Today’s gardeners aim to not only create decorative outdoor spaces, but also give something back. Gardens Of Eden: New Residential Garden Concepts & Architecture for a Greener Planet by Gestalten and Abbye Churchill proves that no matter the size of your garden, you can create diverse and rich environments for plants, insects, vegetables, and fruit. “Everything from the food we eat to many of the clothes we wear started from plants,” says author Abbye Churchill. Learn how to grow food in the city, get creative with native plants, and design greener corners within urban areas. The Gardens of Eden looks at examples from around the world.
Scroll down to try out this lush love letter to nature!
“We wanted to highlight gardens that support a sustainable ecosystem. Whether through native plantings, optimized irrigation systems, plants that support native wildlife, or those that help maintain soil health, we have introduced landscape designs that support the urgent and imperative mission of sustainability,” writes Abbye in this book.
Enter innovative small gardens on small terraces, city rooftops, as well as in the suburbs and countryside!
In Brooklyn, a minimalist and contemporary approach to flower bed gardening, with grid beds and an open path, leaves room for growth, change and nature. A mix of grasses and spherical topiary boxwood creates a high-contrast sculptural feel for the garden. The use of boxwood in the garden lends itself to sculptural expression; almost any shape can be created over time and with pruning.
Artistic floral designer Sean Cook and his partner Matthew Bright have created a monochromatic garden oasis full of texture and life in the heart of Sydney. They wanted to create an urban oasis in their backyard, a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the urban metropolis. A collection of planters from around the world house his robust plant collection.
Animated elephant ears, philodendron, frangipani, and ginger sprout from concrete paths in this garden in São Paulo, Brazil. Designers Ornaghi and Vasone use plants to soften the boundaries between architecture and the natural world. “We come from a line of tropical and naturalistic landscaping concerned with positively impacting the environment. “We want to create a landscape inspired by the natural formations and socio-environmental heritage of each biome.”
In San Marino, California, native plant gardening helps rehabilitate a landscape with water-saving native plants. This mid-century single-family home is surrounded by countless gardens. Each multi-layered garden and outdoor space opens up to the next, creating seamless transitions between environments. Large-scale sliding doors are connected by meandering paths and paths, uniting gardens, architecture and wilderness.
In Berkeley, California, this garden grows plants for creative supplies: natural plant dyes, culinary wonders, and flowers for bouquets. The seating area is surrounded by plants: yarrow, culinary sage, dark opal basil, lavender, angel trumpets and more. “Each piece of land, including the vertical space in the perimeter fences, was used as a growing surface so that there was visual depth and the opportunity to grow a diversity and abundance of plants in a relatively small garden,” explains Leslie Bennett, owner of Pine. House Edible Gardens, the residence’s landscapers.
A favorite of celebrities like Katy Perry and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lauri Kranz is known for her wild but productive style of gardening that creates edible bounties in residential homes. In this Los Angeles garden, a greenhouse produces abundant fruits and vegetables year-round. Lauri prefers protected areas designed to let in light, air and butterflies that still protect edibles like beans from local wildlife.
Gardening for children can initiate a lifelong interest in the environment and are places to contemplate colors, textures, smells, tastes and sounds. Plan special places just to pique their interest early on, and encourage them to think of a garden as an active space.
A Dutch garden with natural pool and outdoor sauna is designed for year-round enjoyment. The natural pool is surrounded by abundant flowers such as lilies and lilies, as well as ferns and hostas.
A rooftop garden in Milan creates a modular solution for an edible rooftop garden and builds a community along the way. Design studio Piuarch wanted to create a rooftop garden atop their studio building that would support an entire ecosystem, from a nursery where seeds germinate to a productive food source and a compost generator that provides fertilizer for the next cycle of growth. Piuarch also wanted the garden design to be energy offsetting, modular and repeatable, a model that could be duplicated at scale.
Seijun Nishihata represents the fifth generation of a legendary family-operated Japanese plant and flower importer. The 150-year-old wholesaler is famous for its flower selection, providing virgin stems to ikebana masters in Hyōgo Prefecture and beyond. This high-profile garden filled with cherry blossoms introduced Seijun’s sensibilities to an audience of millions.
