How to Make an Olive Tree Look Expensive in a Garden — Advice From a Designer Who Nailed the Elevated Mediterranean Look at This London Home
This garden in North West London is the epitome of Mediterranean chic, and it's the olive trees that are the heroes of the planting scheme
I'm a sucker for a Mediterranean garden, and there's nothing that more instantly sets the tone in one than an olive tree. However, they can be difficult plants to tame, especially in the wrong conditions, and just because your specimen looks great when you buy it, it doesn't mean it'll stay that way indefinitely.
But, as well as caring for an olive tree to keep it at its best, making it feel elevated, and expensive-looking is as much about the context you put it in.
Take, for example, this Mediterranean garden in London by designer Gina Taylor of East London Garden Design, where olive trees take a starring role. So, what's the secret to getting this style of garden to feel elegant? "It’s less about what you add, and more about what you leave out," Gina says. "And crucially, investing in one or two exceptional focal elements — like the olives themselves — rather than lots of smaller features. Mediterranean gardens have this beautiful confidence. They’re not trying too hard."
Article continues belowWhether you've got a full Mediterranean garden, or just an olive tree, you want to set the tone for your outdoor space, I asked Gina for her rules of designing with and around olive trees.
Gina Taylor is the founder and lead designer of East London Garden Design, a studio specializing in contemporary urban gardens, courtyards, and rooftops. Based in East London, Gina is passionate about creating outdoor spaces that feel like a true extension of the home — places that are welcoming, personal, and connected to their surroundings.
How Did You Design the Landscaping Project to Support the Olive Trees?
"The olives are very much the anchors of the scheme, so everything else is working in quiet support: we kept the planting deliberately restrained — a limited palette, repeated well. Underneath, there’s a softness of low, drought-tolerant planting — think silvery foliage, fine textures, and a slightly bleached palette that echoes the leaves of the olive itself. We kept the planting palette very restrained — silvery tones, soft textures, nothing too dominant. The idea is that everything feels like it belongs to the same atmosphere, rather than competing for attention."
"What’s important is contrast — fine ground layers to offset the solidity of the trunks. Also looser, lighter planting that moves in the breeze. Nothing too dominant — everything sits just below the olives in hierarchy. It’s less about adding color, and more about building a cohesive atmosphere around them."
How Do You Pick a Good Specimen?
Look for types of olive trees that are acclimatized in the UK, Gina recommends.
"It’s all about character. I’m always looking for: 1. a beautifully gnarled trunk — that sense of age is everything; 2. good branch architecture, so the canopy feels open and airy, and 3. a slightly asymmetrical form — nothing too perfect."
"In practical terms, I also look for trees that have been properly acclimatized to the UK climate and grown on, rather than freshly imported. It makes a huge difference in how they settle. And if the budget allows, I’d always advise going as mature as possible. Olive trees are slow-growing, so you’re really buying into that sense of instant permanence."
Clipped Topiary, or Wilder and Less Tamed?
How you maintain your olive trees will change the look.
"I tend to sit somewhere in between. There’s something undeniably elegant about a softly cloud-pruned olive — it brings a kind of quiet structure, especially in urban gardens where you want a sense of intention. But equally, I’m very drawn to the natural looseness of an olive’s form — the irregular branching, the slightly unruly canopy, the sense of age."
"In this garden, the aim was to let the trees feel established rather than styled. So instead of tight topiary, we’ve kept the pruning light — just enough to open up the structure and allow light through. It’s about editing, not controlling."
Do You Using Lighting on Olive Trees?
Lighting your olive trees will help your garden come alive at nighttime.
"I do — very selectively. With olives, tree lighting is incredibly effective because of the textural bark and that soft, translucent canopy. A gentle uplight catches all of that and creates beautiful shadow play in the evening. In this scheme, the olives are absolutely treated as hero trees, so yes, they are subtly lit. Nothing harsh, just a low, warm wash from a spotlight placed below to draw out the structure."
"It’s one of those details that quietly elevates the whole garden. In a small space, especially, it extends how you experience it well into the evening."
What Are the Right Conditions in a Garden for an Olive Tree?
"Light is everything. I’d only introduce olives where I know they’ll be happy. A south-facing or west-facing garden with plenty of sun. Shelter from cold winds — ideally near a wall that radiates heat. Free-draining soil or a well-designed container setup."
"Olives are incredibly tolerant plants — happy even in poor, stony soils — but they won’t tolerate sitting wet. It’s always about creating a little microclimate — warm, dry, and protected — that mimics their Mediterranean origins."
Of course, olive trees might be the heroes of a Mediterranean garden, but they need a supporting cast of other Mediterranean garden plants, too.
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