Behind the short white fence here, perched on a small hill, is a vacation cottage with a colorful garden all in the English country style.
/// Thailand ///
Story : Panchat Changchan /// English Version : Peter Montalbano/// Photos : Chaiyapruk Podang /// Landscape : Suanleela Raiyanongplerm
“This kind of retreat suggests maybe we shouldn’t go back to living in the harsh square frames of the urban life. Gentle, fresh, spontaneous, the garden captures the essence of the countryside,” remarks the garden designer, Sak Rueangphrom.
The owner, Kiatchai Phonpharote adds, “The house all by itself on this secluded property felt a little somber, which is why I wanted to put in a country-style English garden, with its easy, relaxed lines.”
From the house a garden path of fine river gravel descends step wise to a waterside gazebo where Himalayan juniper, silver pine, Chinese thuja, and oriental juniper among clumps of Mexican fountain grass are planted in contrasting height, creating dimension and giving this spot an unique character.
“We had to make some serious adaptations,” said the designer. “The ground here is red clay, not much good for planting. We brought in topsoil, dug a pond, and built up the hill, finally spreading local cow dung fertilizer over it all before planting.”
Off the path, I walked along the grass lawn covering the hill, which gave a good view of various spots in the garden. The area isn’t all that big, but there are elegant touches: the bright red and sky blue of the benches contrast with green vegetation and flowers effervescent in morning sun, and there’s an entertaining narrative with animal sculptures set here and there in a natural-looking way. There are few large trees, leaving the garden open and relaxing to the eye.
