This Garden With a Built-in Trampoline Is Every Kid's Dream

Photo credit: Courtesy of Christine London Ltd.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Christine London Ltd.

From House Beautiful

When you think "formal garden"—or even "landscape design"—the first thing to come to mind likely isn't "kid-friendly." But a recent garden by Alexandra Bolinder-Gibsand for Christine London, Ltd. might make you rethink that notion. The design—which includes a fruit orchard, playhouse, and a built-in trampoline—has just won the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art's first-ever Bunny Mellon Landscape Design Prize, named for the socialite, philanthropist, and passionate horticulturalist behind the White House Rose Garden. And suffice it to say, it's every kid (and nature loving adult!)'s dream.

Bolinder-Gibsand's own love of nature began early on: "My grandparents had a house in Sweden with lots of trees and they allowed me to run free in the garden—I think that's how I started appreciating the natural world," she recalls. This same idea of harmony between kids and nature was a foundational part of her award-winning project.

"We approached this project as an opportunity for both children and adults," Bolinder-Gibsand tells House Beautiful. "We tried to imagine the kids being able to run around the garden and utilize the spaces as opposed to you know having the rigidity of a formal garden."

The first step in doing that was to erase the boundaries between designated "play space" and "garden space." Instead, Bolinder-Gibsand wove the two together, nestling a playhouse in a stone fruit orchard, arranging herb and vegetable garden beds by an outdoor dining area for easy picking, and even embedding a trampoline into a meadow, where it's both elegantly tucked out of view and conveniently close to the rest of the outdoor spaces.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Christine London Ltd.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Christine London Ltd.

Not only does the resulting design incorporate the kids' playthings in a thoughtful way, points out the designer, it also encourages early awareness of the natural environment and fosters exploration and creativity.

"I think it's good to be exposed to real world scenarios at a younger age, in a safe space," says the designer. "It fosters a lot of creative thinking and real world tangible lessons when you're not confined to a program specifically just for kids. You're developing skills that you'll need as an adult."

Sustainability is also a critical factor in Bolinder-Gibsand's designs, with every element designed to be as harmonious as possible with the surrounding natural landscape. Bolinder-Gibsand's thoughtful selection of native plantings and minimally-invasive layout aim to celebrate the natural, rather than override it. This, too, is a lesson kids can take from being in a garden.

What might be even more enticing to them, though, is the ability to grow their own food, a more tangible example of sustainability. "I think it's really important to be able to share with children where vegetables actually come from," says the designer. "How does this system work? It's not just picking an apple from the grocery store. It's watering the tree and pruning it and using the right materials. I think the process of growing our own food is so beneficial to share with anybody."

Photo credit: Courtesy of Christine London Ltd.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Christine London Ltd.

Ultimately, it's this innate appreciation for nature which Bolinder-Gibsand sees as the connecting thread between her work and the prize's namesake. "I think where I am similar to Bunny Mellon is in the sensitivity to plant material and plant placement," she says. "And her understanding of context of a place, together with the context of the terrain."

The prize's jury—a group of experts including designers Bunny Williams, Kathryn Herman, Richard Arentz, Melissa DelVecchio, and Arne Maynard as well as New York Botanical Garden president emeritus Dr. Gregory Long—clearly agreed. "It’s a playful garden with a lot of activities not within a huge amount of space," said Maynard in the prize announcement. "It’s a fascinating garden."

Bolinder-Gibsand will be recognized at the ceremony for the ICAA’s Award for Emerging Excellence in the Classical Tradition and will receive a $1,500 cash prize supported by the Bunny Mellon–founded Gerard B. Lambert Foundation.

Click here to learn more about the Bunny Mellon Curricula at the ICAA.

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