Ulla Nolden
About her Wildflower-Meadow-Magic
(English Version)
“Could gardens be testing sites for rethinking our relationship with nature and with each other?”
Ulla Nolden examines this question as an artist, designer and gardener.
In her project BISWEILEN - a collection of subtle and sensitive essays - Nolden recounts her own gardening experiences, her thoughts on influential and significant gardens, and how individual gardeners relate to their plants.
In 2017 she purchased a garden in the middle of Düsseldorf, Germany, which had been more or less ignored for 45 years. She has since transformed it into a magical wildflower meadow, an oasis of biodiversity.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA TO TRANSFORM YOUR WALLED GARDEN IN THE CITY CENTRE INTO A WILDFLOWER MEADOW?
The garden already had a certain magic because of the surrounding brick walls. But I was also immediately aware of the responsibility I have as a garden owner for the ecosystem in my garden, and for the insects, birds and other animals in the entire area. For me, this garden is above all an extremely valuable piece of nature between all of these buildings.
So I asked myself how I could strengthen the existing ecosystem and create the conditions for even more biodiversity. I immediately thought of a wildflower meadow, perhaps because the garden was already a meadow, albeit one without flowers. What certainly played into it was my awareness that wildflower meadows are among the most species-rich habitats.
Also, at the time, I had just visited Great Dixter again. There they have very beautiful and above all very species-rich flower meadows. I thought, "I'll try that", and started looking for information.
WERE THERE OTHER INSPIRATIONS OR GARDENS YOU HAD IN MIND? WHERE DID YOU GET THE INFORMATION TO START YOUR PROJECT?
One source of information was the book ‘Meadows at Great Dixter and Beyond’ by Christopher Lloyd, in the revised version with a foreword by Fergus Garrett. Of course, I also trawled the internet and I spoke to a friend who is an environmental biologist.
I didn’t really have an exact vision for what I was trying to do. At first my idea was to use the plant diversity I noticed along the road verges outside the city as a model. I collected seeds there but, in the end, did not dare to sow them.
My friend, the biologist, drew my attention to a German company (rieger-hofmann.de) which offers regional seed mixtures. You enter your postal code and get a seed selection tailored to this region. There are very specialised insects everywhere who depend on very specific regional plants. This made complete sense to me. I ordered from there and decided to throw the other seeds away.
YOU THREW THEM AWAY?
Yes, I didn't dare sow them. I feared that there might be an invasive species among them. For half of them, I didn't exactly know what they were. This is how it all became a very conventional approach, where you don't just take something from somewhere, but instead buy everything in a shop. Later I revised this. But first I thought: everything had to be »proper«.
IT IS ALSO A MATTER OF EXPERIENCE. BUT LATER YOU STILL USED WILD SEEDS, RIGHT?
I collected new seeds the following year and sowed them in the autumn. I did the same again last year. I dared to do this because by then I had a better idea of which plant was which. This was mainly due to the fact that I had completed horticultural training in the meantime (note: the theoretical part of the English gardeners’ training RHS Level 2). I also simply looked at all the plants, over and over again - at their flowers and leaves. And I slowly learned to identify most of them.
By the way, in my opinion, the concern about invasive plants is a bit exaggerated in this context. There are two or three plants which you really have to be careful about, e.g. Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) or giant hogweed. Actually, I regularly find giant hogweed in my garden. It grows in my neighbour’s garden and is actually a very beautiful plant.
IS THIS THE PLANT THAT CAN CAUSE BURNS ON HUMAN SKIN?
Exactly. When my friend, the biologist, came into my garden the first summer and said: »You have giant hogweed« I was surprised. Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) looks quite similar to the friendly native hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) when it is still a young plant. Then, they are really difficult to tell apart. However, if you wait too long, you won't be able to get those taproots out and the giant hogweed will produce around 20,000 seeds.
I just want to stress, there are plants which you have to be careful with. And in certain situations, plants can of course outcompete native species, but even ivy does that in my garden. If I don't keep it under control, all I’ll be left with will be ivy.
But with most plants it's not that you can't get rid of them, you simply pull them out. It's not like it's wild animals attacking you. One quickly perceives such plants as super menacing, although actually they are not. You just have to keep an eye on them.
That is what I consider my job as a gardener: to monitor whether a plant species is becoming too strong. Then I intervene. A garden can’t really be a fully independent ecosystem. Many regulating factors are missing and, as the gardener, I have to step in and compensate for them.
THAT IS YOUR – AS THEY SAY IN GERMAN – »PFLEGEAUFWAND« (MAINTENANCE QUOTA)?
»Pflegeaufwand« (laughs), yes, a very German word.
THOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE A DUTY TO PERFORM, THE »MAINTENANCE QUOTA« IS THE ACTUAL GARDENING, EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IN A GARDEN, THE JOY OF IT.
The word is probably an invention of German municipal administrators, very technical. I can understand that it makes sense where there is the pressure of staff costs. For me it's different, of course, the more gardening the better!
But I always try to hold back. I think many gardeners intervene too much. I sometimes get requests to advise on how to create or maintain a wildflower meadow. Recently I went to see people who had a meadow which had only recently been created, but which was already wonderfully diverse. However, they were terribly worried because they thought they should be intervening more. I told them, “Just leave it alone, wait and see and enjoy”. That's a big part of my approach. It takes a while for something to develop, and if you're constantly "cleaning up” that’s not very useful.
CAN YOU GIVE A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE PROCESS OF CREATING YOUR WILDFLOWER MEADOW? IN THE BEGINNING YOU REMOVED THE OLD GRASS.
I had read that the soil should be impoverished as much as possible - the fewer nutrients in the soil, the higher the diversity of plant species. There are different methods to achieve this. Removing the topsoil - that is, the fertile layer of soil together with the dense turf - is the most radical, but also the one promising the quickest result. In other words, “all new“. That was what I decided to do: buy seeds and start from scratch.
So I cleared away all the grass with the help of two friends. It was an insane amount of work, I wouldn’t recommend it. Somehow it then felt wrong to remove a lot of the good, crumbly soil. That's why I left it on, which unfortunately was a mistake. I should have been far more radical, preferably also adding sand or what is now popular, crushed concrete waste, to reduce the soil’s fertility further. But I didn't do that. I thought the soil was already poor in nutrients, because a few centimetres below the surface most of it is rubble from the second world war. I have now understood that this does not mean the soil is particularly infertile.
The seeds I then sowed germinated well. In the first year, however, one shouldn't expect too much visually. Perennials take a while to establish. There is a fundamental difference between this classic wildflower meadow which is perennial, ideally hundreds of years old, and what is often found labeled 'wildflower meadow seeds’ next to garden centre checkouts . This tends to be a mixture of cornfield annuals, such as poppies and cornflowers - a completely different concept.
So, during the first year my meadow wasn't particularly impressive, but it still looked nice. There was already a clear variety in foliage and here and there a few flowers.
Then, in the second year, it was breathtaking. I was completely amazed and surprised when the meadow grew to hip-height. This was because so many wild carrots had germinated. It was really impressive and yet I thought, “It’s just wild carrot, this can't be right”.
One really doesn't know what a wildflower meadow should look like. I thought it had to look more like in a picture book. So it was good that my friend, the biologist, came and drew my attention to how much diversity was already there.
THAT IS SOMETHING I MADE A NOTE OF, THAT SHE AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGIST, COULD SEE AND APPRECIATE MUCH MORE, AT A TIME WHEN YOU STILL HAD DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER YOU HAD CONTRIBUTED TO BIODIVERSITY.
THIS SHOWS HOW MUCH IT HAS TO DO WITH »LEARNING TO SEE«. DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR OWN PERCEPTION HAS CHANGED?
Yes, extremely. Now I’m able to notice almost as much as she does. Recently I visited friends in their new country house in France. They asked me how they could turn their large lawn into a wildflower meadow. I said, "All you have to do is stop mowing" because on close inspection the 'lawn' already consisted of a wide range of wildflowers. My friends had not noticed this.
There is research, by the way, that something like ‘plant blindness’ exists. One does not actually perceive plants if one doesn’t know them. When I'm not at home, for example, and I sometimes ask my neighbours to send me photographs of my wildflower meadow and funny things come back. It becomes clear that they don't see what the wildflower meadow is because it doesn't look like the ones in picture books. Once I received an image of three irises – which of course were not part of the wildflower meadow.
Identification has a lot to do with knowing the name. Once you have learned it, you will recognise the plant. The whole thing is a process in which a certain perception, a changed perception, develops.
I find this very interesting. It is precisely this shift in aesthetics which we need, I think.
I'm currently working on a photographic series which is connected to this (can be viewed on Instagram at @ullanolden; the BISWEILEN project can be found at @bisweilen_). Under the title 'Unintentional Gardens’ I capture urban weeds in the same way I would photograph plants in a glamorous garden. And suddenly you see how beautiful these plants actually are and how arbitrary our aesthetic values are.
It is a way of perceiving plants and nature differently and thereby also perceiving ourselves differently in relation to plants. I think it's important that a form of respect develops, that we don't enforce an aesthetic with violence just because we learned it that way.
I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT PEOPLE FIND IT EASIER WHEN THEY SEE PRACTICAL BENEFITS IN THE PLANT. WHEN YOU SAY “YOU CAN PUT PLANTAIN ON WOUNDS OR EAT IT” PEOPLE MAY FIND IT EASIER TO REMEMBER THE PLANT. THAT’S MAYBE WHY TOMATOES AND CHILLIES ARE POPULAR BEGINNER PLANTS, BECAUSE YOU CAN EAT THEM. BUT WHEN IT BECOMES MORE ABSTRACT, PEOPLE MAY FIND IT MORE DIFFICULT TO RELATE TO THE PLANTS.
I believe the “edible” thing is something very German. Or perhaps, not necessarily German, just not particularly English. It occurred to me recently that this might be because in Germany, we have a completely different history and therefore a different horticultural tradition than in England. We haven't had centuries of peace. Raiding armies kept passing through, which of course wasn't beneficial to horticulure. Besides, we haven’t had this stable class system which the English had.
There are advantages to that, huge ones, but when it comes to gardens, it means we didn't have a social class which for centuries was at leisure to focus on the beautiful. I think this is the main reason why in England it became much more customary to enjoy plants purely from an aesthetic point of view. And this applies to people of all backgrounds. In Germany, it seems more like something practical has to be included, otherwise, it quickly feels too frivolous.
AND THAT IT SHOULDN’T BE TOO MUCH WORK
Exactly. But that’s the case in England too.
IN THIS CONTEXT, I WAS AMUSED BY YOUR DESCRIPTION OF YOUR FAILED ATTEMPT TO BUY A TURF-LIFTING TOOL IN GERMANY, WHICH HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED TO YOU IN ENGLAND.
THIS IS A GOOD INDICATOR OF THE DIFFERENT IMPORTANCE GARDENING HAS IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. IN ENGLAND, IT IS PART OF LIFE THROUGHOUT ALL SOCIAL CLASSES AND IN GERMANY CERTAIN TOOLS DON'T EVEN EXIST.
That's definitely the case. I think that the level of horticultural knowledge is generally higher in England. People know a lot more plants. The difference is obvious everywhere, even in the front gardens of a random street. Gardening has a huge cultural relevance. I always say that the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) is as powerful in England as the ADAC (German Motorists' Association) is in Germany.
But I feel that things are changing. There is a surge of interest in gardening in Germany, especially with a view to benefiting nature. I get the impression that, in this respect, the Germans are ahead of the English. In my opinion, ecology has more weight in Germany. In England, aesthetics are more important. I'm very excited to see how this will develop.
Turf-lifting tool.
BACK TO YOUR MEADOW ONCE AGAIN. DO YOU HAVE FAVOURITE WILDFLOWERS?
Daucus carota, the wild carrot, wasn’t really a plant I knew until I created this meadow. I knew roughly that the carrot was a biennial. But when do you see a flowering carrot? This tends to be the thing you want to avoid. Daucus carota forms umbels with many small, white flowers and in the middle there is a dark red one. This gives passing insects the impression that another insect is already there and company makes every location more attractive. In summer there are many white umbellifers which look similar, but the simulated insect makes it easy to distinguish the wild carrot.
Then, of course I have to mention yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor). It is very, very important for every meadow. This doesn't seem to be well known in Germany. I've noticed that several of the people I helped with their meadows hadn’t heard of yellow rattle. Do you know it?
A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE JARDIN PLUME IN NORMANDY MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE A PLANT IN THEIR TALL GRASS TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL. I DIDN’T KNOW THE NAME, THIS I LEARNED FROM YOU.
Yellow rattle is semi-parasitic, meaning it does some photosynthesis, but gets the rest of its energy from grasses which it weakens in the process. Grass is very strong. In our region, it prevails over many plants. That is why yellow rattle is so important for biodiversity.
The seed needs winter cold to germinate. When I sowed the meadow in April, it was clear that this species would not grow. If I had thought of it, I might have put the seeds in the fridge for a while, but I didn't. That’s why I bought more seeds in the autumn.
Yellow rattle is an annual plant and you always have to make sure that it can self-seed. This is why gaps in the layer of vegetation, small patches of exposed soil are so important. On grazed meadows the animals take care of this with their hooves, in the garden you have to do it yourself.
But to get back to your question, I don't actually have any favourites among the flowers in my meadow, the more different ones the better!
Wild carrot (Daucus carota), photo Ⓒ Ulla Nolden
ARE MANY OTHER PLANTS BROUGHT IN BY BIRDS OR BY THE WIND?
Certainly. I sometimes don't know if a plant was in my seed mix or if it came via a different route. While I have a list of the seeds I sowed, some also may not have germinated and the same species may have arrived later without my doing.
In general, I'm happy about all of them. Many of the plants in my meadow are commonly considered weeds. My policy is: everything which manages to grow is welcome.
I just don't want any species to permanently dominate the meadow. So I pull out the ivy and make sure the brambles don't spread too much. In the neighbouring garden, there is a sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) which seeds unbelievably. Last year I pulled out at least ten seedlings per square meter. If you don't do that, you'll eventually have a forest.
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT GARDENING, OR TAKING CARE OF PLANTS, CAN CHANGE A PERSON, IN THAT IT HELPS YOU HANDLE THE GENERAL UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE BETTER. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE THE CYCLES OF NATURE, LIVE THROUGH THEM AND WITNESS THEM, IT CHANGES SOMETHING IN YOU. IT CAN GIVE CONSOLATION, BE HELPFUL IN MANY WAYS AND LET A CONNECTION GROW IN ONESELF.
WOULD YOU AGREE? DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR GARDEN EXPERIMENT CHANGED SOMETHING INSIDE YOU, EVEN OUTSIDE THE GARDEN, IN RELATION TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD?
Definitely. There are scientific studies showing how humans have a basic need for contact with plants – biophilia – and that it is psychologically beneficial for us to see something grow and to experience plants with all our senses.
One of the reasons why I started my BISWEILEN project was that plants helped me through a personal crisis. I've always found it healing to be among plants, and I still feel this way. For me, this doesn't just apply to gardens. Before I had a garden, I would tend my many houseplants or I would go to the garden center and just look at plants.
I think gardening has a subtle but meaningful impact on the rest of our lives. You need a certain respect as a gardener because you have great power over plants and every gardener knows how quickly plants can die.
I believe that when you engage with plants and consider their needs, you automatically extend that aspect of care and respect to the rest of the world. I think that's something our world needs - just being nicer to each other. This sounds a bit esoteric, but it's not meant to be. The thing about ‘being nice’ also applies to plants, of course. We simply cannot live without plants. This is something we frequently forget.
THANK YOU FOR THE INTERVIEW!
Photographs Ⓒ Ulla Nolden
The text has been translated from German.
Links
On her website bisweilen.com, Ulla Nolden tells the whole story of her magical wildflower meadow in three essays. From the first moment she saw the garden, through all the decisions and doubts which accompanied her process, to the year of the first explosion of biodiversity.
Part 1: How I found my own garden
Part 2: Attempting to create diversity
Part 3: Wildflower-Meadow-Magic
Über ihre Sammlertätigkeit an den Straßenrändern und was aus den Samen wurde, kann man in ihrem Essay »Worthless Seeds« in dem Magazin The Young Propagators Society, Issue 8. April 2022 lesen.
You can read about her roadside seed gathering in Ulla’s essay "Worthless Seeds" in the magazine The Young Propagators Society, Issue 8. April 2022.
You can also read more subtle and beautifully written essays about her thoughts and observations on our relationship with plants on her website bisweilen.com.
I was particularly intrigued by the fine observations Ulla makes in her essay »Tending a vision« about a garden tour of Japan.