South of Hamburg, Christian Bahl and his team at Bahl Gärtner von Eden faced an exceptional challenge. "A property nestled against a small wooded area, positioned on a slope with such stunning panoramic views across the landscape—that's rare in these parts," notes the garden designer.

Before the redesign, the homeowners rarely ventured into their approximately 2,000 m² garden—the steep slope made the space difficult to navigate. The house and garden felt disconnected. Yet the location offered tremendous potential: tucked against a wooded area, the property was completely private and ideal for active garden living. The answer lay in terracing. Using roughly 500 m³ of material, the team carved out multiple levels, each with its own purpose—accessible seating areas, intimate retreats, a swimming area, and a productive orchard meadow. Basalt block retaining walls do double duty: they frame lush green plantings while visually softening the dramatic elevation changes.

A timber veranda steps down from the house to a clean, geometric main terrace finished in anthracite-grey Umbriano concrete slabs. Anchoring this space is a masonry Biotop Living Pool—a chemical-free alternative that relies on bio-filtration, nutrient filtering, and a skimmer system to keep the water pristine. An air-source heat pump allows for gentle seasonal warming. The terrace is further defined by a secondary sitting area and a minimalist pool pavilion featuring a fully appointed outdoor kitchen—both designed by Bendestorf-based architecture firm Scholz.

Floor-to-ceiling glass doors in the pavilion fold open to frame views of the original garden—tall pines and birches anchoring the composition, with historic rhododendron varieties putting on a spectacular spring show. To honor the old landscape, regional pines in oversized handcrafted terracotta pots appear on the main terrace. The planting palette culminates in expansive drifts of 'Globemaster' ornamental allium, their geometric forms providing a soft counterpoint to the formal pool geometry.

www.bahl-gaerten.de
www.abscholz.de

(Published in CUBE Hamburg 01|20)