Serralves Museum & Foundation, Porto, Portugal
Art Deco garden urns and bird bath
About ten years ago I was on the quest to find out more on Art Deco garden design and came up with very little inspiration on the internet. I was fortunate to correspond with the Art Deco Trust of Napier, New Zealand and they sent me information and the booklet featured above, the booklet can be ordered via the link: trust@artdeconapier.com or visit www.deconapier.com.
Here are some tips for designing an Art Deco garden:
Layout: In its most extreme form, the Art Deco garden was simply lawn and evergreen shrubs. In general, the garden should be formal rather than natural, severe rather than fussy.
Planting: Hard-edged evergreen shrubs are most appropriate, as well as being compact and attractive all year. Topiary trees are ideal for the setting. Low flowering plants, in bright colours, that can be planted in straight or curved lines or in massed areas are appropriate. Examples are impatiens, marigolds, calendulas, petunias, anenomes and lobelia. Evergreen ground covers such as clipped ivy is also suitable.
Paving: Regular, evenly coloured paving slabs or tiles are best for paving or courtyards.
Water features were popular and should be in the form of formal, rectangular or perfectly round pools, edged with tiles or cut slabs, not natural stone. Use square or stepped corners.
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