Planting combinations

Purple Verbena bonariensis plays off golden Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ in this perennial planting, which morphs into the indigenous flower meadow visible in the background. Contrasting forms of Heuchera villosa var. macrorhiza, Panicum virgatum and the daisy-like Kalimeris incisa ‘Alba’ add to the impression of burgeoning vitality.

The dead trumps the living in this combination. Here the dark, almost black, seedheads of Phlomis russeliana take centre stage, surrounded by Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’, Eryngium agavifolium, Carex oshimensis, Carex muskingumensis and Pennisetum alopecuroides. Just coming into bloom on the left is Symphyotrichum ‘Little Carlow’. The metal structure is a light and ventilation unit for the underground car park, with Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ and Aster trifoliatus subsp. ageratoides ‘Ezo Murasaki’ growing on top.

The strong shapes of grass seedheads and late-summer flowers are the key here, creating an impression of shape and mass, which is not always associated with late-summer perennial plantings. Visible are Sanguisorba obtusa, Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’, Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’, Aster macrophyllus and Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (after flowering). The stems and crab apples of Malus ‘Evereste’ form the backdrop.

Clipped hedges and a multi-stem tree, Amelanchier lamarckii, create structural interest in the late summer garden. This sense of form is offset by the complexity of a combination of Echinacea purpurea ‘Alaska’, Persicaria, Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ and Eurybia macrophylla.

ANY DESIGN FIRST HAD TO REACT TO THE BUILDING ITSELF. LODEWIJK EXTENDED THE FLUID LINES AND CURVES WITH SINUOUS DRIFT PLANTINGS