We recently spent a week holidaying in Mallorca, at a hotel with a fabulous garden lovingly developed alongside the expansion of its buildings over many decades.

The Bon Sol in Illetes, approximately 7 miles from Palma, is a family run hotel built on several levels in a small, quiet bay. The garden weaves and winds through the traditional hotel features of pools, terraces and bars, along stone feature pathways.

It was all too brief a break, but utterly enjoyable and exploring the verdant, lush  planting was an absolute delight.

A profusion of mature palms dotted between enormous pine trees (pinus halepensis, seen all over the Island) form a canopy above a mid level planting scheme that includes rubber plants (ficus elastica), bananas and smaller palms, including what I think I’ve identified as the Mediterranean fan palm, Chamaerops humilis and phoenix palms.  

At eye level, Hibiscus is planted throughout the gardens, frequently with Lantana camara and at different stages of maturity. Climbing bougainvillea scrambling along boundaries provides intense colour.

Ground cover consists of bedding petunias, geraniums, verbena, busy lizzies and surprisingly, spider plants.

On the sea walls, Helichrysum italicum, commonly known as the curry plant due to it’s strong aroma, sway in the breeze.

There’s also a delightful garden housing a small crazy golf course!

So, home again and with the greenhouse now open for business, I’ve planted a pot to remind me of the lovely Bon Sol, with a miniature banana, hibiscus, trailing geranium and verbena.