"Structure and order – spaces to pause and dream in. We marvel at the garden's transformation every single day. It's become our secret hideaway," the homeowners share. Yet their vision seemed nearly impossible at first: blending formal garden design with bonsai trees alongside English scented roses, abundant hydrangeas and perennials, a Victorian fountain, and existing stone sculptures. To complicate matters, the Blum+Scherer planning office inherited a heavily shaded, structureless garden. Still, the landscape architects succeeded in reimagining it as a vibrant living environment for people, animals, and insects.

Working closely with the homeowners, they thoughtfully thinned the trees, creating an airy canopy with dynamic interplay between sun and shadow. A striking sweetgum tree was relocated to a prominent position, rewarding the residents with spectacular autumn color in its first season. The landscape architects crafted a formal garden concept rooted in classical design principles—one that harmonizes beautifully with the home's Wilhelminian architecture. For the hardscaping—reclaimed greywacke pavers, basalt steps, and gravel pathways—they prioritized sustainability and natural aesthetics, minimizing surface sealing. They refined the planting scheme and created three distinct garden rooms, each offset from the others and set at varying levels. From the sitting and dining terrace by the house, with its Victorian stone fountain and bonsai specimens, a path guides you through a sun-drenched rose and perennial garden, then into a breezy shade garden sheltering mature trees. In the second garden room, established evergreens were significantly pruned to allow light to flood the rose and perennial beds below. A historic garden bench invites visitors to linger in the abundant rose fragrance. The rearmost garden level, set between two mature conifers, features an evergreen magnolia that frames the view and screens the neighboring property. Stone sculptures and venerable bonsai on pedestals are artfully nestled among lush perennial plantings—astilbes, foxgloves, epimediums, foamflowers, and hostas—creating moments of discovery at every turn.

Rather than follow the minimalist trend of reduced plant diversity, the architects embraced the owners' vision for lush, romantic planting—deciduous trees, flowering shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses—creating evolving color harmonies while maintaining visual interest year-round. More than 1,000 spring bulbs deliver the season's first color splashes, which the sweetgum and various maples sustain with vibrant foliage through late autumn. Evergreen hedges, winter-active perennials, and grasses ensure the garden remains alive with texture and movement even during the dormant months.

www.blum-scherer.de

Photography Credits:

Evelyn Kopp

(Published in Frankfurt 01|22)