Landscaping is a focus at Elysia Park
Construction of the first phase of Elysia Park (www.pafilia.org) will be completed shortly, which will mark a new phase in Cyprus Property. The development is Pafilia’s first integrated resort. At the same time, it carries on our tradition for creating beautifully landscaped communal areas that only get better with time.
I have been working on Pafilia’s landscaping now for a number of years and 7,000m2 is quite a lot of garden for one development. It presented us with a challenge, to create varying areas of interest within a larger theme, as well as working at the same time as construction, which is not always easy. At the same time it gave us an opportunity to create a large area that had a certain continuity, which is lacking in many of the surrounding areas. Our designs came partially from the architects and partially from our own inspiration, from our travels and how we felt about the project. We wanted to create spaces for different activities, for example lawn areas for children as a safe place to play where they can be kept an eye on by their parents from the swimming pool or balconies. The lawns are also ideal for playing football generally, not just children.
Some of the landscaping at Elysia Park
We also wanted to ensure that we saved as much water as possible, so firstly, we used only indigenous plants, which only need irrigation for a maximum of 3 years and then only during the very hot periods. Secondly, we decided to use a drop by drop irrigation system, which is totally automatic and would be set to water everything in the early hours of the morning (around 4am) to minimise evaporation and maximise water absorption by the plants. We are also using recycled water from our sewerage treatment plant for the irrigation.
After planning everything, we started first with the green area, which is slightly away from the construction and so that it would be relatively mature for delivery of the project. The hard landscaping, such as the stone feature walls and white marble floor tiles, were done by construction and were designed to be eye catching, as well as add to the luxury feel.
We decided to make a far denser planting plan around the boundaries to create a sense of privacy and isolation from the cares of the world. At the same time, the boulevard running along the length of the project provided some structure. With the overall planting plan, we wanted to create something in character with Cyprus, not just a standard Mediterranean environment and we used primarily plants from our own nursery in the Akamas, all of which were indigenous to Cyprus. We added colour to give an uplifting feeling for people by using geraniums. We also wanted to create a blend of different scents for both day and night. We therefore used a mixture of different aromatic plants and varieties, such as thyme, mint, rosemary and lavender. This also adds to the communal experience, encouraging residents to partake in the Mediterranean life, to use these herbs, as if they were their own personal gardens, for their cooking, or for making tea. For night time, we added night blooming Jasmin, or Cestrum nocturnum, so that the aroma at night would recall of the magic of Oriental nights.
We hope you enjoy the landscaping at Elysia Park for many years to come!
