Why this landscape designer never wants you to see a garden all at once
Thai landscaper Jirachai Rengthong, whose projects include Capella Ubud, Shinta Mani Wild and Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, uses layered planting, mature trees and garden “rooms” to create landscapes that reward slow exploration.
Jirachai Rengthong, a Thai landscaper with projects like Capella Ubud, Shinta Mani Wild, and Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, creates gardens that reward slow exploration through layered planting, mature trees, and garden "rooms." The 40-year-old landscaper and horticulturalist aims to provide relaxation through his design philosophy, honed through self-study and a long partnership with landscape architect Bill Bensley.
Rengthong's signature approach involves creating distinct garden "rooms" by using hedges or stands of palms to divide a site, allowing visitors to move through a sequence of distinct set pieces rather than seeing one continuous view. His method for reading a site involves screening off unsightly elements with big trees and dense planting, while keeping open spaces for views.
His advice for those wanting to create a garden at home is to start with easy-to-maintain plants like palms, cordyline, and philodendrons, and not to be intimidated by the effort of planting mature trees, as they provide long-term benefits in cooling a house and adding character.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
