Prairie gardens, the longest day and mulching
Hi all
With the summer here, this week Toby will be planning ahead for a spectacle later in the year and creating our very own prairie border at Greenacre. Toby is hoping to bring grasses to life by combining them with some tall herbaceous perennials including some that we've recycled from Berryfields. Prairie borders are easy to maintain and look fab in the autumn.
The key is to combine grasses and perennial flowers in large naturalistic drifts, using colour and texture to create a gorgeous summer tapestry. Then in the autumn and winter you're left with the seedheads and silhouettes which look fabulous when the frosts come. One of the big name pioneers of this style of gardening has been Dutch designer, Piet Oudolf. If tonight's programme inspires you to find out more, Piet has designed some fantastic planting schemes in the UK that should be starting to look their best from now onwards. From the long border at to the at Pensthorpe you can see prarie planting on a grand scale.
So take advantage of the longest day of the year this Sunday and make the most of the big outdoors by visiting a garden or park local to you and find something you can try at home. We'd love to hear your recommendations for your favourite gardens to visit this summer, so use this blog to share places you've been to or hope to visit and remember to upload pictures from your visits onto our group.
Happy gardening!
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