Small but perfectly formed – this private garden in Neufahrn proves that size isn't everything. Despite covering just 180 m², it delivers everything a family could want: a swimming pool, a generous wooden deck that doubles as an outdoor lounge, and plenty of shade-providing trees. "What matters isn't the size of your garden," Christian Dobler tells his clients, "but what we create together." His design for this intimate dream garden is living proof. Since 2012, this master gardener and landscape architect has been crafting both grand and intimate gardens throughout the Greater Munich area.

Clean, purposeful forms are central to this designer's philosophy, and he elevates plants to key design elements. The result is a cohesive whole that never sacrifices functionality. Here, the challenge was seamlessly connecting the entrance with the main garden. A change in materials – large-format crystal dark granite slabs in the garden, concrete pavers at the entry – created two distinct zones. The wooden terrace sets itself apart from the pathway, while loose ornamental grasses establish a soft green boundary. A row of three ironwood trees with their distinctive roof-like crowns provides the perfect visual separation between entrance and private space. Another consideration was screening the office windows that overlook the garden. Reclaimed timber steles now provide the necessary privacy. Finally, a 1.70 m high rendered wall marks the threshold between the garden and the residential entrance.

Don't assume a project like this takes forever – Thaler Garten- und Landschaftsbau completed it in just four months. Everything from the pool and expansive thermo-ash deck to the spectacular white hydrangeas interspersed with feathery pampas grass was finished in under a year. Thermo-ash, which shifts from rich chocolate-brown to silvery weathered tones, is an excellent sustainable alternative to tropical timber – sourced from local forests and equally resilient to the elements. Come evening, the uplighting of the trees adds yet another dimension of beauty to the space.

www.dobler-gartendesign.de

Photography Credits:

Lydia Mitterhuber Photography
www.lydia-mitterhuber.de

(Published in CUBE Munich 01|21)