The Influence of Great Dixter

For many years, I have been influenced by the research and teachings at Great Dixter, a garden in the south of England that is being managed by Fergus Garrett. Mr. Garrett has phased out pesticides and artificial fertilizers. Like many European gardens, it has a relaxed attitude to rotting twigs and weeds which provide a habitat for a diverse array of species. Yet, it’s the sheer density of ornamental plantings that is the key to a biodiverse and healthy ecosystem in a landscape.

Here are two examples of gardens where the owners phased out pesticides and most fertilizer, and have allowed the spent booms and foliage to rot tucked away in a secluded spot. The rotting plant material feeds all kinds of organisms while providing constant nourishment to the soil. The plantings with masses of perennial daisies, rudbeckia, phlox and daylilies were enhanced by self-seeding annuals of cleome, poppies and verbenas.

This small public traffic island garden and front yard garden demonstrates that gardening can be both aesthetically satisfying and environmentally beneficial.

This is the kind of garden state I want to see flourish everywhere. Areas anywhere can be transformed from rundown, lifeless and even, environmentally damaging to luminous, cooling, life-giving, and yes, even beautiful.