Where the meadow begins
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Where the meadow begins

A garden in the Bavarian Alpine foothills that draws no line between itself and the landscape: from the house past a stream and swimming pond into the wildflower meadow. Finalist at the TASPO Awards 2026.

LocationBavarian Alpine foothills
Size2,000 m²
DesignDesign: Valentin Sommer with the Fuchs baut Gärten team · Further development of the garden: Elisabeth Simon · Construction and planting: Fuchs baut Gärten · completed 2024
ImplementationFuchs baut Gärten GmbH – Gärtner von Eden
PhotographyBenjamin Klopp / frames for good
AwardTASPO Awards 2026 – Finalist “Bestes GaLaBau-Projekt Privatgarten”

“Stream, stepping stones, sunken garden, wildflower meadow – and always the mountain view. A garden with a biotope pond, specimen trees and the stillness in which butterflies, crickets and frogs feel at home.”

— from our project description

The garden lies in the Alpine foothills, set amid broad wildflower meadows, boggy lowlands and clear streams, with the mountains on the horizon. The client did not want an ornamental garden, but a natural extension of house and landscape: a place to linger, where the view of the mountains is not blocked but staged. Previously, the plot was a lawn around the house, with no structure and no connection to its surroundings.

A path through the garden

The basic idea: the garden draws no line between itself and the landscape, but flows into it, from the house to the wildflower meadow. To achieve this, we divided the site into levels. You begin on the raised timber platform by the house, where a stream trickles into the swimming pond. Stepping stones take you across the water to a choice: down into the sunken garden, framed by natural stone walls and dense perennial planting, or out into the wildflower meadow, where the garden merges with the open landscape.

Hand-laid limestone

Walls, steps and stepping stones are made of local Alpine limestone, a material that has been used in the region for centuries. It gives the garden its rugged, unmistakable texture. The craft challenge: large stone that still sits precisely. Find out more about this building method under Walls & Fences.

Swimming pond with Biotop technology

The heart of the garden is a natural swimming pond, not a chlorinated pool but a living body of water with Biotop technology, stepping stones in the water and a counter-current system. Water lilies bloom in the water, and reeds and grasses stand along the bank. Frogs, dragonflies and butterflies have long since made the garden their own. How a swimming pond works is explained under Swimming pond.

Perennials that set the tone

Large-scale plantings of Nepeta (catmint) and Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage) drift around the pond like blue-violet clouds, complemented by lavender, Iris sibirica, Alchemilla mollis and columbines along the paths. Three specimen trees give structure: a serviceberry by the water, a hackberry above the seating area and a striking mountain pine in the front garden. More about perennial planting.

Finalist certificate of the TASPO Awards 2026: Wo die Wiese beginnt, Fuchs baut Gärten GmbH, Best Landscaping Project Private Garden
Finalist certificate, Berlin, 30 October 2026
TASPO Awards 2026

Finalist: Bestes GaLaBau-Projekt Privatgarten

The TASPO Awards jury chose this garden for the final round of Germany's best landscaping projects. At the award ceremony on 30 October 2026 in Berlin, we were among the finalists. You can find the finalists' profile at TASPO, and all our awards under Awards.

The first photos were taken in autumn 2023, in the middle of construction; the rest show the finished garden. More pictures will follow once the book “Gärten des Jahres 2027” has been published.

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In the video

The garden in 30 seconds

Impressions
Swimming pond in autumn, rough limestone in the foreground, with meadows and mountains behindGravel path with stepping stones at the swimming pond, trees in autumn colours behindBoulder on the bank of the swimming pond, mountains in the backgroundLimestone blocks at the edge of the swimming pond in autumn lightSwimming pond with boulders and grasses, a field and mountain backdrop behindTall grasses on the pond bank against a soft backgroundDetail of a limestone block with grasses and perennialsClose-up of limestone, a natural stone wall in the backgroundSurface of the pond behind a limestone blockMini excavator digging in the meadow, trees in autumn foliage in the backgroundA tree swings from the mobile crane towards its planting spot, the team in frontPlanting a large tree with the mobile crane, mountains in the backgroundPurple-flowering catmint above layered limestone blocks, the calm water of the swimming pond in frontBronze owl sculpture on a stone plinth amid catmint and yarrow on the pond bankTwo wicker armchairs with footstools and a side table on the timber terrace by the pond, under a deciduous treeRounded river stones between limestone rocks on the pond bank, framed by catmint on either sideNatural swimming pond with water lilies, timber deck, parasol and flowering catmint at the edge of the meadowFlat limestone slabs rise from the turquoise-green pond water as stepping stones, with iris and catmint in frontGolden bronze sculpture on natural stone in front of a wildflower meadow, pond bank and mountain backdropGrey cat with a white chest sitting on a stone among catmint by the pondPink water lily flower in the green pond water, softly framed by lavender flowers and pale stalksBoulder and grasses at the pond edge, with meadow, mixed forest and mountains behindLimestone layered like steps with catmint, a sun lounger at the top, and pond water with reflections in frontView over roses and perennials to the swimming pond with timber deck and mountain panoramaTwo wine glasses and a peony flower on a small table on the pond bankPond with water lilies and bank planting, wine glasses on the terrace in the foregroundGreen patterned seat cushion on the timber deck between catmint and limestoneTwo ornamental allium buds on thin stems against a blurred sea of purple perennialsBronze bird sculpture on a stone, surrounded by catmint and meadow flowersView through foliage to a terrace with a wicker armchair, perennial bed and pond bankClose-up of a grey limestone step with river stones and catmint in the backgroundWoven garden chairs, wine glasses and peonies on a black table in front of flowering perennialsCat lying under a light-coloured sun lounger on the timber deck between lavender and stonesCat on wooden boards behind purple flowers, looking curiousPortrait of a cat with yellow-green eyes, blurred flowers in the foregroundClose-up of pale, cracked limestone with round river stones forming a pond wallWater lily leaf and red flower in the pond, with limestone slabs and catmint in frontBroad natural stone steps between perennial beds lead to the timber deck at the swimming pondSmall tortoiseshell butterfly sitting on catmint in front of meadow grasses with yellow flowersHummingbird hawk-moth in flight among the purple flowers of the catmintSpecies-rich wildflower meadow with oxeye daisies, grasses and yellow flowers in sunlightPink flowering wild rose in front of a dry stone wall of natural stone, with ornamental grass beside itDelicate pale pink rose blossoms on branches next to a birch trunk in backlightView between catmint and limestone to the pond, cloudy sky and mountainsSandstone steps lead through lavender beds down to the pond with timber deck and parasolPine with an umbrella-shaped crown above a perennial bed by a light privacy screen wallDesigned planting of pine, cranesbill and lavender along a paved drivewayPerennial bed with lavender, hostas and a pine trunk in front of a grey garden wallCat sitting upright on a boulder in front of ornamental grasses and heucheraCat between lady's mantle and a poppy flower, blurred perennial beds in the backgroundCat lying on a rock in front of ornamental grass and a red poppy flowerPurple cranesbill and lady's mantle in a perennial bed, foreground leaves softly blurredCat lying on a stone, hidden by tall grassesNatural sunken garden with irises, poppies, lady's mantle and a cat on a stoneRed poppy flower with fallen petals in front of tall grasses and irisesTwo red poppy flowers on thin stems among grasses and purple flowersRed houseleek growing in a hollow of a natural stoneCat looking sideways behind a purple blur, red poppies beside itCat prowling sideways through tall blades of grass next to natural stoneMixed perennial bed with catmint, irises and culinary herbs, edged with timber planksTimber planks as steps through a densely planted perennial bed with irisesTall columbines with dark violet flowers in front of yellow-green spurge and red poppiesRound purple flower heads of ornamental onion against a green backgroundClose-up of blue-violet cranesbill flowers with a soft blur in the foregroundRed-leaved shrub between boulders, catmint and irises in the bedCream-white, feathery flower plumes of goat's beard among lavender buds in a perennial bedLady's mantle in the foreground, with root wood, poppies and a timber shed behind it in the perennial garden

Photos: Benjamin Klopp / frames for good · TASPO Awards 2026 – Finalist “Bestes GaLaBau-Projekt Privatgarten”

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