Minimizing water usage and reduced upkeep – Peter Korn's groundbreaking nursery and garden in Malmö specializes in growing hardy plants in sand.
Peter Korn and Julia Andersson's Klinta Trädgård: A Haven for Biodiversity in Southern Sweden
Peter Korn and Julia Andersson, renowned horticulturists, have created a unique garden and nursery in southern Sweden, named Klinta Trädgård. Spanning three-and-half acres, this haven is a symbiotic blend of nursery and garden, where the various borders serve as a source of propagation material for the nursery, and the nursery returns a steady stream of plants for expansion or rejuvenation.
Located in a region with a USDA hardiness zone of 7a, the garden boasts a diverse range of plants, with a focus on species adapted to arid climates. The climate in this region is characterized by cold and windy winters, mild summers, and light to moderate rainfall.
Stepping into the garden, one is greeted by a kaleidoscope of colours. Catananche caerulea offers a burst of blue with its flowerheads, while Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' stands tall with its stiff purple spikes. A generous swathe of metallic blue Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue' runs through the planting under the eccentric limbs of an old apple tree. The cool palette of silver and purple from Stachys byzantina, Salvia dumetorum, and Stipa is lifted by the yellows of Euphorbia, Anthemis, and Verbascum.
The garden features a diverse interplay of perennials within a matrix of grasses. Examples include Delphinium 'Morgentau', Echium italicum, Athamanta vestita, Eryngium alpinum, Salvia hypargeia, and Lallemantia canescens. Helianthus salicifolius, which gets so tall on regular soil that it inevitably flops, remains erect at a more manageable two metres high in the sandy soil.
Peter Korn is known for his pioneering approach of planting in pure sand, offering benefits such as less watering and less need for staking. The soil in the garden is sand beds over alkaline soil. Peter uses a varying ratio of Leca clay balls, pumice, lava, sand, and biochar in the raised beds.
Self-seeded Valeriana officinalis and Echium vulgare can be found insinuating themselves between the perennials. Stipa gigantea hovers above acid-yellow Euphorbia in the garden. Many species in the garden were collected by Peter's brother in Asia.
Peter and Julia are not only horticulturists but also environmental advocates. They are working with entomologists and ecologists to record the diversity in their garden. Currently, Dr. Maria Svensson and Dr. Lars Eriksson are among those collaborating with them. In 2017, they initiated the Urban Growth Conference to promote ecologically driven design.
Recently, Peter and Julia purchased a nearby farm to create new habitats and provide accommodation for more students. Their commitment to biodiversity and ecologically friendly gardening practices makes them examples of the positive contribution gardeners can make in the face of a rapidly changing climate and biodiversity crisis.
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