international: CORFU INTERNATIONAL: corfu

Words: Jennie Gay Photographs: Clive Nichols Island life The Kassiopia Estate in Corfu is a unique summer retreat, where the houses and gardens were designed and developed together to enhance their incredible setting

The limestone terrace of the main house looks out to sea to the Albanian mountains in the distance

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“The garden provides the all-important link between the elements, through the plants, which seamlessly integrate the natural Corfiot hillside, built structures and seascape beyond” ome call Corfu the Garden Isle. Certainly its lush-but- S rugged natural beauty makes it garden enough, a magical landscape of centuries-old gnarled olives and dark green sentinel cypress trees cloaking hillsides and mountains. In spring, the huge silver green canopies of Corfiot olive groves are under lit by drifts of wildflowers, such as the luminous purple honesty (Lunaria annua) in stunning combination with the acid green Bupleurum rotundifolium, while the daisy flowers of chamomile, irises, and perfectly formed orchids – to mention just a handful – dance along the edges. Situated in the northwest of Greece, almost equidistant to the south of Italy, Corfu has a unique position within the country. The most northerly of the seven Ionian Islands, much of the island lies off the coast of Albania rather than its homeland. It is regarded as one of the most clement places in Greece to make a garden, owing to its high rainfall (an average of 1,200mm plus per annum, twice as much as London), high humidity, fertile soils, mild climate and relative lack of wind – especially when compared to the Cycladic islands on the eastern side of Greece. The Kassiopia Estate is situated on a rocky headland in the mountainous northeast coast, just outside the small fishing village of Kassiopi. Approaching the entrance gate as you descend from the top of a steep hill, breathtaking panoramas come into view, out over stonemason have shown exquisite sequence of theatrical ‘stage sets’, he top The hot dry the Corfu Straits to the Albanian attention to detail in their construction, says, “each influenced and informed by planting begins at the driveway, which mountains – snow peaked in winter. paying homage to traditional features, a particular view or atmosphere”. features tall, wispy Ten years ago plans were made but creating modern, fresh spaces. A cloistered courtyard is central to cypress, lavender to build a summer retreat on this “The design of the Kassiopia Estate the built space and from this a series and olive trees perfectly located four-acre headland. houses and gardens is instinctively of stone terraces and intimate pergola above Low-growing Mediterranean Corfu’s creamy limestone dresses and intrinsically linked,” Dominic spaces provide rest and retreat. They species such as well, making it an excellent building explains. “The exceptional views were are connected by stone paths, which thyme, cistus and material. Architect Dominic Skinner, the inspiration for the creation of a progressively lead into the wilder areas helichrysum line the paths series of spaces around and within the of the garden. “Pause spaces become who trained and worked with Norman opposite The Foster and Partners in London, made houses, each driven by a progression of increasingly informal,” says Dominic, planting also perfect use of it in the creation of the the relationship between vista, mood, “for example, a simple seat beneath features Stipa two individual Corfiot houses on function, geometry, expansiveness the shade of a magnificent wild pear. tenuissima and Tulbaghia violacea the estate. Indeed both architect and and intimacy.” The result is almost a The aim is a wonderful, balanced

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top The infinity- living environment… enhanced by the (Rhamnus alaternus) and mock privet style swimming pool magnifies the sounds of the sea, the scent, texture and (Phillyrea angustifolia), a delightful spectacular sunsets form of the gardens and the exquisite woodland began to emerge, and Bottom An acacia detail of the houses.” alongside it the potential to create underplanted with Thus indoor and outdoor spaces winding paths through glades of Rosmarinus officinialis are closely entwined, so that the multi-stem evergreen natives, Prostratus Group dividing lines between house, leading down to the water’s edge. opposite garden and sea become almost Sufficient daylight poured through Steps lead down imperceptible. The garden provides to allow long-dormant cyclamen to onto a decked seating area the all-important link between the emerge from deep slumber. A couple elements, through the creation of a of exceptionally large and beautiful natural and sensuous mosaic of plants, wild pear trees were similarly rescued which seamlessly integrates the natural from prickly prisons. Under their Corfiot hillside, built structures within uplifted crowns, Star of Bethlehem and seascape beyond. (Ornithogalum umbellatum) and Muscari The design philosophy capitalised species took advantage of perfect on the natural habitats existing on site, niches on freshly revealed rocky and these became the framework for banks. Areas of unmanaged waist- the garden. Thus the first step in the high grassland were mowed in early garden’s creation was to prune and summer, and then again in winter to shape the existing trees and shrubs to lessen the dominance of aggressive once again reveal their natural beauty. grasses; quickly they reverted to a rich Brambles and Smilax aspera engulfed meadow flora, particularly notable for other species in thickets of maquis, an extensive colony of Barbary nut or some four or five metres tall, as all afternoon iris (Moraea sisyrinchium) in strained for light in the impenetrable March and April. Earlier in the year, the mass of growth. As this unruly pair ghostly flowers of the Elysian fields of of scramblers were teased away mythology, Asphodelus aestivus, shimmer from the trunks of Kermes oak in the winter sunshine. The results (Quercus coccifera), Italian buckthorn of this early work reinforced the

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WHO’S WHO entrance ARCHITECT • Dominic Skinner, Skinner and Skinner Design, Studio 33, Guilford Street, Corfu Town, 49100, Greece main house Tel: +30 2661 302611 www.skinnerandskinner.co.uk pool and pool house CONSTRUCTION • Babis Koutsouris, Koutsouris Construction, Studio 33, Guildford Street, Corfu Town, 49100, Greece Tel: + 30 69373 86305 guest www.babiskoutsouris house construction.com

PLANTING DESIGN & IMPLeMENtATION • Landscape Architect/ Gardener Jennie Gay and Piers Goldson, Mediterranean Landscapes, Sarafi 20, Nea Makri, 19005, Greece

C redit: Jennie G ay Tel: + 30 22940 92606 JETTY Email: jennie@mediterranean corfu straits landscapes.com

NURSERIES • Pepiniere Filippi is a French nursery with wide range LANDSCAPE plan of Mediterranean natives planted tree “Corfu is regarded as one selected for drought tolerance. of the most clement places RD 613, 34140 Meze, France woodland Tel: + 33 4674 38869 www.jardin-sec.com maquis style in Greece to make a garden, • Chrysanthe Paraiou is a small phrygana style owing to its high rainfall, Greek nursery with a range ‘mediterranean’ garden fertile soils, mild climate of Mediterranean natives. and relative lack of wind” 6-8 Asklepiou/Socrates, Nea meadow-orchard Penteli, Athens, Greece Tel: + 30 210 6135962. • Karampatsos Nursery is a large nursery supplying a conception that the natural diversity of sheltered environs of the house – ubiquitous Mediterranean species olive Grey-green mounds of Cistus the movement of the sea. They glow above The guest range of native and exotic house and its stone the site should be our guide. such as the popular and well loved and cypress were consistently key to the creticus, Thymus capitatus and gloriously in the early morning and as plants including a good terrace with seating variety of trees, climbers and There are two distinctive Bougainvillea spp, Plumbago auriculata, planting structure. Ballota acetabulosa blend with silver the light fades at the end of the day. area and swimming large shrubs. microclimates on the headland. Agapanthus spp, Ruellia simplex Closer to the houses, a rich mosaic Helichrysum italicum, Lavandula spp, Rainwater harvest contributes to pool. The design of the house and its Kalpakiou 17, Kato Souli, The main house is situated on the ‘C. Wright’ and Citrus spp. of phrygana planting (the Greek Convolvulus cneorum and rich green summer irrigation for those plants surroundings are 19007 Marathonas, Greece northeast side, benefiting from Where screening was required, a equivalent of garrigue) flows seawards Rosmarinus officinalis. Carefully that need it, but the emphasis is on intrinsically linked Tel: + 30 2294 064500 cooling sea breezes in summer, multi-layered canopy of native trees with footpaths made of local stone selected for performance, pastel- deep infrequent watering to encourage but exposed to bitingly cold winds and evergreen shrubs was planted. meandering through. Carefully placed flowering perennials such as Verbena strong root development and plant IRRIGATION blasting down from the Albanian Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), olives and pomegranates provide bonariensis, Tulbaghia violacea and independence. As the garden matures, • Agrodomi Water Supply mountains in winter. Everything Bupleurum fruticosum, lentisk (Pistacia some shade and height, with care Gaura lindheimeri harmonise with the self-seeding becomes a natural way for Systems, 11 Marathon planted here needed to be tolerant lentiscus), Teucrium fruticans and tree taken to frame rather than obscure colours of the local palette. the garden to continuously renew itself, Avenue, 15344 Gerakas, of temperatures that sometimes medick (Medicago arborea) formed the vistas. The cushion-shaped, often As the landscape rolls away to the with the gardener on hand to facilitate Athens, Greece Tel: + 30 210 6614141 dip below zero. The smaller guest underplanting to classic Mediterranean prickly and aromatic phrygana plants sea, drifts of the grass Stipa tenuissima its progression. www.agrodomi.gr house is more sheltered with a native trees such as Judas tree (Cercis offer up wonderful opportunities to self-seed prolifically, weaving in southeast aspect, and this created siliquastrum), Mediterranean hackberry play with texture, form, aroma and between the blues and greys of the It is possible to stay at the Kassiopia an opportunity to plant tender (Celtis australis), holm oak (Quercus colour, stimulating the senses and also native cushion shrubs, dancing on Estate in Corfu. To find out more, Mediterranean species in the ilex) and carob (Ceratonia siliqua). The enhancing the Corfiot stonework. the merest whiff of a breeze to create go to www.kassiopiaestate.com

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