habitat for fauna, or modern garden
Thomas: From year to year I see a significant change in customers' expectations of gardens, they want naturalness, which can be achieved with delicate plants such as perennials. I am very often asked to design a modern garden. What does the word modern mean? Appropriate to new times, progressive, innovative. Therefore, hearing or seeing mono-species plantings, I can not agree that they are modern. Because mixed beds, consisting of a large number of species, including melliferous species, provide an opportunity to create a mini habitat for local fauna - insects, birds. Adding to this the creation of a watering hole (drinker), high greenery providing shelter or nesting place only we can consider the garden as modern, that is, appropriate to the new times, in which strong urbanization has deprived our animal neighbors of a place to live, and we thus return and share it with them.
The water bowl is a drinker for birds
photo: Piotr Michalik, Christopher Miller
water mirrors
Dobrawa: Have additional elements (such as small architecture) been introduced and what is their purpose?
Tomasz: The elements of small architecture are furniture by Italian designer Paola Lenti, water elements in the form of rectangular tanks located in the outdoor living room area. These tanks act as a water reservoir, as well as a purely decorative element - a mirror image. A water element in the form of a bowl is located in the secret garden and serves as a bird drinker. At the end of the garden axis, connecting the secret garden with the main garden, there will be a sculpture, for which a pedestal has been prepared. An element that has also not yet been completed is a semicircular steel structure enclosing the garden from the west. This structure is to be overgrown with climbing plants. There are plans to install lighting, the task of which will be to accentuate individual specimens of trees, with a more attractive form especially in the leafless period.
Perpendicular elements and geometric pedestrian route
Photo: Piotr Michalik, Christopher Miller
contrasts and color accents
Dobrawa: What shapes and colors dominate the garden?
Tomasz: Closest to the house, the interiors refer to the geometric pedestrian walk way and molded shrubs in the front garden, a treatment intended to connect the two parts of the garden by means of form, but also species that intertwine with each other. Secret garden by design was intended to be a contrast of the mentioned interiors, so soft organic lines and forms of sheared shrubs are visible there.
The color scheme changes depending on the part of the garden, but also the season. The outdoor living room is surrounded by plants with dark green leaves, whose flowers in maroon, dark purple and white are color accents. Such a juxtaposition alludes to the color of the outdoor furniture (maroon chairs at the outdoor table, cobalt sofa, pouffe and table).
The main garden is made up of a mixture of colors, where strong contrastswere relied on, juxtaposing, for example, purple with orange, as well as their concomitants like pink and yellow. A calm color combination based on plants with pastel flowers is provided for the secret garden. Pink, purple and white predominate there. Individual plant species are repeated in each establishment, unifying the garden. The common denominator is the paving, with granite slabs and dark gravel repeating throughout the area.
garden furniture designed by Paola Lenti
Photo: Piotr Michalik, Christopher Miller
Dobrawa: Which part of the garden is most interesting to you and why ?
Tomasz: Each of the zones of the garden is interesting because there are different elements, colors and different plant species. However, both mine and the investors' most favorite part of the garden is the secret garden. The greenery of this place surrounds us from all sides, plus the trees planted on "islands" amidst the gravel pavement, give a green openwork vault that shades this corner. A light twilight dominates there, and in addition, this zone is isolated from the west wind by means of a dense evergreen hedge, creating a tranquil place for rest and shelter from the scorching summer sun....
