Under the motto ‘Floral splendour and forest idyll’ the State Garden Show is incorporating parts of an existing forest area for the first time. With a ‘built-in’ grove, the historic Bad Lippspringe spa gardens give the show space a unique look. New trees were added to the landscape alongside clearings and light-flooded openings which, combined with other trees and the colourful flowerbeds, create ever changing backdrops. Sprawling landscapes, flower shows and themed gardens blend together harmoniously across the 33 ha grounds. The latter constitute the central attractions of the presentation area. Here, the individual results of different garden concepts are showcased across small plots.
Green oasis in an urban space
One of these concepts centres around urban gardening and was implemented by Beil Garten- und Landschaftsbau. The design by Ann-Kathrin Beil is linear and peaceful. Water, paths and plants interplay beautifully: the path of anthracite-like paved stone leading around the garden and its connected terrace is bordered by beds. As a special eye-catcher, the landscapers placed multiple raised beds made of aluminium next to ground-level beds, also drawing attention to the vertical dimension.
Custom-made products for greater design freedom
A total of seven custom-made raised beds border the path. Thanks to the ‘plug-in’ system, the elements can be assembled with just a few hand movements. Standing 275mm and 500mm tall, they give the garden additional points of focus at different levels and create garden areas and tucked-away spaces. Two higher beds, among other things, frame the seats on the terrace and provide a greater degree of privacy. Smaller raised beds either line the paths or form rows with identical plants. As a result, even a small garden in an urban setting can be diverse and interesting. Thanks to variable layouts, sizes and colours, the raised beds provide virtually unlimited design freedom.
Richard Brink powder-coated all of the raised beds for the themed garden in the RAL colour pastel violet, continuing the colourful splendour of the plants, which also follow the theme of ‘urban garden refuge’. Foliage and growth habits were crucial in choosing shrubs and hedges for the garden. For example hosta, chelone and brunnera as well as French lavender and poppies feature purple or white flowers. The raised beds contribute to the interplay of colours of the beech hedges over the winter, as the dark red leaves of the red beech only reveal themselves in spring. This way, the red-purple colour scheme remains no matter what the season. In combination with the raised beds, the hedges form a frame and therefore create a closed outdoor space.
Creative inspiration
The show garden also retains its structure through space-shaping trees. The spherical yews and small-crowned castor aralia form its centre. Also central, a small ‘river’ runs in a geometric L-shape with a little waterfall. The plants and sky reflect on the water’s surface, creating a natural stage. In the evenings the scenery is illuminated to great effect. The contrasting yet harmonious environment gives visitors to the State Garden Show a wealth of inspiration for their own personal places of refuge.
