Flower terrace (1982)

Just like the Water garden, the Flower terrace dating from 1982 is a garden without grass. The basic principle here is the connection between house and garden. The garden consists of two identical squares, positioned slightly away from each other and with a difference in height of 15 cm.

Design and planting

Usually a terrace is designed directly next to the house which means that the garden view is one of paving and garden furniture. By making a smaller terrace adjoining the house and a larger one further away in the garden for the garden furniture, plants can be placed closer to the house. Using this method the garden  becomes part of the house and from the house one can see the plants. When planning this garden Mien Ruys discarded her credo “ straight forms and rigid planting’  by giving the flowerbeds irregular shapes. The paths consist of light grey brick paving stones. The joins run both in the length and width of the path forming a pattern of lines. In the two squares the lines run in a different direction, emphasizing the architectural shape of the two squares. The difference in height is created by  placing the bricks on their sides using cement glue to fix them together.

In this particular garden there are plants everywhere. They can always be seen from the house and so the garden has to look  well-kept all year round. This is achieved by including evergreens, conifers and ornamental grasses. As the design of the flowerbeds  differs from a border, these beds also have to look good from all angles.

In order to experiment with plants suitable for chalky soil, the garden was raised and the soil replaced by clay mixed with rock flour. This garden design enables you to walk all around the plants.

History

Since 1982 little has changed in this garden. Before that time Mien Ruys experimented here with roses following a principle of Blowing bubbles . In 1993 a third square was added to the Flower garden for the Grasses.