Three years of natural stone – a villa garden on the Tegernsee

Some gardens are built in a single season. This one, high above the Tegernsee, took three years – from 2010 to 2013. Not because anything stalled, but because natural stone was used here on a scale that is rare in a private garden: over 230 m² of Muschelkalk wall facing, plus 70 m² of travertine facing, 260 m² of cream-coloured travertine slabs on the terraces, 69 m³ of dry rubble stone walls, 75 metres of step treads and 166 metres of coping stones. All on a steep slope.

The walls step the slope into usable levels, a curved Muschelkalk staircase winds through the wildflower meadow, and the grill is built right into one of the rubble stone walls – stainless steel set in natural stone. Drainage is invisible, via stainless steel slot channels. For the planting, pines five to six metres tall were brought onto the slope as mature trees – a mobile crane stood on site for sixty days for this. The stone copings on the concrete walls and the fences are not our work – those were the responsibility of other trades.

The photographs by Miquel Tres show the garden in May 2013, shortly after completion. The property has since changed hands – and we are working in this garden again. A garden that outlasts its owners: perhaps that is the greatest compliment to the craft. More of this: Walls and natural stone · Trees & large trees.

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Photos: Miquel Tres