Christian Préaud
A
series of four terraces
supported by white, dry
stone walls, three of the
terraces covered in grass,
the fourth in gravel, these
four terraces are joined
by black polished concrete footboards.
At the end of each wall, groups of three
Florence cypresses frame the view
towards the lake. A very “Sud de la
France” feel with these trees at the foot
of which grow annual cistus that reseed
at their discretion.
A waxed black concrete bench occupies
the gazebo surrounded by osmanthuses
and a bed of lavender surrounded by
‘Faulkner’ boxwood. Roses, hydrangeas,
lemon trees and wisteria complete the
decor. The garden isn’t just a pretty
piece of land on which a house is built.
It is an outdoor extension of the inner
space. Like any inhabited space, it fulfils
a function. A form matches this function:
it is the architecture of the setting. The
landscape architect’s work initially
involves defining what role the garden
will play in the owners’ lives.
Next, the designer
must conceive the
appropriate form by
drawing inspiration
from the soul of the
setting to finally
produce a style true
to Atelier Jar- dins’
values: classic in
its principles yet
resolutely modern
in its process.
This style uses evergreens for structure
so that the garden’s architecture can be
seen throughout the year. Perennials
and annuals are then layered into the
design which unfold and change with
the seasons.
The colours of the foliage and flowers
are categorised into monochrome
masses where white and blue are often
favoured. Water, no matter the form, is
always present.
This at expanse dotted with a few
ornamental trees and apple trees wasn’t
very inviting. The garden was confined
to the surroundings of the house. The
entire plot had to be reorganized to
waken the urge to discover, to walk, to
hide. Close to the house, a vegetable
garden, a bed of flowers, a rose garden,
a bed of ivy from which emerges the
structure of a beautiful hundred-yearold apple tree, and beyond, grassed
alleys, clumps of grass, shrubbery
and undergrowth all built around
a “channel” of flowers, of Myosotis
perennials, iris and gauras.
Landscape & Urban Design Issue 20
53