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I am in the process of implementing a garden design inspired by Piet Oudolf's Serpentin Gallery, specifically tailored for a seasonal exhibition. While the primary goal of the garden plan is to create a stunning display during the exhibition, my additional aim is for the garden to maintain its attractiveness throughout the entire year. Will this garden look good in other seasons of the year? Would you recommend adding extra plants to this design, or is it good as it is?

My garden is in the Central European climate, where the annual precipitation is around 800ml.

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János
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Other than the Thalictrum, Siberian Iris and Peony, you have nothing blooming before late spring/early summer. In my US zone, you'd be green-and-mulch until early May, when the peony blooms, then green-and-mulch until late May/Early June (Iris) and mid-June (Thalictrum). Bloom time in your design is heavily favoring summer/late summer here, which is when I assume the seasonal exhibition is. Nothing wrong with that, of course, since that's your aim, but it will be pretty boring until then.

You could add bulbs (specifically crocus and species tulips) to get spring color into May, with the bulbs' foliage disappearing before the show starts, or annuals, of course. You could also consider the larger alliums like Purple Sensation (blooms early June here) or Allium christophii (blooms late May here), that go dormant yet leave an interesting flower stalk behind. The benefits of the bulbs is that they will perennialize, unlike the annuals, so no additional maintenance will be necessary for them, and you can dot them about your design pretty easily.

Jurp
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