10 wonderful ideas to create a romantic Provencal-style shabby garden

The refined and romantic style of the villas situated in the green of the French Provencal countryside is famous all over the world. Here, the landscapes are picturesque and the atmosphere is truly magical. But it is an atmosphere that can be easily recreated even in our gardens at home. Just a little aesthetic skill and some foresight in using furnishing and decor (and the right amount of creativity), are all that are needed.

The typical style of Provencal gardens is what is called by many as "Provencal shabby" or "Provencal shabby chic". This style is characterized by furnishing objects with soft lines and pastel colors, truly vintage or deliberately aged using weathering techniques such as decapè. The generous and widespread use of flowers and lights of all types come together to create the Provencal atmosphere.

Take a look at the ideas below to understand what this style is all about:

Wrought iron tables and chairs, painted white, are a classic of this style of decor.

Containers and basins in enamelled tin or galvanized iron are also classics for the Provencal shabby style. You can use them as a simple stand-alone decorations, or as very original plant containers / planters.

Wicker chairs, armchairs, tables and baskets find ample space in the furnishing of Provencal gardens. They are usually white or left natural and help to give that touch of elegance and romanticism this style is all about.

Strings of lights that illuminate the garden in the evening represent another typical feature of evenings in Provence. By decorating your outdoor environment, you will be immediately transported to this bucolic atmosphere.

The abundant use of flowers is also fundamental for this style. Placing a group of flowering plants on an old ladder which has been modified to become a plant stand, is an original and really attractive idea.

Staying with wicker furniture (again painted white), a more elegant version can be created by constructing an outdoor sitting area equipped with sofas and a breakfast, tea or brunch table.

The iconic symbol of Provence is the lavender plant, a classic and evocative flower. It goes without saying that having many lavender plants around will immediately make the environment much more like to the one we are trying to imitate and reproduce.

Fixtures, fittings and entrances painted in light colors, especially white, help to give the garden an additional Provencal shabby touch.

Another typically shabby element are old cages with an aged patina or simply painted white. Whether you put flowers and plants inside or use them as candle holders, when they are hung here and there around the garden, they really look great.

And finally the shabby object par excellence, and also an iconic feature of Provencal gardens, is the lantern. It is the element that, perhaps most, contributes to the fairytale allure we are looking for. You can therefore use many of them: you can never have enough laterns!

In short, if you dedicate yourself a little to your garden, as you have seen, it takes very little effort to give it an elegant and romantic flavor that many dream of. Try it - you will be amazed by the results.