The land near the villages, which lies fallow and unnoticed, is in this state mostly because few people can imagine living on its square meters for themselves, and if they do, it is only with the contribution of large sums of money and no less work. Still, occasionally someone appears who, on land overgrown with nettles, lebeda or devouring undergrowth, can draw in his imagination a house with a carefully tended garden and then give his dreams a real shape. The result is often worth it!
Twelve hours of work a day, little time for hobbies, for oneself - a typical picture of a manager sixteen years after the Velvet Revolution. However, even managers have their dreams and some of them make them come true, just like our host. In his imagination, he envisioned a private park in the pleasant surroundings of South Bohemia, which would cover a house built to individual requirements with its green cloak.
Favourite diaries
Looking at the present garden, it is hard to believe that it was a place where only thistles grew. None of the locals could have imagined a garden or a home on the fallow land. At the time I dug them up, dumped them on the rubble heap and forgot about them. In the spring they surprised me - full of flowers on the rubbish heap! They deserved a place of honour in the garden," says our host about the start of the garden. With the help of an experienced architect and then a well-chosen company, the landscaped plot was transformed into a home that has not disturbed the character of the village and still meets the requirements of modern living.
Landscaping
The neglected large plot of more than three thousand square metres required equally extensive landscaping, and the long-standing dream of a small park of its own slowly began to come true. Due to varying degrees of waterlogging, the terrain required expensive drainage works, removal of unsuitable soil and layering of new soil. Soil material was moved to compensate for uneven terrain or to create new natural areas. Stone from the site was used to sculpt the walls, retaining walls and walkways that now give the garden the desired parkland feel.
Our host has enhanced the attractiveness of his green oasis by the presence of plants uncommon in our gardens.
The fast-paced park
The landscaping was followed by the procurement of plants. Since every park only becomes a park when its green stock reaches several metres, the owner was prepared to look for plants that were already mature. Moreover, he wanted to increase the attractiveness of his green oasis by the presence of plants unusual in our gardens. His ideas and requirements were rarely matched by the offer of our sellers, so he went abroad to renowned gardeners to buy trees.
"The mature shrubs and trees had one more advantage - they overwintered without any problems and not a single plant died thanks to the mature netting, which sometimes happened when buying from us", he adds to the story of buying greenery for his garden.
Campsis (trumpets) are among the plants that are very abundant in the private park and thrive here.
In the middle of the garden behind the house, a swimming pool has found its place, which is a beneficial source of relaxation amidst the mature greenery.
The living area is connected to a covered terrace, which freely communicates with the garden by means of a stone floor that turns into a walkway.
In every park, there is also a large grassy area where the trees stand out more in the horizon.
Plants for the familiar
After the house is completed, there are usually visits from friends who are more or less curious about the new home. This was not the case with our host. Among other things, they admired the mature trees, shrubs and woody plants, which at that time were rarely seen in our garden centres. As interest in mature greenery increased, the owner began to provide mature plants for friends. As the demand for mature plants grew, the volume of goods increased and the original hobby of helping friends became a livelihood. Today, there is a private horticulture shop in the heart of the small park that specializes in mature woody plants. The sales area is loosely connected to the garden, so every visitor has the opportunity to see a particular specimen in its future form when buying, so they never buy a rabbit in the bag.
Radek Beneš photo.
