The Garden of Somogy
the wall to ripen the fruit. This also adds character to
the garden. The newly planted trees were advanced
nursery stock, nursery-aged to create character and
beauty in the shortest possible time.
Building materials
Like the plants, the building materials were cho-
sen to suit the atmosphere, character and spirit of
the landscape. For paving and steps the designer
deliberately used good-quality second-hand build-
ing materials to give the garden the appearance
of an old, organic, well-used and vernacular place,
with mature, patinated surfaces to convey a homely
atmosphere. The footpaths and the open-air lounge
were paved with second-hand bricks, while sec-
ond-hand red limestone blocks were used for the
garden steps. The road from the gate and the park-
ing place are surfaced with a grey gravel, while the
walls in the garden are built of natural stone. The
low retaining walls to each side of the steps to the
guest-house entrance and the high retaining wall
along the garden road were built of dense, frost-
resistant, volcanic rocks from the Balaton highlands.
The colours and textures of these blocks, even
when freshly mined, give the impression of old,
patina-covered, rustic building stones. Deep joints
evoke the dry-stone walls used in the agricultural
countryside. The benches, tables and the furniture
of the open-air lounge were made of wood, while
the sitting walls in the fruit garden are of stone.
The fence along the boundary of the estate, next to
the road, is a traditional structure used in peasant
gardens. It is made of acacia, a strong and durable
wood, and has a wattle construction in keeping with
the spirit of the landscape.