Swedish plantsman Peter Korn is a pioneer of growing in sand, and his glorious new garden near Malm\u00f6 is testament to its success. Words Jonny Bruce, photographs Claire Takacs <\/p>

Eight years ago, Peter Korn and Julia Andersson moved to their current house in southern Sweden, where they have created not only a beautiful home but also\na nursery, Klinta Tr\u00e4dg\u00e5rd, that provides plants for their numerous public planting projects. These commissions, as with much of their home garden, are planted in pure sand, and Peter has become well known as a pioneer of this approach<\/a>, which offers a range of benefits such as less watering<\/a>, staking<\/a> and weeding. \u201cThink of a hot sandy beach,\u201d says Peter. \u201cThe surface can be so hot that you can\u2019t walk on it, but dig in your toes and a few centimetres down it is always cool and moist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plants access this limited moisture by producing larger root networks and although there is an abundance of mycorrhizae in sand, the relative lack of available nutrients means that plants don\u2019t grow as lushly \u2013 hence less need for staking. Helianthus salicifolius<\/em><\/a>, for example, gets so tall on regular soil<\/a> that it inevitably flops, whereas in sand it remains erect at a more manageable two metres high. This slower \u2013 but harder growth \u2013 means short-lived plants often persist for years, and in many cases plants literally develop \u2018a thicker skin\u2019 meaning they are less susceptible to pests such as aphids<\/a> and in turn the diseases that are spread through these pests.<\/p>\n
$\""Peter\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
However, plants first grown in conventional potting compost<\/a> often struggle to establish in sand. As Peter and Julia\u2019s number of public commissions increased, they needed more sand-grown plants, which wouldn\u2019t suffer this \u2018transplant shock\u2019. This was a primary reason for moving to Klinta. The nursery and garden work together symbiotically, with the various borders acting as a source of propagation material for the nursery, and the nursery returning a steady stream of plants for expansion or rejuvenation. As Peter explains, \u201cthe nursery allows the garden to exist\u201d.<\/p>\n
$\""Peter\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Claire Takacs<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAlmost all of the sand beds are mounded. This creates microclimates<\/a> in which Peter can site plants with specific growing requirements. Many species were collected by his brother in Asia, while the yellow achillea on the left is a diminutive Balkan species, probably Achillea coarctata<\/em>, given to Peter by the renowned French nurseryman Olivier Filippi.<\/a><\/p>\n
$\""Peter\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Claire Takacs<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nThe delicate interplay of perennials<\/a> within a matrix of grasses, predominantly varieties of Stipa<\/em>, is clear to see, with the light-blue spires of Delphinium<\/em> \u2018Morgentau\u2019 standing out against the trunk of a magnificent beech tree. Peter and Julia have no concerns about mixing cultivated and wild plants, creating an accentuated naturalism generous in its diversity<\/a> and busy with life.<\/p>\n
$\""Peter\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Claire Takacs<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nOn this steep-banked sand bed, pale candelabras of Echium italicum<\/em> and white umbels of Athamanta vestita<\/em> pop up throughout the planting with Eryngium<\/a> alpinum<\/em> and spires of Verbascum<\/a>. These spires provide vertical contrast to the orange buttons of Cota tinctoria<\/em> subsp. sancti-johannis<\/em>, while the pale-mauve of Salvia<\/a> hypargeia<\/em> complements the deep blue of Lallemantia canescens<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
$\""Peter\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Claire Takacs<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
A generous swathe of metallic blue Eryngium<\/em> x zabelii<\/em> \u2018Big Blue\u2019 runs through the planting under the eccentric limbs of an old apple tree. Self-seeded Valeriana officinalis<\/em> and Echium vulgare<\/em> insinuate themselves between the perennials, including a large group of Achillea filipendulina<\/em>, their flat, yellow heads contrasting with the white globes of Allium stipitatum<\/em> \u2018Mount Everest\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u00a0In brief<\/strong> What<\/strong> Private garden and nursery of Peter Korn and Julia Andersson. Where<\/strong> Sweden. Size<\/strong> Three-and-half acres. Soil<\/strong> Sand beds over alkaline soil. Climate<\/strong> Cold and windy winters with mild summers and light to moderate rainfall. Hardiness zone<\/strong> USDA 7a.<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
\u00a0<\/p>\n
$\""Peter\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> \u00a9 Claire Takacs<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nA haze of gauzy Stipa gigantea<\/em> hovers above acid-yellow Euphorbia. In the foreground, the dancing seedheads<\/a> of Stipa pulcherrima<\/em> are cut through by\nstiff purple spikes of Salvia nemorosa<\/em> \u2018Caradonna\u2019 and the slightly longer and looser stems of Salvia dumetorum<\/em>. At the very front of the border are the papery, blue flowerheads of Catananche caerulea<\/em> hold their own against competition from dark-pink dots of Dianthus cruentus<\/em>.<\/p>\n
$\""Peter\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Claire Takacs<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
The cool palette of silver and purple from Stachys byzantina<\/em>, Salvia dumetorum<\/em> and the pale plumes of Stipa are lifted by the yellows of Euphorbia, Anthemis and Verbascum, while shots of intense colour are provided by Dianthus cruentus<\/em> over a base note of blue from Eryngium<\/em> x zabelii<\/em> \u2018Big Blue\u2019 and Catananche caerulea.<\/em><\/p>\n
$\""Peter\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> \u00a9 Claire Takacs<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Corten-steel raised beds reveal the surprising depth (40cm) of Peter\u2019s various experiments in rooftop gardening. Each bed uses a different substrate mix and formation of structures to provide crevice habitats or deeper pockets of substrate for a tailored assortment of species. These beds need to be lightweight, so he uses a varying ratio of Leca clay balls, pumice, lava, sand and biochar.<\/p>\n
Choosing species that are naturally adapted to arid climates<\/a>, combined with the in-built toughness of sand-grown plants, allows for diverse communities, which provide visual interest but also, crucially, habitat and forage for wildlife. It is the love of biodiversity, more than anything, that drives this gardening pair.<\/p>\n
Peter remembers a time when he had to stop every hour to scrape insects off the windshield and headlights when driving at night. \u201cToday you can drive for a thousand miles and not have to stop once,\u201d he says. At Klinta, Peter and Julia encourage every type of plant and are working with entomologists and ecologists to record the diversity in the garden. In 2017, the couple initiated the Urban Growth Conference to promote ecologically driven design and they have recently purchased a nearby farm to create new habitats and to provide accommodation for more students. In the face of a rapidly changing climate and biodiversity crisis, Peter and Julia are wonderful examples of the positive contribution gardeners can make.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s more on gardening in a changing climate<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
The full version of this feature appeared in Gardens Illustrated<\/em> magazine. Subscribe here<\/a><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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