Walking on the wild side
DURING the past 30 years or so, a wilder and more exciting style of using herbaceous perennials in our gardens has come to the fore. These are long-lived but non-woody plants whose top growth dies back in autumn, but grows again from dormant crowns in spring.
For many years they were used to fill the grand herbaceous borders of larger gardens and then to plug gaps in the mixed borders of smaller modern plots. Now they are encouraged to mix and mingle with grasses in generous swathes of growth, with emphasis on a long season of interest.
The dead stems and seedheads are left in place until late winter when all is sheared back to make way for new growth. This peaceful and wildlife-friendly style looks magnificent on a large scale, but is easily tailored to suit small gardens and containers.
