While most of us are familiar with the English borders and cottage gardens, designing and planting by habitat is a continental European ecological approach to combining perennials. Consider the gardens of European designer Piet Oudolf and learn about this cutting-edge design concept that has widely influenced European gardens for many years, in this Berkshire Botanical Garden class to be held Saturday, January 21, from 10 – noon. Robust, low-maintenance plants are selected and grouped according to their ideal growing situation. Robert Herman, an American who managed one of the top European perennial plant nurseries, will explain the habitat concept and design strategy and feature gardens from some of the foremost European designers.
Robert Herman has over 30 years of experience as a professional horticulturist, almost 7 of which were spent in Europe as “Meister” for the Countess von Zeppelin Nursery in Germany. At the Missouri Botanical Garden he served in the horticulture and education departments and lead White Flower Farm in Litchfield, Connecticut as Director of Horticulture. He frequently lectures at plant conferences and botanical gardens in North America and Europe. His articles have appeared in American Nurseryman, Fine Gardening, the German magazine Garden and Landscape, and the Hardy Plant Society Journal in England. BBG member price $22, non-members $27, and you may register on-line at www.berkshirebotanical.org. Below is an image of the “Lady’s Mantle path” into the German nursery that Robert Herman managed for seven years.
