The garden of a listed merchant's villa in Blankenese has undergone an almost unbelievable metamorphosis. Two streets formed the strict framework for the corner plot. There was a lawn and a hedge, the "garden" was dreary and flowerless, uninviting. Then the family decided to transform the garden into a cozy little paradise with the help of Claudia Schaaf and her team from Beran Gärten. The aim was to fill this misunderstood place with life. The historic entrance with its old staircase and garden gate, a raised terrace belonging to the building and a few old walls and hedges were preserved. The rest of the 670 m² site was to be redesigned in several stages.

The design is based on the idea of different garden spaces, each with its own function - both for the family and their friends and for the flora and fauna. Lush plantings of various free-growing specimen trees characterize the picture: flowering dogwoods and mahonias "Soft Caress", various hydrangeas, rhododendrons, berries and precisely cut topiaries such as hornbeams "Monumentalis" and yews as beehives, quince espaliers, beech hedge elements and gnarled old plantation fruit trees characterize the picture. There is also a kitchen garden for fruit and vegetables, a historic fountain and a spacious seating area. All of this provides people, insects and birds with a paradisiacal sea of flowers. Throughout the summer, this place is surrounded by the beguiling scent of flowers. By adding brown-grey planters on the terraces and roof terraces, the lines between the cultivated and planted areas flow into one another. This makes the garden appear more lush and greener overall.

At the family's special request for variety and diversity, other areas were deliberately unsealed to compensate for the newly created terraces. A 30-year-old plum tree was planted on the former parking space for vehicles, surrounded by flowering perennials. In the spirit of sustainability and resource conservation, the team used historic greywacke paving and used granite kerbstones from Hamburg streets for the remaining paved areas. The reused materials harmonize with the listed villa. The result is an elegant and at the same time almost wild urban garden that timelessly caresses the historic building. A real gem in the middle of our beautiful city: the merchant and original builder of this villa would have been delighted with this revitalized garden.

www.beran-gaerten.de

Photos:
René Sievert Photography
www.rene-sievert.de

(Published in CUBE Hamburg 01|25)