IN my gardening lifetime fashions have come and gone, but of them, all my favourite is the current trend towards a more natural-looking style. This encourages undisturbed areas for wildlife and the choice of easygoing plants to suit soil and climate. Many of us have let some lawn grow up as meadow, or allowed a margin of wildflowers to prosper. If you love this relaxed look and enjoy visiting prairie style plantings like those at the RHS Garden Wisley, the Hauser and Wirth Garden in Somerset or Pensthorpe in Norfolk, why not take the next step and bring a slice of prairie to your plot.
The wild prairie habitats of North America and also Europe and the Asian steppes consist mostly of grasses, coloured with flowering herbaceous perennials (they die back for winter and grow again in spring) and dotted with isolated scrub or trees.
Adaptable approach
In nature, they were maintained by herds of grazing animals and, where these have been hunted almost to extinction, prairies have disappeared, with the best, those on richer soils and areas of higher rainfall, replaced by agriculture. In our gardens we create cultivated versions of these lost prairies, using plants from different continents. This might sound like a grand project but it’s easy to scale down – you can replace a more traditional bed or border with an area of prairie planting, or use to fill a container.
This new take on a wild look was initially developed in Germany, as a low maintenance solution for public parks. The results have the soft suggestiveness of an Impressionist painting, rather than the painting-by-numbers feel of traditional mixed or herbaceous borders. Start with weed-free, well-conditioned soil in an open, sunny position and let yourself loose to experiment.
Getting started
この記事は Amateur Gardening の July 18, 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Amateur Gardening の July 18, 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters