THE RIVER PEARL
YEAR: 2020
PLACE: SALDUS NOVADS
AREA: 5000 M2
DESIGN: MĀRTIŅŠ RŪTENBERGS, ANSIS BIRZNIEKS
Garden in the Courland countryside – The River Pearl. It causes memories of childhood countryside homes, where the central feature of the yard is a water well and the most elaborate flower beds are planted by the house’s entrance. As far as the eye can see, there are flowering meadows and fields. Rich perennial beds and grassy meadows with mown lawn paths form the foundation of this garden's structure.
The garden is separated from the surrounding expansive landscape by a wooden slat fence, which transitions into a planting of grasses and a blooming orchard. The transition between these elements and the surrounding scenery is designed to be natural and flowing. The curved labyrinth of grasses organically blends with the surrounding meadow, while the wooden slat fence creates a cohesive link with the adjacent wooden shed.
Paths through the lush perennial beds are marked by a refined concrete slab paving, using concrete curbs reclaimed from a previous path network. This design allows for closer inspection of the plants within the beds, provides functional movement through the garden, and defines spatial transitions. A modern countryside garden is incomplete without a robotic lawn mower and an automatic irrigation system, ensuring that the garden maintenance does not become a burden during the homeowners' weekend and holiday visits.
The plant selection used in the garden is dynamic, rich, and seasonally changing. It features various grasses, salvias, lilies, garden phlox, and ragwort, as well as roses and a wide range of peonies from the homeowners' collection. Among the perennials and grasses, there are also integrated berry bushes, some fruit trees, and even rhubarb. Including berry bushes within the bed contours makes daily garden maintenance easier.
