Chamonix – A Surprising Summer Destination

The client contacted us with a view to come up with ‘just few suggestions’ to enhance the garden to complement their chalet which had been designed by Todhunter Earle.

Upon visiting the site, it became apparent that the garden needed more than just a make-over. There was an old Thuja hedge which was well past its sell-by date, and apart from being an eyesore, afforded views not only from other properties, but also for people walking past and the main public road. Given the main client request was to create maximum privacy, we stripped out the old hedge and imported 280 new Thujas from Germany along with a number of specimen plants to create not only a screen, but some more interesting structured planting.

In the overall design of both the front and rear gardens, we incorporated sculptured stone tablets to give the garden a modern idiom which links with the surrounding mountains. These engraved boulders also give the garden structure and creative shapes when the snow falls in winter. The planting was carefully selected to not only bloom in summer, but to withstand the extreme freezing winter conditions of the mountains.

We also increased all the boundary walls in order to accommodate the new hedge. The planter boxes surrounding the terraces and the front entrance have been modelled out of Corten steel which allows it to rust and create an attractive colour.

In summary, we’ve created a garden that maximises the space during the wonderful summer months in Chamonix, with plenty of areas to entertain and enjoy the sun making it an all round holiday retreat.