Interior designer Alma Babic-Jimoh tells us how she created a European
style garden at her Mudon home

Planting a green garden
Being surrounded by nature was a priority for Alma, her husband Ibrahim and their three children when they moved into their four-bedroom off-plan Mudon property in 2017. We wanted to create a green oasis with lots of trees – one that would remind us of our homeland, Germany,” explains Alma, an interior designer at Habitation Design.

“We started landscaping the garden immediately, drawing up ideas and calling upon our regular gardener to execute them,” she explains. “Our main priorities were to install a barbecue kitchen, swimming pool and outdoor shower.”

Creating privacy in the garden
“Privacy was also really important to us,” says Alma. “The community wouldn’t allow us to increase the height of the boundary walls, but they didn’t have any restrictions on trees, so we came up with the idea to have an elevated planter box with ficus trees all the way around.”



How to get your own foliage-rich garden
Alma, who is a regular at the plant nursery in Al Warsan, has learnt a lot about plants. “I know which ones thrive in the shade and which don’t mind the sun.”
Create interest by planting trees recessed into the garden opposed to just along the edges.
Be experimental by using a variety of different plants – Al Warsan plant nursery has a huge selection.
Add layers by using elevated planter boxes along with plants at ground level. this earns you some privacy along with a lush look.
Want more local garden inspiration? Interior stylist Lilly Engelbrecht tells us how she transformed her garden into a social hub