Garden designer Nigel Dunnett uses two contrasting slogans in his work: “planting design is an art form” and “planting design is essential.” The former captures the impact a successful design has on our emotions. The latter expresses the necessity to create healthy human environments, especially in cities. His book “Naturalistic Planting Design: The Essential Guide is an excellent introduction to these creative principles.
He defines naturalistic planting design as inspired by nature, but not a recreation of a particular ecosystem. The book goes deeply into the historical development of this practice, while also providing pragmatic step-by-step guides. Examples are shown in all stages from planting – often a mix of seeding and starts – to the succession of the gardens through the seasons and subsequent years.
Dunnett’s gardens won’t appeal to everyone. He’s very limited in his use of woody plants and his herbaceous plantings are mingled rather than in solid blocks. Imitating nature, his projects grow and change, meaning there is no single climax or season when everything is in bloom. Instead, he aims to have something of interest year-round, using a general rule that no more than three plants need to be at a peak at any one time.
I recommended enjoying the exuberance of the photographs first, and then read the text. To Dunnett, “the future is all about planting that’s exciting, uplifting, dramatic, beautiful, breath-taking, bold and adventurous. Wild too, and not just in the sense of it being natural but wild because it has an edge to it, it’s challenging, it’s not safe, and it’s not always tasteful.”
Published in Garden Notes: Northwest Horticultural Society, Winter 2020