his garden design, Enzo Enea embraced the ‘genius loci’, or spirit of the place, and integrated the natural stone villa with the dramatic landscape beyond, creating a seamless flow – of views, breezes, light, living spaces – and a constant connection to nature.

Kea has an arid, harsh climate and the lack of rain and groundwater on the island and the strong and constant winds coming from the open sea that faces the property presented a major challenge for the garden planning. Enea addressed this challenge sustainably while creating stunning results, designing a garden from native plants found on this side of the island, such as olive trees (Olea europaea), Valonia oaks (Quercus ithaburensis ssp. Macrolepis) , pomegranates (Punica granatum), citrus trees (Citrus x limon, Citrus x latifolia, Citrus x deliciosa and Citrus x sinensis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), conehead thyme (Thymus capitatus), wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) , the soft yellow-green feather-like esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima) and many others. The entrance drive weaves up a gentle slope where native flowers create an undulating carpet of colour, formed from the bright magenta of the hardy iceplant (Delosperma cooperi) and the upright purple flowers of the Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans), interwoven with white Carissa blossoms (Carissa sp.), the small yellow flowers of Medick (Medicago sp.) bushes and yellow ‘cotton lavender’ (Santolina chamaecyparissus), among other drought-resistant local species.

Enea Landscape architects designed the garden to soften the harsh effects of nature, providing shelter from the wind and sun, and planting mature trees capable of thriving in the arid climate, along with traditional stone walls, as windbreaks. The trees create a shady microclimate that lowers the temperature and enhances biodiversity, supporting lush understory planting. Enea’s special irrigation system, with parallel branches, is designed to avoid blockages due to the island’s hard water. The garden design adapts to the dry landscape by using surfaces such as gravel, wood and stone instead of lawn to minimize water usage. This can be seen in the gravel paths meandering through the olive groves. Enea also planted large, mature olive trees between the pool and the cliff’s edge to frame views of the sea and create a focal point in the landscape.

At the back of the house, Enea placed a grove of citrus and fruit trees, less resistant to the wind, within a protected courtyard. Here he has created a sensorial space, with thyme (Thymus capitatus) growing between the stepping stones and raised planters of herbs and spices for the kitchen alongside an existing natural rock wall planted with rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and a small nook with a round table by the house.

Facing the pool and looking out to the sea, Eneas has designed the outdoor kitchen and dining area – the main outdoor living space – as an extension of the architecture. This space is protected from the wind and sun by a covered, custom-made wooden pergola that overhangs a lounge nook with sofas.

Enea designed an infinity pool that seems to float between the landscape, sky and sea.
One olive tree canopy is slightly visible from the pool as a focal point. The wooden deck surrounding the pool has an additional lounge area with a large oak tree (Quercus ithaburensis ssp. Macrolepis) to provide natural shade. Stone stairs lead to an upper wooden deck with viewing bench surrounded by Esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima) – soft yellow-green feather-like grass, with stone walls adding protection against the wind for the seating areas nestled in the landscape.