HACIENDA LLANOS DEL ESPINO
Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, Cádiz
2019
The facade of the house will then be planted with Trachelospermum jasminoides to break the clean lines of the architecture. In order to resolve the substantial level change to the right of the main facade, we have planned a series of structural and ornamental stone walls to contain the hillside. This part of the garden will be planted with native evergreen small shrubs and ground covers shaped into natural, organic forms.
The vast internal patio formed by the U shape of the building gives us an exciting opportunity to create a cosy and intimate green space that can be enjoyed all year round. A pergola covered in Wisteria sinensis will surround the patio bringing shade in summer and letting light through during the winter months. The central area will then be planted with three specimen Quercus Ilex rotundifolia which will again help bringing the natural surrounds closer to the house. Under the oaks will have a more formal layout of inbuilt benches, two symmetrical reflection ponds and flowering garden beds set into clipped hedges.
The surrounding garden will be connected by a series of comfortable stairs and stone paths that will take you to the alberca and to a metal pergola tucked into a cluster of existing Quercus Ilex rotundifolia. A mix planting of Stipa, Alliums, Salvias, Stachys and Cistus will surround the garden paths and will enrich our visions of the Sierra de Grazalema with accents of seasonal colour and contrasting foliage texture.
The estate "Los Llanos del Espino" is built within Sierra de Grazalema National Park, a protected natural area whose territory is characterised by a distinct topography among which is the summit of Torreón, the highest mountain in the province of Cadiz. Sierra de Grazalema is mostly calcareous, meaning that the most common and widespread vegetation in the area is holm oak. Oaks dominate the landscape and depending on the altitude they are accompanied by a vast array of underplanting. Other trees that can be found in the area are Portuguese Oaks and Wild Olives which are common all over Andalusia. The shrubs native to the sierra are many and diverse. Amongst them, Arbutus unedus and Viburnum minus can be especially found in humid areas and Pistacia lentiscus in the sunniest and most exposed sites.
We approached this project with the aim of creating an ornamental garden that would serve as a green transition between the architecture and the natural landscape. We followed the site topography in order to maintain all existing specimen trees and shrubs.
For the main facade of the house we play with the existing elements and transform them into something a little more structured, formal. A couple of tall and narrow Quercus Ilex will frame the main entry, enhancing the axis of the building.