The property is home to a modern residence with a façade made of waterstruck bricks and large-scale glass panels. The new build is set within spacious grounds featuring various terrace areas and conservatories, a relaxation area complete with pool and sunloungers, a mirrored summerhouse hideaway, and an outdoor kitchen for al fresco cooking. Landscape architecture office Horeis + Blatt Partnerschaft mbB, Garten- und Landschaftsarchitekten BDLA was responsible for planning and design. The architects were able to meet the requirements of the property owners, who have Arab-Muslim roots and wanted a garden design that would meld characteristic features of Northern Germany’s landscape with Arabic-inspired elements.
Custom solutions that meet individual demands
The fusion of the two styles is particularly prominent near the house. A planted area shaped by mosaic walls with a fountain finished in the same style is situated near to a kitchen and stroll garden, typical of Arabian architecture, created using raised beds. Besides fulfilling the practical purpose of being able to grow herbs, fruit, and vegetables, the beds were also designed to be aesthetically pleasing. “Our concept incorporated planting systems built in star or half-star shapes as a nod to Arabian motifs. The aim of the finished garden was to enable the cultivation and harvest of produce, while also fitting in with the look of the surrounding outdoor space. We decided to use several raised beds. They work well with the visual design and are functional for the residents,” explains landscape architect Niels Blatt from Horeis + Blatt Partnerschaft mbB, Garten- und Landschaftsarchitekten BDLA.
The products offered by Richard Brink GmbH & Co. KG were perfect for the project. The planting systems made by the metal products manufacturer stand out, above all, for their versatility and flexibility, making them a great choice for bringing the bespoke Bremen vegetable garden to life. Besides the standard bed components – single sections in lengths of up to 3 metres with a material thickness of 3, 4 or 5mm – the company Richard Brink also offers custom solutions: made-to-measure in just a short space of time.
A raised bed system that ticks all the boxes
All the raised bed elements were custom-manufactured for this project to make the star and half-star structures. In terms of material, the landscape architects opted for COR-TEN steel as this picks up on colour accents found in the house’s façade, enabling them to continue into the outdoor space. “For us, aspects such as dimensional accuracy, freedom of design, and choice of materials were all decisive when it came to choosing suitable raised beds. The company Richard Brink satisfied all these requirements with their products,” Blatt says. The manufacturer produced a total of 123 running metres of its plug-in raised bed solution, which comprised 34 outer and 20 inner angles. All nine beds are 415mm tall and are able to hold even large amounts of soil for a long period of time. This is made possible thanks to backward bends that stabilise the walls, as well as gusset plates that reinforce the supporting base sections.
Landscape gardening specialists Rengstorf GmbH & Co. KG were responsible for on-site installation. Besides assembling the raised beds, they also worked on the driveway and terraces, laid the lawns, and saw to technical details such as the fully automatic irrigation system. “The products’ high quality and perfect fit made installation a breeze. The fact that they’re supplied as a plug-in system makes assembly much easier for us,” says site manager Vitali Rempel. The installers began by applying the respective base course material evenly over the substrate and assembling the raised beds on top, before joining them together and putting them in position. They then removed the base course material from inside the raised beds and replaced it with soil.
Versatile and attractive greenery
With the installation work complete, two octagonal, star-shaped beds form the centre of the vegetable garden. These are framed by a total of seven, half-star plant boxes, which delineate the area from the rest of the garden and come together to form a rectangular space. Small paths lead between the individual raised beds, made up of slabs that follow the contours of the bed walls. The garden and landscape specialists planted two pear trees, both of which are more than 20 years old, in the central beds, while espalier apple trees stand tall in the half-star structures facing the lawn. Everyday herbs such as mint, lemon balm and coriander were also planted. The vegetable beds certainly befit the high status they are traditionally assigned in the Arab world – not only visually, but also practically, as they are designed to be used actively for many years to come.
