Natural Contemporary Gardens
Planting Design: The Natural Garden
Traditionally gardens have been about ‘controlling’ nature. The amount of wasteful energy to create order, stake, fertilise, dead-head and lift and divide. Although, I do understand that this intensive approach gives a lot of people a great deal of satisfaction I do think that the results seem somewhat artificial. When I visit RHS Wisley (off the A3 near Guildford) it is interesting to compare the Piet Oudorf long border to the `Jekell’ mixed border. The former has so much more movement and textural contrast.
I believe that good planting should be an reflect nature. Selecting plants that thrive in the conditions of the particular garden and who intermingle without swamping one another for space – creating stable plant communities that cover the soil like a blanket, preventing airborne weedseeds getting a foothold. A natural garden is a haven for wildlife and this can be very important to people living in urban surroundings who lack a link to nature.
In nature, the palette of plants is often limited to 5-10 species and repeated in large swathes. This is what I would refer to as the groundcover matrix.
In our gardens we can create a natural look by selecting plants that are similar to their native parents. Try to find plant species that have not been over cultivated.
Below – What to avoid!!! Rosa ‘Bobby Charlton’ / Rosa ‘Angela Rippon’
In fact any plants named after celebrities.
Instead – Use a mix of grasses and perennials either arranged in drifts or intermingled.
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Below - Rhus (stag horn sumach) and grasses