CASALE
nr Orvieto, Umbria

2013-2014

   
 
       
 

Located on a high windswept plain, this stone farmhouse enjoys huge vistas across rolling agricultural territory to mountains beyond. But it is the spot's salient feature – openness – which foiled the owners' attempts to make a liveable garden. In their desire not to detract from the spirit of the place, they created a garden with no intimate corners or beckoning havens. With a few tweaks to the layout, I aimed to introduce intimacy while leaving the panorama unspoilt.

       
       
   

BACK

HOME

                     
    WINTER 2013  
 
       
 
Bushes which had been dotted around the property singly or in small groups were re-located to create loose hedges giving protection to areas by the pool and at the south end of the house.
                       
    SPRING 2014    
                       
   

The area around the Robinia pseudoacacia was tidied with a low wall, and work began on the barbecue.

   
In the mean time, planting got under way by the pool, at the end of the upper garden, and along sections of the perimeter fence (plants and planting by Vivai Michelini).
   
To free up access to the front of the house – and give a better view of the facade – the car port was moved to the side of the car park.
 
A simple wooden pergola was erected over the seating area by the barbecue.