Frost-Coated Waves

A Norfolk garden’s airy grasses and lingering seedheads create an inspiring sight of beauty, texture and movement in the winter months.

- Melissa Mabbitt

ON A SPARKLING winter’s morning, delicate outlines of seedheads, picked out by frost, are etched against an ethereal mist of grass plumes. A muted but multifaceted palette of gold and fawn tones paints light across the scene. At this time of year, the faded beauty of a prairie garden has a special enchantment. Planted in large, flowing groups, the combination of forms is both intriguing and tranquil.

Pensthorpe Millennium Garden is a perfect example of the idea that plants have a beauty that continues even when they die. In the depth of winter, its naturalistic planting style has a singular loveliness, created by soft textures and strong silhouettes. It blends easily with the undulating landscape of the surrounding Pensthorpe nature reserve in north Norfolk.

Completed in 1999, this one-acre garden was the first British design by plantsman Piet Oudolf, who originated this prairie planting style. It is a departure from the mixed borders of shrubs and perennials found in most British gardens today. It is also very different from the traditional herbaceous borders in the gardens of older houses. Instead, this is a style that conjures up a natural, open landscape, mimicking the colonies of tall flowering perennials interspersed with grasses.

Careful planning

It has most impact when planted across a large space, copying the natural environment. It aims to evoke a flowering grassland with plants that remain attractive throughout the winter months. But the spirit of the style is easy to adapt for smaller gardens. All that is needed is an open, sunny aspect and soil that is not overly wet.