Normally a new planting needs at least two seasons to establish, but sometimes it can happen very fast. The picture above is from Trosa municipality just south of Stockholm in Sweden. At the little city square in tiny Trosa I renewed two existing vegetation spaces last year. A small area with old trees and suffering lawn below them was turned into a lovely woodland plot with benches and magnificent spring aspects from the understory of flowering herbs and azaleas.
An even much smaller spot was before a planting with some low shrubs – if I remember right the Shrubby Cinquefoil, Potentilla fruticosa. Nothing wrongs with that of course, however a bit boring. This space was converted into a planting inspired by the shore nearby the city and named the Sea spot.
It was made in the spring 2009 and already in late summer the same year it had settled rather well. The photos are from the end of October last year. The area was first covered by a layer of 20-25 cm sand and then we added round boulders, stones and pebbles. Both true sea shore plants as Sea Wormwood (Artemisia maritima) and Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum) were used as well as fake ones as Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis triplivervis) and Spear Grass (Stipa calamagrostis). As late fall aspect the European Michaelmas Daisy (Aster amellus ‘Veilchenkönigin’) was used.
The other planting at the square, the Pocket Woodland, needs however at least all this year too to turn really enjoyable. I’ll come back to this place as soon as I have pictures to show.
Stipa calamagrostis or Achnatherum calamagrostis
