Wasn’t it only a month ago, give or take, that the Seasonal Border was a simple stretch of soil, spotted with tiny sprouts and shy flowers? Looks like that protective mesh did an admirable job of keeping the squirrels away.

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Abstraction on the Seasonal Border.

(photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)

Four-season gardening can be as simple as ensuring your garden has something that will provide winter interest, like this wonderful hedge, Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ (commonly known as Dwarf Winged Euonymus or Dwarf Burning Bush) in the Seasonal Border.

We’ve Got Rhythm (Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)

Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education. Join her each weekend for home gardening demonstrations on a variety of topics in the Home Gardening Center.

Throughout the long border of the Seasonal Walk different themes are repeated—some based on texture, color, form, and plant choice. In this long border created by renowned Dutch designers Piet Oudolf and Jacqueline van der Kloet, many perennials act as anchors for the design. It is important in any successful design to have repeating dominant themes. They create the architectural structure of the design as well as tie together the composition and give it unity.

For the late summer display, Echinacea is one of the major structural components. Oudolf shows off many of his own fabulous cultivars: Echinacea ‘Virgin’ ‘Vintage Wine’, ‘Fatal Attraction’, and ‘Green Jewel’. Repetition gives a border energy and movement.

For every bold anchor plant in the border there is an equally important filler plant whose feathery or airy texture is a necessary contrast to the overall design. In every good design it is important not to over-stimulate the senses. Rest is as important as movement. Calamint (Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta), downy skullcap (Scutellaria incana), and mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) are a few underused yet garden-worthy perennials that fit this category. All are wonderful at attracting insects into the garden, and the last two are natives in this region of the country.

One of the greatest lessons to learn from the Oudolf-van der Kloet collaboration is the multi-dimensionality in all seasons. There is not a moment when the garden is quiet, and it evolves in a dynamic way from early spring well into winter. read more »