Madeira Hillside Garden Steps

Stone steps climb through a hillside garden, turning past white walls and pots of flowers. Banana leaves frame the left side, while bird-of-paradise blooms point out from the right with orange petals and blue edges. Beyond the planting, Madeira's steep green coast falls towards a strip of deep blue sea.

The steps are the best place to begin. Their irregular edges and dark joints make a clear route through the picture, even where the plants crowd in. White walls catch the sun in broad patches, and the terracotta pots add warmer shapes among the leaves. Save the distant houses, cliffs and sky for later; their softened colors sit behind sharper garden details and can be easier to mix up.