This one garden wonderful is located in Rio de Janeiro and belongs to choreographer and director of dance and theater shows João Saldanha. Created by himself, it has 1400 m², practically a private forest! João considers the gardens of his house to be quite special: they are totally integrated with the surrounding nature.
It is a diverse landscaping, with a wide variety of species, among which stand out Cassias, Flamboyants, brazilwood, Chiefeiras, ipês, coconut trees and palm trees.
And even decorative banana trees, ravenalas, heliconias, strelitzia, philodendrons, Adam’s ribs, Saint George’s sword, various bromeliads, ferns, cacti, lavender, platycerium, orchids, jasmine, alamanda and hibiscus, among many other species . “It is a space that takes us inside, even if it incites outside curiosity”, evaluates João.
About his inspirations, the landscape choreographer says: “I really like the way the English treat the landscape, always with a natural appearance, even if organized. I am an admirer of Roberto Burle Marx, for all his expressive legacy. I even did a choreographic work on it in 2010, at the CCBB in Rio, entitled Concrete Landscape”.
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Maintaining and caring for something so beautiful is a lot of work. “I have a helper, Jonas, who does weekly pruning and keeps the lawn and flower beds clean. In summer, irrigation is daily, and in winter, three times a week. I annually apply one ton of substrate for lawns and 500 kilos of substrate for foliage. I prune the bushes and bougainvillea in March and April”.
about the house
The property’s house was built by the legendary football coach, journalist and writer João Saldanha and given as a gift to his son, with the same name, in 1982, initially as a place for leisure and weekends. However, in 1990, the year his father died, João decided to move there permanently, where he stayed until 2007. “Working daily in Rio, at the time I was attracted by the quality of life and the outdoor space”, he justifies.
Recently, Francisco Palmeiro, architect and João’s partner, renovated the laundry room, the office, the bathroom, the leisure area next to the pool and the pergola. He also designed a covered area (with a gazebo function) to soften the strong sun and heat in the summer.
See more photos in the gallery: