Provençal garden around a swimming pool

A few months after the construction of their house on the heights of a small Provençal village, the owners called upon Créateurs d'intérieur to design and landscape their garden. Largely disrupted by the house construction works, everything had to be rebuilt from scratch to create a living, coherent ecosystem.

A Blank Canvas

The thinking around this landscaping project began as soon as the new house was handed over. There was no proper garden on the plot — the land had been completely disrupted by the building works. The soil was very poor, with little humus and a great deal of stones.

The landscape designer started from scratch, redesigning the levels, introducing topsoil, and planning the garden's layout down to the finest details.

Creating a Living and Coherent Ecosystem

One of the project's objectives was to make the artificial nature of the plot disappear and create a living, coherent ecosystem with a natural terracing logic and sustainable water management.

The project therefore involved restructuring the terrain levels and introducing fertile soil conducive to plant growth. A filtration pond and a rainwater harvesting tank complete the installation.

To create a level area around the house, the landscape designer relocated a large earth embankment to the back of the plot, leveling out the slope. This reuse principle enlarges the garden while limiting the use of costly and polluting earthmoving machinery during the build.

Along the plot, a stone retaining wall incorporates various seating areas to create secluded spaces: shaded spots conducive to reading, and others more sun-drenched.

The principle of this naturalistic garden is to create natural, wild atmospheres while minimizing human intervention as much as possible.

Provençal Vegetation

The landscape designer drew on local plants, particularly garrigue plants and perennials adapted to dry soils. The idea was to avoid installing an automated irrigation system and to offer a self-sufficient garden requiring as little maintenance as possible. Following an ecological approach, plants adapted to the Provençal climate were selected — species that do not require constant watering and withstand periods of drought.

Among the species: acanthus, yarrow, heuchera, ferns, fatsia, yucca rostrata, bulbine, agapanthus, magnolia, bay laurel, star jasmine, trumpet vine, Banks roses, honeysuckle, lavender, rosemary, sage, lavatera, phlomis…

The dasylirion from the original garden was reintroduced in a bed structuring the pool surround, alongside other exotic plants — creating a contrast with the surrounding garrigue landscape.

A Pool and a Swimming Lane

The presence of two pools stems from a change in local planning regulations. Built to the standards of the time, the first pool is now reserved for children. The evolution of planning rules allowed the creation of a swimming lane.

To create a link between the two pools, the landscape designer built a bridge in exotic hardwood (ipé). Other materials used include a powder-coated steel pergola, a bamboo cane shade structure, and Fermob Luxembourg garden chairs. The coffee table and lamp shades were sourced at flea markets.