Green is the new black. Una stanza nel verde

by Stefania Medetti

“The Sonic Pangea Garden” by Anna Piussi and Stefano Passerotti won a Bronze medal at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show in the category of Fresh gardens. A real achievement for the two Florentines at their first CFS, this garden couches Greek myth in contemporary language, with an altar to Pan, the woodland god, in an abstract forest of sound- and light-emitting spears. The overall theme is respect for Nature which nourishes and envelops us. The garden is made up largely of organically grown herbs and edible plants, the surfaces and path are mulched in hazelnut shells, by product of organic oil production, and the seating area is a semicircular chaise longue, an element of living green furniture carpeted in Phylla Nodiflora, a drought-tolerant ground cover which is being promoted as sustainable replacement for lawns.

In our interview the designer Anna Piussi reflects on the importance of garden design as an integral part of renovating or building a property, which should be considered from the outset, ideally in collaboration with the architect, for a more efficient and economical management of the site. This multifaceted discipline which includes ecology, design, and history, helps seamlessly link the whole property to the location, and allows the full enjoyment of the room outside.