The garden reveals its true essence during the serene hours of early morning and evening, when a gentle light suffuses the surroundings, evoking a sense of tranquility and enchantment. The design vividly captures this moment, describing how the soft light filters through the forest‘s edge, caressing the pond and illuminating the grasses and flowers, casting a magical glow over the landscape.
Designed as a harmonious ensemble with meticulous zoning and seamless transitions, the garden begins with a renovated courtyard adorned with cube-shaped hollies and gleditschia trees, providing a refreshing shade. While the areas adjacent to the house serve practical functions like a kitchen garden and terrace, the integration of plants and materials creates a harmonious atmosphere with fluid boundaries. A focal point emerges in the form of a water lily pond with a wooden pier, offering a serene oasis amidst lush plantings of perennials, ferns, and grasses, leading to romantic seating areas. A lawn staircase, a living sculpture in itself, guides visitors to expansive landscaped sections with meadows and willow trees.
The garden‘s design captivates with its understated yet elegant use of natural materials such as stone and wood, complemented by restrained yet striking planting schemes. It seamlessly blends into the Lower Rhine landscape, providing retreats while maintaining a clear connection to its surroundings.
The designer`s approach to creating this poetic landscape involved a collaborative process, emphasizing flexibility and responsiveness to the site‘s natural features. Situated on a gentle hill overlooking the valley, the farmstead integrates seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, characterized by groups of trees like silver willows, oaks, beeches, and ash trees. By removing obstructions and strategically thinning out existing vegetation, visual connections hade beed restored, creating a cohesive visual narrative.
The centerpiece of the garden, the water lily pond, reflects the surrounding landscape, enhancing the sense of continuity and harmony. From the house, expansive views extend across the pond to the meadow landscape beyond, framed by a hedge parterre of holly cubes, juxtaposing the softness of nature with structured elements.
The upper garden area transitions smoothly into the lower landscaped portion, with plantings echoing the natural diversity of the surrounding meadows. A Corten steel staircase leads from the upper garden to a natural gathering space with a fire ring, nestled among pollarded willows and native flora. Deliberate yet seemingly natural, the design encourages interaction with the environment, attracting various wildlife inhabitants like bats, owls, and hares.
In conclusion, the landscape garden on the Lower Rhine embodies a harmonious blend of nature and design, offering a sanctuary that seamlessly integrates with its surroundings, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in its serene beauty and timeless charm.
Private residence in the lower Rhine area, Germany
Designer Credit: WKM Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH
Client: private client
Executive company: Ralf Cremers Grungestaltung und Landschaftsbau GmbH
Photographer: Ferdinand Graf von Luckner
Winner of a Merit Award in the 2024 WLA Awards in the Built – Private Residential category
