A transformation worth celebrating: a tired old city garden has become a vibrant retreat for the entire family—one that will adapt gracefully as needs evolve. But let's begin at the start: when garden designer Pia Konrad from Landschaftsbau Dahmen in Neuss first visited the property, she found a long, narrow garden dominated by continuous lawn, flanked by sloped beds filled with aging ornamental shrubs. An imposing old yew tree, a garden house, and weathered vegetable beds—whose harvests were frequently claimed by rabbits—rounded out the scene.

The owners' vision was altogether different: they dreamed of a sprawling play area for their children, plus multiple inviting spaces for relaxation, enhanced vegetable beds, and a garden sauna. The thoughtful redesign transforms the garden's proportions through strategic plantings of trees and shrubs that create distinct, interconnected rooms and visual pathways. Raised beds with dry-stone walls built from salvaged greywacke now bridge the height difference with the neighboring property. The yew, refined through careful pruning, has become a romantic canopy crowned with a well-loved swing. New bluestone pavers on the terrace continue as stepping stones across the lawn, guiding visitors past an elegant water feature toward a central lounge area. Spectacular plantings—lady's mantle, coral bells, stately white panicle hydrangeas, and a composition of structural perennials and grasses—frame the journey. Three columnar sweetgum trees create an airy screen separating the lounge from the play lawn beyond, where the boys happily stage their football matches. Year-round, but especially in autumn, these trees command attention as their foliage shifts from pale green through warm orange to deep burgundy. The sauna sits deliberately tucked away in the garden's rear, shielded from neighboring views. Looking ahead, the family imagines the football pitch transforming into a naturalistic perennial garden anchored by a stone sculpture—a "stargazer" currently positioned to gaze skyward near the seating area. The original garden house now nestles discreetly behind two mature apple trees, berry shrubs, and robust wooden raised beds that are both easy to tend and safely beyond reach of hungry rabbits.

www.dahmen-landschaftsbau.de

Photography Credits:

Felicitas Rath
www.bildsprache.eu

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 01|21)