Winners - Second Prize

Serenity Garden

In Brno in the Czech Republic, the garden of an old house lies hidden behind a high yew hedge. The owners  renovated the dilapidated building and redesigned the garden.

Entering the property through the garden gate, visitors discover a quiet resting place to their left, covered in high-grade granite paving and shaded by four cherry trees. A shallow pool borders on this stone-paved rest area. Black slate slabs cover the bottom of the basin. The granite paving seems to dissolve in the adjacent pool, an impression created by rectangular granite slabs slanting out over the water from the basin’s sides. The black slate bottom slabs shimmering through the water make the pool’s surface reminiscent of a dark mirror. Moss on the granite slabs reinforces that impression.

The pool is surrounded by beds and strips planted with bamboo, perennials, grasses and other vegetation. Clematis Montana is gradually covering the adjoining fence. Overall, the colors of the garden change with the turn of the seasons, starting with pink cherry blossoms in the spring.

Behind the house, ferns grow next to and between stone pavers. With time, ivy has come to cover the wall of the neighboring building. The right side of the garden is dominated by trimmed boxwood set in gravel, interspersed with hydrangeas. The daylily bed awaits discovery of just the right sculpture.

Fotos:
The granite-covered rest area appears to dissolve in the water. Rectangular granite slabs jut out over the pool. Four cherry trees bring the first blossoms in spring and give shade