The weather appears to be getting odder by the day. Yesterday, we had a warm day of persistent north-westerly winds, followed by an evening shower, which was in turn followed by a morning frost. It felt like winter suddenly morphed into summer, and then switched back to winter in the space of 24 hours. Generally speaking though (if it’s possible to generalise with the weather any more), an early spring is underway. It feels as though the sap isn’t just rising, but exploding.
My thoughts at this point in the seasonal cycle invariably turn to two of the year’s great delights: blossom and annuals. To me, these are the elements that make spring on the Downs such a joyous event. You’d have to be living under a rock to miss them. Blossom froths about all over the place like a happy giant bubble-bath. The annual displays, though on a smaller scale than they once were, are simply a joy to behold. My favourite local spring garden is the aptly named Spring Bluff. It always brings to mind images of a really loud plant party, and to me it’s so utterly joyous that I’d dare anyone to drive back up the range feeling gloomy.
For all their excitement though, annual “bedding displays” aren’t the most environmentally friendly form of gardening available. To produce a top flight display annual plants need regular feeding, and copious amounts of water. You can get away with less of each, but the display won’t be as spectacular, and to me the main reason for growing annuals is for a big bold splash of colour.
The other issue with traditional annual displays is that they require an inordinate amount of work. By the time you consider the soil preparation, the planting, the watering, the feeding, the weeding and the deadheading to prolong the flowering period, you’re looking at many, many hours of effort. Arch and Julie Roggeveen, whose Toowoomba garden has been crowned Carnival of Flowers Grand Champion on numerous occasions, once told me that they start working on their annuals in May, and by the time September rolls around, spend the evenings working under lights in order to get the garden ready for Carnival.
I’ve got no inclination to become a slave to my garden, but I love annuals, and spend the latter weeks of winter hungry for saturated colours. So what’s a bloke to do? Compromise, that’s what. I think I’ve found a way to enjoy a display of spring flowering annuals that is less extensive than those you might find in a show garden or at Spring Bluff, but still offers a welcome burst of spring cheer. The inspiration is the American landscape architect James van Sweden.
Van Sweden and his business partner Wolfgang Oehme have spent the last 30 years on a mission to remake the American garden. Their vision is one of refinement through reduction. Compared to conventional gardens, OVS gardens require less water, less chemicals and less maintenance. To achieve this they mimic the prairie landscapes of the American west, planting ornamental grasses and perennials in big drifts, avoiding the use of anything that needs excessive work. Lawns are a very minimal part of an Oehme/Van Sweden garden. Traditional displays of annual bedding plants are totally absent.
Instead, Oehme/Van Sweden display their annuals in large pots. Hardly seems revolutionary, I know, but their approach achieves a couple of things: reduced labour; and mobility. Unlike a fixed garden bed, it’s a simple enough exercise with all but the largest containers to pick them up, and move them to a more desirable location within the garden. This flexibility accommodates seasonal changes perfectly, and allows containers to be positioned for maximum impact.
The other thing that’s great about planting annuals in pots is the potential for creativity. There are endless combinations of plants and containers available, limited only by your imagination, and some stunning mixed displays can be created by combining annuals with foliage plants. When you get the combinations right, and position the container where it will form a distinct focal point, the impact can be far punchier than even the lairiest bedding display. Bedding displays have their place in public gardens. But if you’re pushed for time and space, you’ll achieve more for less by displaying your annuals in pots. Let your imagination run free.
First published in The Chronicle, 22nd August 2009. Photo by Justin Russell, Spring Bluff railway station
