"If nature dazzles us, why not create gardens that resemble it?"
Ossart and Maurrières, French landscape gardeners
Imagine the garden, define its spirit, but above all, listen to it, guide it to the freedom of expressing itself, as naturally and harmoniously as possible, in accordance with its environment and the people around it, that is how I would sum up my approach as a landscape gardener.
I owe this conception in part to Gilles Clément's theories, notably that of the "garden in motion". A "garden in motion" is a non-constrained garden, in which the gardener, as he conceives, draws, and thinks the relationship of man and nature, intervenes only gently. His knowledge and experience are at the service of the natural development of an ecosystem in which the spirit of life can fully express itself.
With a light touch, without chemistry, where priority is given to enhancing the plants rather than constraining them, my expertise on Mediterranean flora, combined with a collaboration with specialized plant nurseries, allows me to design more natural, imaginative and refined gardens inspired by the landscapes of the scrubland.
The key word in my approach is sparseness/moderation. By going in the direction of what already exists, that is to say by favouring endemic species, by devoting my projects to the climate, to the topography, I wish to spare the garden any unnecessary intervention, but also limit as much as possible the environmental impact as well as the expenses linked to watering, the use of machines, etc...
This responsible and sober approach seems to me particularly suited to the Mallorcan context. On terrain where rain is rare, where the installation of watering systems is costly and difficult to manage, it is a guarantee for the harmonious integration of the garden to the biotope, its development and its longevity.
Pretty much autonomous, but watched with a benevolent gaze and hand, it is then that the garden will give the best of itself, that it will develop its own identity, will spontaneously offer the most astonishing developments. Insects and birds will find their place there, natural participants in a project in which the garden is not conceived as a set in the landscape, but as a poetic expression of it.
Whether it is rehabilitation, renovation or creation, we accompany any type of structure and cater to all types of customers: Individuals, developers, communities, private companies, tourist residences.
Our services cover all landscape architect's skills: advice, design, sketches, plans, budget, planning, specifications, site management, works-supervision and lastly, landscaping.
The work as a landscape architect is always accompanied by a real desire to be the gardeners of our own landscaping projects. We choose, in our landscaping practice, to closely follow the evolution of our gardens.
For all types of projects, we apply a rigorous methodology that allows us to exchange and compare our points of view throughout the process. This methodology goes through the following key steps:
A site inventory, field surveys and specifications are essential before any project, in order to devise specific responses that take into account the lives of users, their desires, the organization of spaces and traffic, the present plant dynamics, gradient materials and the quality of the soil.
This stage is essential to sketch the first lines of the future garden in order to create an encounter between architecture and nature, between people and landscapes.
At this stage, the Terra baixa atelier brings its expertise in the creation of perspectives, the analysis of the play of light, the circulation between spaces, the modelling of the terrain to stimulate movement, to release points of view, and to create a harmonious balance mixing aesthetics and functionality.
Several documents are produced to show what the garden will be like:
Not only do we take care of the design of the garden, but we also manage its technical aspects, thus ensuring the faithful realization of the project.
The construction begins with the development of the garden spaces to transform a common ground into a sketch of Mediterranean landscape organized around squares and raised massifs, dry stone walls, paths, clearings and wild lawns. Unexpected new perspectives are thus created. Finally, we spend a lot of time preparing the soil to ensure perfect drainage in order to get closer to the natural conditions of the scrubland landscapes where the Mediterranean flora grows without requiring maintenance.
The choice of species adapted to the environment is a real gardener's job. Rather than fighting the climate with the installation of an expensive automatic watering system, we work to find plants adapted to the arid climate and the local soil type.
We exclusively use plants that are economical, even autonomous in terms of water and fertilizers. We recommend local wild plants and "reservoir" plants that feed and shelter insects and birds, which promotes the creation of a living garden. Finally, we only select young plants, hard and stocky, capable of adapting quickly to their new environment.
The only thing left for the garden is to regularly follow-up on its growth. Unlike a house, completed as soon as it is set up, a garden begins.
Are you looking for a supplier of plants for your garden? As landscape gardeners, we can advise you on the choice and placement of plants. We can also offer you plants at very competitive prices thanks to our partnerships with local growers and plant wholesalers.
I have been cradled by the Mediterranean landscape of the island of Majorca for twenty years, where I have been constantly experimenting in my own garden, and I have decided to transform this passion into a profession. It is an opportunity for me to dialogue several areas of knowledge in which I have become interested throughout my career. My training in art history, my taste for drawing and painting, intersect with my attachment to plants and southern nature.
I've been passionate about plants life since I was a student in high school. From then on I have watched them closely. I am intrigued by their life and moved by their beauty. Art and beauty are essential in my life and I am fond of the various facets of it, both actively as a watercolorist and as an observer.
My university education was directed towards the study of agronomic engineering. There I learned some of the keys to plant behavior. But their beauty and that of the surrounding landscape is what moves me most to investigate, study and work.
For more than thirty years, my professional life has been dedicated to designing spaces, researching the perception of the landscape and training future landscape architects at the Castillo de Batres School of Gardening and Landscaping, among other places. Since 1998, I have been teaching garden design at this prestigious school. I have also given classes at the University, within the studies of Landscaping. I am pleased to have received several awards and honors for my work in this field.
My desire is to achieve beautiful and personal spaces that make up a garden, harmonious within its location, both aesthetically and functionally, requiring minimum means and care.
Atelier Terra Baixa is a landscape agency based on the island of Majorca and Paris, the agency is managed by Nicolas Zurmeyer, its founder, and by landscaper Carmen Calvo. Independent collaborators will be joining the team as required by individual projects.
