In the residential neighborhood, the family of this garden wanted a dreamy oasis with modern materials, playful planting and a spacious swimming area. The garden area was transformed into a structured outdoor living room with swimming pond.
The exterior of this duplex needed more structure, new sight lines, increased privacy, and thoughtful areas for different needs. A design concept was developed that makes the entire area usable while integrating the slope into the design. This has created an outdoor living room with a dining area, a cozy lounge as a resting place, and a bathing area with a lounging area. The diverse and dreamy planting also gives the garden a fairy-tale atmosphere.
The garden before and after the redesign
Two levels surrounded by flowering grasses and perennials
In the upper area, the garden was equipped with a large wooden deck. Under the existing canopy is now a sheltered dining area, which can be accessed directly from the house. The large wooden deck is broken up by two paving stone steps that lead down to the lounge area. Here, at the outer edge of the garden, a fountain with two gargoyles shimmers, providing an acoustic backdrop to the outdoor space. At the same time, the planting gives the garden its calm and natural atmosphere. Two existing trees with magnificent canopies and distinctive bark were incorporated into the garden concept. They cast a wonderful play of shadows on the wooden deck and are crucial to the feeling of space in the open air. Through various grasses, evergreen shrubs, white hydrangeas, purple steppe sage and many other perennials and shrubs, the planting plan was carefully composed so that the garden is always changing throughout the year.
A few steps further reveals a picturesque staircase that connects the two levels. Somewhat winding and accompanied by lushly planted troughs, the terracing is in itself a highlight of the garden. Time and again, the steps are interrupted by a wide area, making the path seem less steep and at the same time creating more space for planting.
A swimming pond with a lot of privacy
In the lower part of the garden is the bathing area. In the same appearance as the stairs, the surrounding surfaces are in an elegant gray. The look of a swimming pond appealed to the family very much. They wanted to keep the effort as low as possible. Therefore, the swimming pond was extended with a biofilter to keep the planted regeneration zone as small as possible. The Living Pool technology used removes phosphate from the water, which is vital for algae. In this way, the technology supports the planting in cleaning the water without having to forego the swimming pond look. This biofilter can also be used when no regeneration zone is desired. The shape of the swimming pond was adapted to the terrain, allowing optimal use of the area.
Surrounded by tall grasses and the planted stairs as well as the mighty trees in the back, it almost seems as if you are in a mysterious bathing area in the middle of nature. Due to the created soundscape of the two cubic gargoyles as well as the green privacy screen, the garden has become a private, green oasis.
The way to the dream garden
The original garden showed an outdoor space as it is very common in Switzerland: an uneven surface surrounded by a wooden screen and some deciduous shrubs. Due to a one-sided planting, gardens lose their charm in autumn and the use is limited exclusively to summer. It is precisely in such gardens there is an incredible amount of potential.
