Inspiration for any planting plan is needed and in this case it came when I “accidentally” planted a seedling of the grass Calamagrostis brachytricha next to a patch of Actea simplex (Syn. Cimicifuga simplex) in an existing grass border, their flowers complementing one another perfectly. When designing a perennial meadow I look for five appropriate …
A new perennial meadow border in front of the Schutterstoren in Amsterdam was planted in mid April this year. Now, five months later, it is beginning to show its design concept. A mixture of perennials creates a central meadow that is surrounded by blocks of ornamental grasses. The ornamental grasses enclose the colourful perennial meadow …
A New Perennial Meadow Plant Border, Step by Step Read More »
Naturalistic style planting is a modern approach to creating pictorial perennial meadow planting schemes. These schemes combine garden plants into stable plant communities. Mixtures of herbaceous perennials, ferns and flower bulbs are put together that will grow well in existing garden conditions. Fore example, we consider shade, sun and soil type as factors that will …
Pictorial Naturalistic Perennial Meadow Planting? Read More »
Winter in Amsterdam is wet and warm. Bulbs are rising out of the ground and many grasses that should have turned to straw are still green. Clearly there is nothing to do in the garden but wait for crisp cold weather and then maybe start thinking about clearing away last year’s debris. Looking around the …
I am enjoying the new border in front of my home. It has yet to get really cold in Amsterdam this winter, but now the plants are dormant. I am drawn to the repeating patterns and complex textures it contains, with its muted tones blending with the parkland in the background. Can you appreciate the …
This year I am trialling a number of different species and cultivars of asters and they have brought real beauty into my autumn garden. Aster scaber is spreading too rapidly, but it is very attractive both in leaf before flowering and then when actually flowering very late in the season. Such plants are useful in …
After a gap of more than eleven years I returned to this unique garden and was delighted to find it still had its powerful character. Henk Gerritsen is no longer there, but the volunteers and sponsors who aim to keep his philosophy alive are doing a fantastic job. A summer restaurant – De Tuinkamer – …
Priona Tuinen – An Influential Garden In The Netherlands Read More »
Grasses flop when wet which is why it is best not to plant them too close to narrow paths. However, today, fine rain turned this border in front of my home into a glistening spectacle of textures and light. The fine flower stems of Sporobolus heterolepis arched under the weight of a thousand water droplets …
Traditional planting schemes set blocks of perennials and shrubs next to one another in order to develop harmonious or contrasting effects that build a picture comprising forms and colours. The contemporary trend for informal, naturalistic planting schemes uses plants in ways that mimic the natural patterns that occur in native plant communities. Such patterns typically …
We set out the plants for this new perennial meadow border exactly one year ago. The cylindrical residential tower on the outskirts of Amsterdam is in a natural green parkland setting. The planting scheme uses grasses to link the residence with the adjacent park. Ribbons of the stiffly upright grass Molinia caerulea ‘Moorhexe’ bring structure …
