3: As blocks: mixed herbaceous planting with blocks of Stipa tenuissima
Repeating blocks of clipped evergreens along the length of a herbaceous border is a long-established device used to bring structure and cohesion to schemes dominated by perennials. In this private garden designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole, however, the role of the evergreen has been subverted and, in a contemporary twist, replaced with blocks of stipa. In contrast to the static evergreens, the stipa introduces dynamism and a lightness of touch to the planting as the stems whip about in the wind. In spite of the relaxed feeling they bring to the scheme, the grasses are rooted to the spot in blocks along the length of the planting and so fulfil their role as structural punctuation perfectly.
