Blackbox Gardening – the creative idea with big surprise effects

Are you more of a spontaneous type? Do you enjoy surprises and dynamism playing a role in your life? And do you love your garden? Then Blackbox Gardening is definitely worth considering!

It is fundamentally different from highly planned gardening, where no plant decides for itself where it would prefer to live. The philosophy of this gardening approach is to make nature an equal partner. The goal is not to dominate nature but to engage with it meaningfully, without losing control. The result is a blend of consciously placed accents and a cornucopia of random outcomes that continually delight and surprise the observer.

Naturally, at the beginning, one has an idea of what should bloom and thrive in the garden. However, you don't plant a variety of plants in precisely predetermined spots. Instead, you select a few plants that you grow from seeds. Alternatively, or in combination, you choose initial perennials to plant. Then, you wait and observe where the offspring of the botanical pioneers decide to take root. You support them by improving the soil or, over time, remove individual specimens if it becomes too crowded. This way, uncontrolled growth is avoided. In terms of design, you also influence the garden by adding other plants. Thus, you continually intervene in the free play of forces, regulating them as needed.

The meeting of short-lived and long-lived plants creates incredible effects over time. Some species suddenly bloom very intensely and persistently, while others reappear after being absent for a long time and almost forgotten. Then there are the many hybrids, which are only created by nature's creativity. As a result, a new picture is constantly forming. This surprise is always positive because one has consciously freed oneself from the idea of a pedantic arrangement, defined by clearly delineated flowerbeds with neatly trimmed plant residents.

At the beginning, it makes sense to specify long-lived perennials as initiation planting. The lady's mantle is a good example. In principle, plants that spread generatively are suitable. This means that propagation occurs through seeds and not from individual plant parts. Highly cultivated, sensitive plants are not suitable. The Blackbox is the ideal means for those who appreciate unrestrained and natural beauty.

There are plenty of uncomplicated perennials for the Blackbox. Sunny spots are loved by yarrow and ornamental garlic, as well as by dog chamomile and grass lilies. Additionally, hare's ear, meadow geranium, and ryegrass are excellent candidates for this innovative gardening method. Sage, chervil, and wormwood are just a few more options among many others.

In half or full shade, for example, winter aconite and snowdrops, night violet and nettle-leaved bellflower, Christmas rose, lungwort, and spurge are ideal. The horned poppy effectively adds color and form to the cheerful sprouting.

For those who prefer a flower bed, the centuries-old orache, the peach-leaved bellflower, and the red foxglove are great choices. The columbine, which alone creates a romantic atmosphere and a beautiful play of colors, always looks stunning in between. Also, coneflowers and mulleins love to mix in as magnificent combination elements, adding to the creative impulses.

Even dry stone walls and gravel beds are candidates for a different kind of natural experience. The large snapdragon, woman’s tongue, and sedums turn out to be wonderful helpers to get started.

Blackbox gardening is absolutely suitable for beginners, and it’s a great idea for specific areas of gardens. It ignites an experimental zone where you actively experience the life phases of your plants. From sowing to growing, germination, blooming, and seed formation, the observation brings both enjoyment and learning. When a new plant starts growing elsewhere and begins its own cycle, the gardener finds fulfillment as well.