Country Garden in an Old Orchard, Ondrejov

A modern home has replaced the original orchard, and around it, a new garden has taken shape—one that doesn’t try too hard to impress, but naturally blends with the surrounding landscape. For a young family with three children, we designed a space that combines everyday functionality with the poetry of a flowering meadow and the calm of an old orchard.

The main idea behind the design was to create a low-maintenance garden that would complement the architecture of the house and respect the site’s genius loci—the views of the landscape, fragments of the original orchard, and the gently sloping terrain. Architecture and planting are in harmony, without ostentation, yet with thoughtful detail.

The heart of the garden is a large wooden terrace adjoining the house's living space, designed for gatherings with extended family and friends. A canopy provides comfortable shade during hot summer days. Nearby, a firepit invites cozy evening get-togethers.

The garden also offers room for children's play, a lawn for running, natural nooks, and winding paths to explore. In the future, once the children grow older, we plan to add a natural swimming pond.

Thanks to the generous size of the plot, part of the garden could be left as a flowering meadow. This informal section not only reduces maintenance and water consumption but also supports biodiversity and gives the garden a relaxed, easy-going character. It is at its most beautiful in June, when oxeye daisies and other wildflowers are in bloom.

The front garden features a permeable gravel lawn for convenient guest parking while maintaining a welcoming and elegant appearance. Plantings combine catmint, coneflowers, salvias, ornamental grasses, and other perennials that attract pollinators and thrive in sunny conditions.

Natural materials—wood, concrete, and stone—are used throughout the garden, highlighting the simplicity and authenticity of the design. Concrete steps and stepping stones connect different levels of the terrain, while paths are subtly guided through vegetation.

This garden shows that practicality, low maintenance, and beauty can go hand in hand. It is designed to grow alongside the family and harmonize with both the house and the surrounding landscape.