When you discover a place that you love, you always wonder: Do I tell everyone about it because it’s a great place, or do I keep it a secret so it doesn’t become overcrowded? That’s how I feel about Slovenia — a country surrounded by Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary — and especially the area around Lake Bled. And when I saw these photos of one home and garden outside the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, I decided I would go ahead and share. And although I won’t be moving to Slovenia anytime in the near future, there are some garden ideas I might steal for my currentyard.
Though the house is new, the white walls and a steeply gabled roof give it a traditional Slovenian farmhouse look. The shade cloth over the eating area provides shelter but isn’t distracting. And in this climate and location, in the shadow of the Julian Alps, afternoon showers help keep the garden green and lush.
Snow blankets the home in winter, but flowers take over in summer. I love this stand of coneflowers. Although you wouldn’t think that white flowers against a white wall would work, they do seem to stand out.
The outbuildings are based on the original outbuildings when this was a working farm. Between the buildings, the open space of meadow and flowering plants combines the best elements of a natural landscape and a traditional garden border. The overall effect is of a relaxing outdoor space.
The more contemporary part of the house is fronted by a slightly more formal garden space. The bright color of the hydrangeas is a bit unexpected against the wooden walls, but they work surprisingly well. Gravel makes maintenancefairly simple
.
I love how the hydrangeas shade the seating area. The hydrangeas in my yard may not be quite as tall, but I havehopes for the future.
I’m not sure if I would ever leave this spot. From a distance, the chairs look as if they sit in the midst of the meadow; up close, you see that they sit on a circular pad of gravel, which provides more stability underfoot. These pads surround all the old apple trees on the property. The blossoms are magnificent in spring.
Cool, green and filled with plants. It’s a look I’ll never tire of.
