Calm and vibrant
Privacy screens become part of the garden design through thoughtful, strategic planning.
Working closely with the homeowners, the design of this approximately 570 m² property echoes the cubic architecture of the house and its minimalist interior style: clean lines, multiple garden rooms, and a restrained colour palette of greens and white flowers only. Adding to the challenge: the property sits on a sloping site.
Landscape architect Christoph Rabl from Majuntke – Gärtner von Eden translated these ideas into reality alongside his team and the homeowners across four construction phases spanning several years. The phased approach ensured consistent quality throughout, resulting in a seamlessly cohesive garden.
Despite the front garden's challenging location directly above the garages—with minimal soil depth—it functions brilliantly as a garden space. The key: shallow-rooted species like Japanese maple and boxwood, paired with raised beds that expand root zones. Meticulously trimmed yew hedges atop the garages shield the adjacent terrace while doubling as a sculptural element that mirrors the house's angular geometry. Rabl orchestrated square-cut boxwood sections, yew hedges, perennial beds, and gravel zones into a dynamic composition—so from the terrace, you're drawn to a richly planted, largely evergreen vista rather than a simple privacy barrier.
Precisely positioned trees—Japanese maples, amelanchiers, and sweetgums with their brilliant autumn colour—create rhythm throughout the planting scheme. On the north and east facades, white Trespa privacy screens establish a visual dialogue with the white house, their austerity softened by larch wood and strategic plantings. The interplay of greens and diverse leaf textures—from maples and hydrangeas to yews, boxwoods, perennials, and grasses—reinforces the calm, pared-back aesthetic. White spring bloomers punctuate the perennial beds through May, followed by white autumn anemones, astilbes, and panicle hydrangeas. Holy bamboo, offering transparent screening that contrasts beautifully with the structured hedges, contributes its own white flowers come summer.
(Published in CUBE Munich 03|20)

