Sunken Garden – Sheltered Spot

A sunken garden is ideal, especially for smaller gardens, because lowering parts of the garden can actually make the overall area feel larger. However, a sunken garden needs to be well-planned to prevent the soil on the slopes from eroding. The terracing of these slopes is precisely what makes a sunken garden unique.

A prime example of a sunken garden is the one designed by the perennial master Karl Foerster (1874 – 1970) in Berlin Potsdam. It features a carefully planned yet diverse mix of rockery and container plants. Fragrant plants and rare varieties, in particular, find an effective setting in a sunken garden to be perfectly showcased.

Overhanging, flowering ornamental plants, such as many rock garden plants and groundcover perennials, are especially well-suited for planting on the crests of the slopes. In addition to walls, the slopes are secured with groundcovers. This helps suppress the growth of unwanted weeds and wild herbs, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

First, the sunken garden needs to be excavated, or "sculpted." This is a significant amount of work—it's practically impossible without an excavator, as it would take weeks with just a shovel. Whether the hobby gardener rents a mini-excavator from a hardware store or prefers to hire a garden and landscape designer largely depends on their personal time and budget constraints, as well as their existing know-how.

Typically, a sunken garden involves a rectangular section of the garden that lies several steps lower than the surrounding terrain. To prevent the soil on the slopes from slipping, it must be properly edged.

The sunken garden is enclosed on all four sides by a wall. Natural stone walls are ideal for edging the slopes. Such dry stone walls lend a natural flair to the sunken garden. They are built at the foot of the slope with a slight incline. The gaps between the stones can be wonderfully greened with plants that prefer sparse conditions. If you prefer a more understated look, you can support the slope with concrete planting stones instead of a natural stone dry wall.

At the heart of a sunken garden, you'll most often find either a garden pond, a flowering perennial bed, or a cozy seating area. Larger sunken gardens can, of course, incorporate several of these elements. A pond as the centerpiece effectively doubles the vibrant floral display through its reflection. Often, however, the sunken garden is also a space of contrasts. On one side stands the strictness of its rectangular form, while the lush variety of plants on the slopes creates a striking counterpoint.

Thanks to its sheltered position from wind and frost, a sunken garden offers an ideal spot for heat-loving plants. Furthermore, the stones used for slope stabilization and the patio slabs store warmth, releasing it back to the plants during the evening and night hours. This effect also benefits garden owners themselves. A sunken garden can extend your comfortable outdoor seating season. Especially in autumn, the sunken garden truly shines, as grasses and woody plants display their colorful foliage, and the sheltered location still allows for cozy outdoor relaxation.