A bit of adventure and recreation, new impressions and relaxation at the same time: this is what the perfect vacation looks like – a vacation that you can experience every day in a natural garden. The restrictions in the corona period in particular provide an opportunity to turn the garden into a near-natural garden.
"The natural garden is less work", says katinka uebel. The forchheim native is a trained gardener and not only provides on-site advice on garden design, but was also a source of advice for interested parties at her garden regulars’ table outside corona.
In a natural garden, there is no need to mow every week, no need to fertilize and no need to scarify. If the plants are planted in the right location, there is no need to chase after the work. One can observe, learn new things and collect impressions. "It is a very lively garden with a plethora of plants and animals to discover and observe", explains uebel.
"All the senses are addressed", says the gardener about the many different colors, shapes and smells that a natural garden offers. Above all, this kind of garden is an oasis that doesn’t look the same every year, as the plants grow out and then bleed in a completely different place. And this is already one of the most important points for a natural garden: the courage to allow the plants to grow out themselves.
The columbine is one such example of a plant that does not thrive in many gardens. But when it bleeds, people are quick with the scissors. "It is often cut off before seeding", says uebel. But the columbine does not grow very old. If it is not allowed to seed, it disappears from the garden altogether.
Another peculiarity of garden lovers is to immediately scratch the soil when something new sprouts from the ground. "But the important thing is to see what germinates and what kind of plant it becomes", uebel explains why it is better to wait and see.
But how do you design a natural garden?? "The first thing you look at is what’s already there. What is worth preserving", mentions the considerations that every garden owner should make to make the garden a diverse, colorful oasis.
Also ornamental garden remodel
Katinka uebel is not a fan of rubbing everything out. Also the ornamental garden could be redesigned bit by bit. Therefore, she advises to start slowly with a small area, which at the same time promises a quick sense of achievement. The next question that the garden owner must ask himself is: what are the needs that are to be met by the garden?? If there are small children, the natural garden must look different. "Children need a flat surface to romp on, explains uebel.
But it is not only because of the children that it is important to do without poison of any kind immediately. One should switch to peat-free soil when repotting. For a garden close to nature, the perspective must be changed. "The garden is not a living room, it does not need to be tidied up. You also have to leave something behind once in a while", says uebel. That would be, for example, the foliage at the hedge in autumn. "Good soil is forming", declares uebel. Even small piles of branches that are offered to animals as shelter or winter quarters can become ornaments if they are designed. A pile of rice dough or a coarse rootstock becomes attractive if you plant ferns or red carnations at the base of the pile," says the 50-year-old from forchheim.
Shaping corners differently
Since the ground conditions are never the same on a site, it makes sense to design different corners. A raised bed with drainage layer, various plants in pots with a lean soil or sedum plants with a rather sandy subsoil. The natternkopf thrives in a lean soil, but also in a loamy one. Only there it becomes twice as rough. You just have to try and dare. Even against neophytes, which some gardeners rigorously reject, katinka uebel has no objections. She dislikes the classification into good or bad plants. In her own garden paradise, for example, there may be a small patch where goldenrod grows. "It is an excellent insect plant and already in bunches", says uebel. A natural garden blooms all year round and has no bare spots.