The lush hillside garden and eccentric artist's home created by landscape designer Bevis Bawa, hidden in the hills near Beruwala.

Overview

Brief Garden is the enchanting private garden and house of Bevis Bawa, elder brother of the famed architect Geoffrey Bawa, tucked into the hills at Kalawila inland from Beruwala and Aluthgama. Over half a century Bawa transformed a rubber estate into a romantic, layered landscape of terraces, ponds, sculptures and dense tropical planting. The rambling bungalow is crammed with art, antiques and quirky pieces collected by Bawa and his artistic circle, and guided visits reveal both the garden and the eccentric interior.

History

Bevis Bawa inherited the property, originally called 'Brief', in 1929 and spent the rest of his life shaping its gardens until his death in 1992. A celebrated host, he welcomed artists, writers and film stars, and the estate became an influential example of tropical garden design that helped inspire his brother Geoffrey and the wider Sri Lankan style.