IONIA TERRA GARDENS

Set on a sun-drenched hillside in Puglia, this terrace garden was designed as a natural extension of the surrounding landscape—anchored by timeworn stone, aromatic herbs, and the silvery canopy of mature olive trees. Our goal was to create a space that felt quietly rooted, as though it had always been there, softening the architectural edges of the home with layered wildflower planting, terracotta vessels, and gently textured groundcover. The design embraces the region’s agricultural heritage, balancing structure with softness, and allowing native plants to thrive in harmony with the rhythms of light, wind, and season.

A timber pergola provides dappled mid-morning shade over a lounge seating area, offering a restful perch to take in the garden’s evolving palette. Every element was chosen with a sense of restraint and warmth—aged materials, earth-friendly planting, and simple, enduring forms that respond to the local ecology. The result is a terrace that invites both stillness and connection: a place to linger, to gather, and to feel held by the land itself.