Perennial gardens, landscapes made up of primarily flowering perennials and grasses, have come into their own. Designers like Piet Oudolf, Beth Chatto, Nigel Dunnett (and many others- those are just my favorites) have shown us that gardens do not have to revolve around trees, shrubs, and manicured lawns.
Perennial garden design Portland
The new perennial gardens take their cues from nature, yet use plants from all over the world. They can look delicate and ephemeral but are anchored by plants that grow along roadways with no help from us. And while swaths of color and texture seem made as much for Instagram as the Museum of Ice Cream, they are really just idealized versions of meadows.
Modern perennial gardens remind me of Japanese gardens. In a Japanese garden we recognize that the forms are taken from nature but shaped until they are either perfect or extreme. Perennials gardens are not so much about form or structure but very much about color and texture and vibe- all of which are found in nature but with more restraint.
These gardens are undoubtedly spaces of beauty. Many also find them calming- perhaps naturalistic gardens quiet our anxieties (especially climate ones) in ways more formal gardens don’t?
There are many reasons to want a perennial garden. There are also some things to consider, some of which may not be readily apparent or even counterintuitive.
