Iwan and Colette and their daughter have exchanged their apartment in Amsterdam for a house with a nice garden in Amersfoort. They have already beautifully renovated the house themselves, only the garden leaves much to be desired. They themselves don’t know how best to arrange the garden according to their needs, so it’s high time that the DIY team helps this young family out.
The needs
The couple would like to be able to enjoy their garden next summer. A task that they cannot manage themselves because of the renovation in the house. They still find the garden very uncomfortable and they miss a lot of greenery. That is why they ask for more color and durability. The garden can become almost completely green, except for the part under the veranda. Here they want a place where they can eat together in the summer. In addition to these two wishes, the garden must also become cozy, so that the family can sit outside with family and friends in the summer.
The garden plans
The area under the porch will become a cozy place for the family to eat outside. By tiling the area under the veranda, a dry passage to the inside is created. A path will connect the front part, near the porch, to the terrace at the back of the garden. On the far right there is room for an organic part of the garden, where a rain barrel will also be placed. At the back left, space is made available for a nice sitting lounge and of course the rest of the garden is filled with lots of greenery.
The terrace under the porch
Iwan and Colette had already removed the old tiles from the garden themselves, which saves Tom a lot of work. That is why the job for Tom starts right away with leveling the sand bed, on which the new tiles will be placed. Anthracite-colored concrete tiles have been chosen for a tough, robust atmosphere. These are laid in half-brick bond so that it does not become too boring.
The organic path
To keep the whole of the garden fascinating, it was decided to vary the tiles in terms of shape, type and colour. That is why the walkway has been laid out with concrete pavers in an organic form, also in stretcher bond so that it merges nicely with the front part of the garden. The outer edges of the walkway have been given a slightly rounded shape, so that the border edge also looks more natural and the garden becomes less static.
Greening of the fence
The couple indicated that they found the current fence too present. That is why Tom has placed beautiful fruit lei trees at the edges of the seating area, against the fence. When these come into bloom, delicious apples and pears will grow on them in late summer! The trees will get a little taller, so they will eventually provide more shelter.
Playful elements
Tom has dug a trench on both sides of the walkway, into which Douglas wood posts have been placed. This is a strong type of wood that does not decay quickly. The posts differ in a playful way in length and, again in an organic shape, are placed next to each other with spaces in between.
The rain barrel
If you want a sustainable garden, a rain barrel should certainly not be missing. It’s a shame to let all that rainwater run off when you can also use it for your plants! In addition, plants also like rainwater better because it does not contain lime. Tom has placed the rain barrel under the drain pipe and with a tube he lets the drain pipe run into the rain barrel. Nice and sustainable!
Loungeplekje
‘Cobblestones’ are placed at the edges of the lounge area, these are tiles that you often encounter in older, Belgian streets. The center is filled with gray gravel: a water-permeable pavement that allows rainwater to drain easily. There is also a cozy sofa with a fire pit in this nice sitting area. Just what the family asked for!
Even more green!
Finally, a lot of greenery could of course also be added. For example, Tom has planted a number of mock bamboos with a beautiful red coloration. In the summer, this plant gets white, fluff-shaped flowers that grow into red berries. To ensure that these plants stand out as beautifully as possible, they are not planted together in groups, but separately from each other. As ground cover, Tom has placed cobbler plants next to the organic path. This is a hardy plant that produces beautiful flowers in the spring.
Finally, a number of vowels have been removed in the organic path. These holes are then filled with moss, so that the path gets an extra natural look.
Not everything is new
On the right side of the garden it was decided to leave two old plants. The ivy still looks good and it won’t hurt to leave it. A completely pruned hydrangea will also stay in place. Soon it will sprout again and shoot into the air. These two plants will also add a little more height to the garden in time and the ivy plant also provides some extra shelter for when the gate is open.
Completely as desired
The couple walked into the garden a little nervous, but once they saw the result, all tension was gone. They are very happy that the team listened carefully to their wish for a rain barrel and fire pit. In addition, the couple also became very enthusiastic about the filling of moss between the tiles. The couple’s daughter, Robin, was also very pleased when she saw the result.
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