The Sussex Prairie Garden

As there is not a lot happening on the allotment at the moment I thought I show you some pictures from one of my recent garden visits.

The visit to Sussex Prairie Garden in September last year was certainly a highlight. It is a relatively new garden and has only opened to the public in 2009. Grasses and perennials are planted on a large scale, very colourful and all mixed together in a naturalistic style. There are small paths everywhere in the large borders leading you right in between the often towering plants which I liked a lot. In many gardens you can see a border just from one side but here you can immerse yourself between the plants. You can read more about the garden here.
 
Below are some pictures I took during my visit.

Grasses like Miscanthus and Panicum mix with perennials such as Sanguisorba, Echinacea and Salvia (below).

Here I have discovered the largest Dahlia flower I have ever seen (below).

Silphium terebinthinaceum and Actaea simplex (below)

There are many different asters in the garden, here you can see a purple Symphyotrichum novae-angliae with Eupatorium purpureum in the background (below).

Geranium 'Rozanne' with Deschampsia caespitosa (below)

Persicaria amplexicaulis (below)

Colourful annuals planted in-between the perennial plants such as Rudbeckia fulgida (below).

Rudbeckia triloba, a very pretty short-lived perennial plant, on my allotment unfortunately only annual (below).

Sanguisorba and Miscanthus (below). I tried growing Sanguisorba on my allotment but I think the soil is drying out too much in summer.

A very pretty perennial sunflower (Helianthus sp.), also very attractive to pollinators (below).

Rudbeckia fulgida and Echinacea purpurea, a colourful combination (below).

Autumn-flowering anemone with Rudbeckia fulgida (below).

Miscanthus with Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' (below)

I think the blue flower is  Strobilanthes wallichii, here growing with Persicaria (below).

Geranium 'Rozanne' growing with Nassella tenuissima and a pretty aster (below).

Purple Geranium and yellow Rudbeckia look pretty growing together (below).

Eryngium with Miscanthus and Echinacea purpurea (below)

Drone fly (Eristalis sp.) visiting Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (below).

Interesting work of art is scattered across the garden (below).

 A sea of Rudbeckia fulgida

My next blog post will hopefully feature some snowdrops and other spring flowers. The leaves are pushing through the soil already so it will soon look a bit more colourful on my allotment.