ELLE DECORATION invites fashion blogger Milana Koroleva for a walk in the garden. Designed by landscape architect Tatiana Gubskaya, it pleases the eye with a whole sea of sage, hedges that are not afraid of naughty huskies, shady lime alleys and green “Chupa Chups” — such a funny nickname the hostess gave the molded thuja at home

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Ekaterina Egorova

How was the main idea of this garden born?

Tatiana Gubskaya: In my case, this always happens immediately after meeting with customers. Plunging into their energy, I instantly find an idea that will become the basis of the project. This is the most emotional part of the work, followed by a scrupulous preparation of a technical task based on the lifestyle of the family, the characteristics of the site itself and my experience. I have been engaged in landscape practice for more than twelve years, I have postgraduate studies and an internship in one of the best bureaus in France. And still, every garden is a discovery! There are no template solutions, everything is individual. Milan’s garden fully reflects her personality, depth and character.

Tatiana Gubskaya, landscape architect, founder and ideologist of the Q’gards bureau, teacher of the “Gardens in Detail” school, @tatiana.gubskaya, www.qgardens.ru

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Ekaterina Egorova

Fifteen hundred sage trees have been planted in the garden, different varieties are blooming one after another.

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Ekaterina Egorova

“Sage is Russian lavender! Unlike her, it grows well in our region and pleases with lush flowering every year”

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Ekaterina Egorova

What did the site look like when you first got here?

T.G: I always start my acquaintance with space by looking for its positive features. There were a lot of them here: proximity to water, high-quality architecture of the house. Before me, the garden was partially laid out and some plants were planted, but in general the plot looked standard. He lacked harmony, a sense of joy and perspective.

Garden view from the pool.

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Ekaterina Egorova

What was the source of inspiration?  

T.G:Of course, Milana herself and her strong beautiful family. We have maintained warm friendly relations after finishing work, which I am very proud of.

Milana Koroleva is a fashion blogger, TV presenter, screenwriter and producer of the author’s show “Russian Couture” on FashionTV, @milanakoroleva.

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Ekaterina Egorova

“The garden for me is a daily source of inspiration and energy”

Molded on the stem of the tui Smaragd at the main facade of the house of Milan dubbed “Chupa Chups”. The name instantly caught on, and the tui themselves became the hallmark of the garden.

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Ekaterina Egorova

The most unusual plant in this garden?

T.G:In this garden, I tried to use only sustainable plant species. And our find is oak sage of Salvia nemorosa Caradonna and Salvia nemorosa Viola Klose varieties. It sways in large waves along the paths and echoes in color with some elements of the interiors, linking the house and the garden. Another “calling card” of the garden was the tui Smaragd molded on the stem in the composition in front of the house. This is my homage to the great gardener Rachel “Bunny” Mellon (Rachel Bunny Mellon).

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Ekaterina Egorova

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Ekaterina Egorova

What did you particularly succeed in this project, and what would you redo?

T.G:As I always tell my students: any decision in a project must have an artistic, semantic or practical meaning. I don’t start implementing when the solutions are random or have not found a response from the owners. Therefore, I am always proud of the result.

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Ekaterina Egorova

What is your favorite place in this garden?

T.G:There is no static in this garden. It is transformed every day and hour depending on the lighting. The most interesting thing is to carefully observe this process, discover new states and flavors of the garden, calming down and discovering something new in yourself through the garden. It’s like in a loved one — you like absolutely everything.

Negotiate with huskies so that they don’t break hedges? Landscape architect Tatiana Gubskaya has her own secret for this.

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Ekaterina Egorova

What advice would you give to those who are just thinking about creating their own garden?

T.G:Find “your” specialist with whom you will find a common language and whom you can trust. Trust your ideas, your time, your budget. These issues need to be resolved before the start of work. Strive for positive emotions, even in the process of building a garden — it’s possible!

Beds are hidden behind hedges.

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Ekaterina Egorova

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Ekaterina Egorova

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Ekaterina Egorova

Polina Chesova

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