UP THE GARDEN PATH
Louise gives us an update on the Naturalistic planting started last year.
In an earlier article, I explored the subject of Naturalistic planting, as I discovered a local group of gardeners working on this type of scheme. I realized it was a great opportunity to observe their efforts. Recently, I went back to check on how it’s turned out so far. But before diving into the results, I’ll briefly recap the theory behind this method of gardening, for those who may have missed the explanation the first time around.
This style of planting is inspired by natural environments and aims to replicate how plants occur in the wild, allowing them to complement each other as nature intended. This approach can bring many benefits for both the gardener and wildlife, as it encourages biodiversity, improves soil health, and, if done correctly, can reduce maintenance. This type of planting has been influenced by the work of Nigel Dunnett, Professor of Plant Design at Sheffield University, who creates ecologically respectful planting designs for public and private spaces.
Naturalistic planting offers an alternative to traditional high-maintenance bedding displays, which can seem outdated, especially when considering modern climate concerns. Traditional displays, often seen in municipal parks, involve large quantities of annuals that require seasonal replacement. These colourful yet short-lived displays demand significant labour, watering, and, in many cases, the use of pesticides to maintain their appearance.
The local gardeners’ plan was to plant layers of drought-tolerant perennials that would be attractive to both garden visitors and pollinators. The longevity of these plants means they will multiply and cover the beds, reducing the need for maintenance—less weeding and watering. Starting last spring, they planted euphorbias and grasses as the main “anchor” plants. Around these, they added salvia, achillea, crocosmia, and kniphofia, along with supporting plants like knautia, sedum, leucanthemum, echinops, and gaura. Tulips, irises, and alliums were also planted in the autumn. They planned to insert paler plants like gaura to provide highlights where needed and to top up areas with more sedum and kniphofia as necessary.
At the time, they mentioned this was an experiment and acknowledged their lack of experience and budget, so the planting might look sparse in the early days. I remember visiting the garden last autumn and noticing a lot of bare brown patches of soil, which made the beds look rather empty. However, this spring, I saw the beginnings of progress, as the plants started to multiply and fill out. Now, in summer, the results of their hard work and bold plan are on full display. I’ve taken some photos to show you how it’s looking now, so you can judge for yourselves.
The round, pinky-gold seed heads of the alliums that flowered in spring have survived and remain as a skeletal architectural presence among the summer flowering plants. It’s a riot of different layers, colours, and plants, which I think gives the garden a wonderful natural feel. There are magnificent swathes of colour—combinations you may not traditionally think to use together. I particularly like how the tall stems of foxgloves give the bed structure, and how the purple flower heads of verbena bonariensis catch the sunlight as they sway in the breeze above the other flowers.
What’s interesting is that it’s not all about the flowers and their colours. The different stems, shapes, sizes, and colours of leaves, grasses, and foliage play an essential role as well. There are cool sections with beautiful blues, purples, and silvery foliage, transitioning to hot areas of burning orange, red, and gold. Occasional “pops” of colour from poppies and bright orange marigolds create striking contrasts against the foliage. There are also masses of marguerite daisies providing highlights, which will flower all summer and into autumn.
Overall, I think it’s a success, with the promise of much more to come. Well done to this gardening group for being brave enough to try something new!
Let me know if you’d like any changes!
