PLAN were commissioned to design the front and rear garden of a traditional Dutch house in a small but picturesque town near Amsterdam. The house is nestled among mature trees and sits between woodland and quiet residential streets. The design sought to create a series of spaces around the house for the whole family to enjoy throughout the day and offer year-round interest through the changing seasons.

 

A generous terrace wraps around the house providing space for social dining, cooking and relaxed seating. The terrace is nestled among a mix of naturalistic and structural planting with an impressive flowering multi-stem tree acting as a focal point.

 

The wider garden consists of a sweeping lawn surrounded by drifts of woodland perennials and bulbs to enliven the ground below the existing trees. New tree planting brings colour and additional screening where needed while new hedging supports the existing boundary planting. A remote deck with a central firepit sits below the trees and a hidden tipi den for the children can be found via mown pathways through woodland planting. 

 

Hard materials have been chosen to best suit the microclimate of the site while also seeking inspiration from traditional Dutch materials re-interpreted in a modern style.