Gardened nature

The idea was not to intervene as little as possible, but to do it as needed to make the garden usable for everyone. Nature would be allowed to run free between the different gardens, or “rooms” as the architect called them, and could also be harnessed. Thus a path was created around the pond, zigzagging across raised wooden walkways through willows that evoke mangroves; and the land on the edge of the woods was transformed into pastures for cows and horses. The former courtyard is now planted with tufts of grasses from which spring persimmon trees and Szechuan pepper plants; a little further, the covered space that once housed the entrance protects more delicate species. Through a door, you come upon a vegetable garden ringed with palisades and bordered with flowerbeds; this opens onto an an orderly orchard. On the breakfast terrace grow wisteria and mountain ash; at the foot of this, a serpentine millstream traces a path of reeds towards the pond. Further still, behind the buildings and between the pastures, a pergola leads to the property’s boundaries. The passage from one space to another always holds surprises, but this is not just a picturesque garden: each space has its function, which is constantly evolving to best meet the needs of its inhabitants.