Three years ago, I decided to redesign this bed by simplifying it as much as possible. I wanted a bed that wasn't too colourful, quite graphic, lush, and wild, without veering into anything too exotic.
Hosta, Hakonechloa and Astrance in mix
I initially chose Hakonechloa macra. I had large mother clumps planted not far away, so it was easy to transplant and divide them. From 7 large clumps, I made a good dozen, planted quite randomly, sometimes leaving large spaces between some, thus covering the middle and the edge of the bed. I love the movement of this grass; when grown freely, it forms hemispherical clumps, while when planted at the edge and lacking space to spread, the leaves arch and take on a wave-like movement. Very inspiring, this grass served as the base, the structure for arranging this bed, bringing the wild, graphic, and lush aspect all on its own.
To add contrast and enhance the lushness, I then divided a few Hostas 'Frosted Jade', large enough not to be "overwhelmed" by the hakonechloas but not too large to suffocate them. Here, I planted 6 clumps, also distributed randomly but mainly from the middle towards the back of the bed. Next, to create a sharp edge, dress the border, and ensure the transition between the middle and the edge of the bed, I planted Mukdenia 'Karasuba'. I really like this groundcover with palmate foliage; in autumn, the leaves turn red, adding a pop of colour to the bed.
Finally, I needed a large perennial or a small bush to anchor the bed. Not wanting to add more contrast and wanting to accentuate the wild and lush aspect while staying within a green-white colour scheme, I opted for Astrance 'Star of Billion', which is undoubtedly one of my favourites along with Astrantia maxima. This very floriferous variety bears small, natural white-green flowers. They bloom from June until the first frosts, ensuring a display for 6 months of the year.
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