Garten is situated on a quiet lot in Severna Park, Maryland. When first encountering the site, the head chefs immediately envisioned the dilapidated building as a welcome gathering spot and retail store -- a modern biergarten -- set in a leafy residential neighborhood. The building’s existing structure, with its distinctive turret, and the large garden area opposite to the parking lot, offered opportunities for a variety of garden moments and the enjoyment of locally sourced and crafted food, wine and beer.

The German history of the biergarten originated as an extension of breweries, employing trees as shading devices to keep beer cellars cool in the summer and visiting customers comfortable while they enjoyed their drinks. Similarly, Garten offers plenty of outdoor space surrounded by a verdant setting. The landscape work focused on creating outdoor dining spaces evocative of these traditional German beer gardens, with a focus on horticulture and a layered plant palette of color, herbs and texture. The restored restaurant building opens into two major dining spaces, with picnic style tables and a covered pass-through bar that connects patrons directly with the interior bar. Diners are welcomed from the parking area through an oak archway, created by two columnar English oaks trained onto a metal structure. Circulation through the space was carefully considered, with routes for guests and servers identified.

The landscape architect elevated the outdoor space with double height redwood pergolas lit by string lights. American wisteria climbs the pergola posts, with evergreen hellebores providing moments of color in the colder season. Hornbeams, purple coral bells, and hydrangeas hide parking lot views. A vegetable and herb garden offers fresh ingredients for the menu. Lavender lines the paths, adding scent and texture. At the clients’ directive, the landscape architect created a fun, relaxed communal atmosphere in a lush garden setting.