Joint enterprise

Garden enthusiasts Angelika and Peter Funke have created a garden of exquisite beauty that belies their lack of formal training. Both admit that gardening is simply a hobby and that all they’ve learned has been through books, visits and trial and error. Looking at the couple’s plot, it’s no surprise to learn that they have drawn inspiration from some classic gardens of the New Perennial movement: the Oudolf Field at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Sussex Prairie Garden and Le Jardin Plume in Normandy. The Funkes describe their garden as a staudenwiese or perennial meadow – another obvious clue to their stylistic leaning.

Like Piet Oudolf, Angelika and Peter take their cue from the natural world. “We want to use grasses and perennials to create an intense meadow experience – similar to the dynamic and natural look of a wild meadow with insects buzzing around everywhere.”

In 2018, the couple started planting on a large plot of arable land surrounding their home, around 25 miles east of the southern German city of Stuttgart. Each year, they planned several beds. The latest dates from spring 2022 and already looks mature. Everything blends seamlessly with the surrounding orchards and the gentle hills that characterise this part of the Swabian Alps.

The garden is now home to 40 different grasses and 200 perennials – more than 5,000 individual plants. It’s a rich, tapestry-like experience designed to offer something different but equally as beguiling in every season, even winter. The plants work hard to earn their place in this year-long spectacle.

Not only must they look good, they also have to withstand unforgiving conditions. “In summer, the garden is very sunny and can be dry for weeks. In winter, it’s very humid,” explains Peter. “We look for plants that are stable and robust and avoid any perennials that are prone to slugs. T