Private villa in Colares, Sintra

In the natural landscape of Azenhas do Mar, set on the cliff that slopes down to the sea, we find this single-family villa that was the subject of a landscape requalification process and the installation of a swimming pool by the Horto do Campo Grande team.

After carrying out a study that identified the botany and phytosanitary classification of the existing plant species, and which made it possible to conclude which specimens should be kept, transplanted or removed, a project was developed that envisaged the creation of a garden with a richer visual image in terms of the colours and textures of the plant material, with undulating flowerbeds to the south and a minimalist area with crassulaceous species covered in gravel to the north.

Exterior

In the shrub layer, two clumps of Salgadeira (Atriplex halimus), four specimens of Yucca (Yucca gloriosa) and one specimen of Bouganvillea (Bouganvillea glabra) were highlighted and preserved, and in the garden area, three specimens of trees, namely one specimen of Araucaria (Araucaria heterophylla) and two specimens of Pinus pinea, which punctuate the main facade of the house.

To create a visual barrier, a mono-species hedge was suggested next to the western and northern peripheral walls, and a mixed hedge with a variety of textures and a high degree of colour variation throughout the year along the southern periphery.

Next to the pool, a space for more intense use was proposed, covered with grass and as a backdrop climbing species of different colours and textures, together with undulating beds with small shrub species.

At the rear of the plot, due to the original slope, Horto do Campo Grande proposed creating several terraces connected by ramps, which help with moving maintenance machinery, and by stairs with risers in wooden slats and a “bago-de-arroz” gravel finish. Between each terrace there is a rock garden, planted with ground-cover shrubs and other larger shrubs, which bring a sense of movement to the space.

Along the northern edge of this area, the planting of several large tree species was proposed—native and exotic—to add floristic diversity and to protect against the prevailing, constant winds in this region. On the last terrace, on the eastern boundary of the plot, an orchard area was recommended with a wide variety of fruit trees, as well as a pet place area, fenced with wooden slats for dogs to have fun.

The maintenance allows the Campo Grande Garden team to monitor the evolution of all the species kept and planted again.