Idyllic Garden in the Heart of the City

This garden pays tribute to the scientists whose work laid the foundation for our knowledge of the natural world. The journey begins in a traditional garden of espaliered plants, crisp lawns, and concrete pavers that surround a private library dedicated to the history of science. The garden moves through a series of intimate spaces, where man-made materials are gradually replaced by stone, and plantings transition to their more natural forms.

The pathway descends into a verdant meadow under a canopy of trees where a sparkle of water and a bright splash of color from bougainvilleas can be seen in the distance. A new summer house with an open porch seems to blend into the landscape, inviting quiet contemplation. Travertine pavers edge a private pool and spa area surrounded by tall, green hedges, and the pre-cast stone caps have bits of glass and shells imbedded in the concrete.

A stairway in the last stone wall leads to a high terrace where an armillary sphere, inscribed with a quote by 16th-century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, stands among beds of lavender, rosemary and an organic vegetable garden. A rosetta above the bench built into the wall below uses shells collected in ports visited by Darwin during his five year voyage of exploration on the Beagle.