Granada, in southern Spain, Â is of course most famous for the Alhambra and Generalife gardens. Â The Mosque of Granada is located in the Albaicin, the Moorish quarter and oldest part of Granada, at the top of the hill and affording spectacular views of the city and the Alhambra on the other side of the river. The gardens are typical of Moorish gardens found in Andalusia, with pebble patio flooring designs, and fountains.
Tag Archives: Andalusia
Jardines de Cuenca: A Cliffhanging Garden in Ronda, Spain
Ronda is one of the “white villages” of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is most famous for the steep cliffs separating the two sides of town and the jaw dropping view they offer. Ronda also has one of the oldest bullfighting arenas and Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles were frequent visitors. streets are actually named after them.
I visited Ronda in the winter, so I did not see the Jardines de Cuenca at their very best. Â The season however in no way detracted from appreciating this unique site, Â and the stunning views from this small garden literally hanging over the canyon. It is laid out as a series of small terraces, climbing up into the center and towards the main bridge, and planted with palm trees and succulents that are well adapted to the summer heat of southern Spain.
Cordoba Botanical Gardens: Sustainable Gardening & the Kitchen Garden
The Botanical Gardens in Cordoba, Spain opened in 1887 and were designed for primarily educational and scientific purposes. They are laid out along a wide central alley leading on one side to the Collections, species native to Spain arranged in borders edges by low growing rosemary or hackberry, and on the other side the Agricultural School, featured in this post, with a large collection of citrus trees as well as an extensive vegetable and kitchen garden. In the center are greenhouses dedicated to species from the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and Andalusia, as well as a lovely area dedicated to the Andalusian patio.
In the School of Agriculture, the emphasis is on sustainability and diversity, with sustainability and organic gardening on the forefront. Plants grown are those for human or animal consumption as well as any plants offering benefits or use to people. Many different methods of cultivation are used and in those collection one can observe the different cycless of plants through the seasons.
Cordoba Botanical Gardens: the Scientific Garden
The Botanical Gardens in Cordoba, Spain opened in 1887 and were designed for primarily educational and scientific purposes. They are laid out along a wide central alley leading on one side to the Collections, featured in this post, species native to Spain arranged in borders edges by low growing rosemary or hackberry, and on the other side the Agricultural School with a large collection of citrus trees as well as an extensive vegetable garden. In the center are greenhouses dedicated to species from the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and Andalusia, as well as a lovely area dedicated to the Andalusian patio.
he Collections are arranged scientifically along a central alley, by species and variety. All the plants included in the collections are autochtone to Spain.
The Alcazaba Gardens: Alhambra’s Fortress in Granada, Spain
Granada, in southern Spain,  is of course most famous for the Alhambra and Generalife gardens.  The Alcazaba was built as a fortress and is the oldest part of the Alhambra. The gardens of the Alcazaba are small but offer sweeping views of the city, as well as fountains and other features typically found in Moorish style gardens.
The garden proper is called Jardin de los Adarves. It is a long and narrow garden on the side of the Alcazaba overlooking the city.
Pebble Designs & Patio Flooring Ideas from the Courtyards of Spain
Beautiful patios can be found throughout Andalusia, influenced bytthe Moors that ruled in Southern Spain until a final defeat in 1492. Cordoba embraced this heritage in its patio tradition perhaps more than any other Spanish city and has been celebrating with its famous Patio Festival in May since 1933.
Found throughout the south of Spain is the use of intricate pebble designs not only in the patios and courtyards, but also in many public areas and city squares. I am featuring here some of the many designs I came across in particular in Granada , Cordoba and Sevilla.
A Delightful Andalusian Patio in a Government Building, Spain
This Cordoba patio stands out even in a city where lovely patios and courtyards are the norm rather than the exception. In an old building now used as offices for local government, the mezzanines have been glasses in all around to preserve the views while offering protection from the elements. Note the lovely pebble patio design typically found throughout Andalusia.
Globetrotting Gardener 
