„A garden means responsibility“

What is the concept behind the name Soulgarden for garden planning and landscape architecture?

Soulgarden garden design considers timeless garden design to be the art of connecting people, places and nature and bringing them into sustainable harmony in the rhythm of the seasons. In this way, Soulgarden offers manifold garden designs like nature itself - ranging from exclusive private gardens, city courtyards and rooftop gardens, through to park-like areas and award-winning show gardens. My mission is to lead people back to nature more and thus also to themselves via their gardens.

You are going to engage in an exchange with the trade audience by holding a keynote at the upcoming spoga+gafa - what are you going to talk about?

The art of outdoor living: Plants as protagonists of stylish gardens. It is about how the interplay between plants, materials and functionality has to work to create real, open-air living spaces - instead of just "tidy furniture collections".

The trade fair's top theme this year is "Design Gardens". How would you describe your own design concept?

For me garden design is not about imposing my own style on others. It is much more about making the characters of people, who live in the gardens, visible - as authentically and naturally as possible. Of course, my signature flows into the work, which one can describe as having a British influence: Clear, geometrical shapes that are also allowed to be soft and round, combined with lush, living plants. In this way, garden spaces arise that are not just beautiful, but which also really feel like home.

What expectations do you have in the trade fair, how inspiring are visiting trade fairs for you in general?

I am looking forward to getting to know people, who enjoy developing collections together in the outdoor section. Visiting trade fairs is always inspiring for me: One gains an outstanding overview of the industry's current trends and comes into personal contact with companies and brands. Precisely these encounters often open up new perspectives and exciting opportunities for joint projects.

Where do you see the biggest challenges for future garden planning and landscape architecture?

Anyone, who owns a garden, bears a big responsibility - many people aren't really aware of this at all. I see the biggest challenge in creating awareness for precisely that: Namely, that garden planning is not purely a question of aesthetics, it also means taking responsibility for nature and the environment.

How do you convey this in the course of your garden planning?

Particularly in the premium segment we work in at Soulgarden it is about inspiring people to also think ecologically. High-quality design and sustainable demands don't rule each other out – on the contrary: They complement each other and create gardens that are both aesthetic and future-proof. We demonstrate that exclusivity, style and sustainability are not opposites, but that they indeed represent a new, contemporary form of luxury. A garden is always a small living space, which is part of a bigger ecological whole. Every plant plan, every choice of material contributes towards whether a garden only looks beautiful – or whether it really is alive.