Birgitta and Anders were happy living in a suburb of Stockholm—until they stumbled across an idyllic 19th century farmhouse on a peninsula on the southeast coast of Gotland, Sweden's largest island. The couple, who had been looking for a summer house, promptly changed their plans and moved in permanently. We can see why.
N.B.: The couple rent out two apartments in their barn, adjacent to the garden. For more information, see Airbnb.
Photography via Lantliv, except where noted.
Above: On the house, the red clay tiles come from Visby, a medieval seaside town on the island.
In the kitchen garden, straw mulch keeps crops tidy, separating rows of strawberries from clumps of nasturtiums.
Above: David Austin roses and lavender came with the owners; Birgitta couldn't bear to part with them so she transplanted them from her previous garden. Many of the other plants at the farm are from Verdus Veranda, a nursery and gardening store in nearby Hablingbo.
Above: The Orangery, with its glorious walls and ceiling of glass, is the result of serendipity: a friend in Stockholm was getting rid of 12 full-height glass windows. Fitted together, they created a lean-to greenhouse.
Above: Photograph via Airbnb.
Draped canvas panels overhead create a shade canopy in the Orangery, where most meals are eaten during warm months.
Above: Photograph via AirBnB.
Green lawn and old trees surround the house and barn.
Above: Colorful paper lanterns, souvenirs from a trip to Vietnam, hang suspended from plum trees in the orchard.
Above: The marble porch floor is paved with local Gotland stone, with radiant heating underfoot.
Above: Surrounded by meadows and headlands, the old farm is an excellent spot for birdwatching. "The area is exciting during the nesting season, and under the right days of the end of May, you can experience 'Gåssträcket,' when thousands of divers arrive on the cape," say Birgitta and Anders.
Above: The garden comes indoors; floral Manchurian wallpaper from Zoffany provides a backdrop for a sheepskin chair (upholstered in Gotland) in the first floor family room.
Above: Birgitta and Anders at home.
For more of our favorite Scandi summer gardens, see:
- Steal This Look: A Danish Summer House with Outdoor Shower.
- From Sweden with Love: A Romantic Captain's Villa.
- 10 Garden ideas to Steal from Scandinavia.
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