Striking a balance between an overly cultivated garden and one that permits nature – wildlife, weeds and all – the freedom to roam is about the most topical challenge in horticulture right now. The principles are in place: chemicals are all but banished, May is becoming unmown, and slugs and snails are being rebranded. The question now is how, rather than why, we should provide for nature in our gardens. Frank van der Linden, a naturalistic garden designer based in the Netherlands, is well versed on this subject, and the move towards a more wildlife-inclusive vision for his own garden near Eindhoven had somewhat serendipitous beginnings.
“Twenty years ago, I started the garden with the aim of establishing a nursery for perennial plants and grasses,” says Frank. “But around 2017, the garden was left to its own devices for a couple of years while I was busy setting up another nursery. When I returned to it, it had become neglected in parts.” Within the structural footprint of hazel and beech hedges, weeds had taken over the planted borders, which had become overgrown with nettles. “I noticed that this had led to a significant increase in biodiversity.” Rather than restore order, this inspired a new direction for Frank’s garden and his wider approach to garden design – one that would provide functionality for users while creating living spaces for wild plant species and animals. “My eyes were opened to working with nature and understanding what it wants from – and with – a garden.”
Using weeds as groundcover
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Field of Dreams - The naturalistic gem Hans Gieszen has created in former meadowlands near Utrecht in the Netherlands is the culmination of a lifelong passion
Ever since his mother gave him seeds as a small boy, gardening has been a passion for Hans Gieszen. He is completely self-taught, relying on garden visits and books for instruction, with one book in particular, Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf, influencing his style. “It was fascinating,” says Hans, remembering his first encounter with the book. “All those photos – pictures with mists and these tall and low plants and grasses. I realised I couldn’t do it in my small garden, but I kept dreaming and reading about it.”
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