AIl gardens change, whether day to day, year by year or, if you're really lucky, decade by decade. But how do you deal with a garden that your notable landscape architect father made? And in a garden that is as iconic as it is deeply personal?
These conundrums are what Martin Wirtz, his brother and business partner Peter, and their two siblings are now facing. Martin and Peter head up Wirtz International, the design practice founded by their late father Jacques Wirtz, the leading Belgian landscape architect who made us look at form and structure and the spaces in between - with fresh eyes from the 1980s onwards. The design practice he founded has become synonymous with hedges, curved lines and a restrained colour palette. Think of the clean lines of Alnwick Castle's garden in Northumberland, or the much-photographed box balls and clipped topiary that give structure to many of its private and public gardens.
Yet it is perhaps the private garden of Jacques and his late wife Wilhelmina that is visually and intrinsically connected to the public perception of the Wirtz brand. But for Martin and his siblings, it was simply home. "The six of us moved into the house in 1970 and it was hugely exciting, as it needed completely renovating and there was always something going on."
Denne historien er fra December 2023-utgaven av Gardens Illustrated.
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Denne historien er fra December 2023-utgaven av Gardens Illustrated.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Field of Dreams - The naturalistic gem Hans Gieszen has created in former meadowlands near Utrecht in the Netherlands is the culmination of a lifelong passion
Ever since his mother gave him seeds as a small boy, gardening has been a passion for Hans Gieszen. He is completely self-taught, relying on garden visits and books for instruction, with one book in particular, Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf, influencing his style. “It was fascinating,” says Hans, remembering his first encounter with the book. “All those photos – pictures with mists and these tall and low plants and grasses. I realised I couldn’t do it in my small garden, but I kept dreaming and reading about it.”
WORLD OF POSSIBILITY
This superb tour of the world's botanical gardens highlights their vital role in saving the planet's flora, says Claire Masset
THE FEMININE TOUCH?
Does your garden have masculine or feminine style, and does it even matter? Head gardener Benjamin Pope unpicks gardening's gender stereotypes
'If you emulate nature, you're on to a winner'
Gardener, television presenter and author Carol Klein talks about her new book, the books she loves, her current challenges and what she's up to next
FRIENDLY ADVICE
When tasked with creating a garden for her friends, designer Neive Tierney found the project came with challenges - not least the need to include a wheelchair ramp and squeeze in a saltwater swimming pool
Passing the baton
The celebrated nursery and garden at Marchants Hardy Plants in East Sussex is now being managed by a new team, who continue to inspire visitors with innovative planting
My sweet gourd
Clark Lawrence, an American living in the heart of Italy's pumpkin province, loves growing different cultivars of pumpkins and ornamental gourds for their sweet flavours and fabulous looks
ANDY JASPER
The new CEO of the Eden Project on his excitement about a new chapter, the legacy he's left at the National Trust and his joy at heading home to Cornwall
Bedding in
In just under nine years, the owners of Arvensis Nursery in Wiltshire have created a mature garden that displays their high-quality perennials
Late summer dreams
From cool pastels and foliage to hot colours, designer Jo Thompson creates three stylish container combinations for autumn