Capital ideas for gardens

On a visit to Paris, coincidentally during Paris Fashion Week, it became clear that Paris sets more than just fashion trends.

Judging by the beautiful combinations of grasses, perennials and annuals in famous public gardens like the Tuileries and Luxembourg gardens, the French have decided, in their own inimitable style that mixed borders are in. In the gardens around the Notre Dame and other gardens in the area, the colour theme was definitely autumnal, mixing shades of pale to deep gold, soft orange, and red, adding white in drifts to ease the intensity and with hints of purple and blue for depth.

Texture and height was provided by clumps of ornamental grasses that gave the borders a meadow feel. Such a combination could easily be re-created in one’s own garden. According to Kathy Varney of BallStraathof, rudbeckia “Tiger’s Eye” is a locally available alternative and “Goldstrum” is on its way. Alternatively, Echinacea “Cheyenne Spirit” produces the same effect and comes in shades of yellow, orange, red and scarlet. Salvia “Lady in Red” is as popular here as it is in Paris because its delicate spikes of flowers don’t produce a solid mass of colour, more of a hint. For sparkle, use zinnia “Zahara” white or the white cosmos “Sonata” in drifts.

French rose breeder Delbard also breeds dahlias and “Cheverny” or even “Canarie” supplied by Ludwig’s Roses would fit the bill. The pale orange “Marion” with deeper orange eye, would also work well in such a border. Dwarf bedding dahlias, such as the “Dalaya” range or the “Redskin Mixed” with its dark purple foliage can be added for extra colour.

The real stars of the border are the airy, graceful ornamental grasses. Similar varieties available here are Eragrostis “Wind dancer”, Eragrostis spectabilis, Chondropetalum, and the different Carex grasses, like “Bronco”. In the Tuileries gardens a combination that caught my eye was that of deep cerise pink combined with shades of lighter pink, purple, dark and light blue. The sword-like silvery-green iris leaves provided a lovely contrast.

What could work very well here would be a massed, central planting of Gaura lindheimeri “Ballerina” rose, with salvia “Mystic Spires” blue, and the lighter blue Agastache scrophulariaefolia “Liquorice” blue with the various locally available dahlias that provide the in-between shades.