Neighbourhood Planting Project in Greater Oslo, Norway
Whenever I visited mum’s home in Norway, I noticed a sad looking planting bed between some of the residential blocks. A while ago, I asked her and her partner, why there was nothing there and suggested I could do a planting proposal for it.
I knew that the neighbourhood board had allocated some funds for outdoor planting, so I spent some of my free time back in London making a planting proposal. It included a sketch, some sections, and a planting palette. I sent it to the neighbourhood board in an email. They had a meeting about it, and I got the news, they wanted me to buy the plants, and plant them myself. And so, the project started!
For students in their placement year, I recommend working for a practice that has a practical approach.
Elise Ingrid Aure
Landscape Architecture MLA
The day after I finished my placement year in London, I flew back to Norway. Being only a couple of months away from fifth year, I felt very distanced from working with plants; actually touching plants and working with the soil. I also felt that I was lacking in practical gardening experience.
Once I got to the garden centre, I realised I had underestimated the density of certain plants and some of the plants I had chose were unavailable. So, I ended up having to improvise quite a lot!
I worked on the planting project on and off for about two weeks in June 2023. Some days were pouring down. Other days, the temperature reached a scorching 31 degrees. Although not ideal for planting, I made it work and also found help with the watering.
The neighbourhood board had few requirements: they wanted a design that looked good all year around. In Norway, the all-time favourite plant is Thjua occidentalis, which is an upright, columnar conifer. For most people, it is a cheap and easy option, looks good and is hard to kill. Although there is nothing wrong with it, I avoided it and instead included a Thuja plicata 'Whipcord'. I am hoping this funky looking choice — which looks a bit like a grass, but is still a conifer — will show another side to the favourite genus.
I chose mainly sensory species, making sure they were all non-toxic. The smell of Pinus mugo var. pumilio reminds me of Norwegian mountains. Thymus vulgaris 'Compactus' is a pretty herb with purple flowers that is better known as thyme. Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet' feels good to touch. Many more species were chosen carefully to look, smell, and feel good.
When I had finished planting, I decided that I would make labels for each plant and wrote the plant’s name in both Latin and Norwegian. I hope the labels will inspire the neighbours to get to know some new plants. Once people are aware of what plants they are, they might start gaining a sense of ownership of the planting bed. If they want to contribute with maintenance of the bed, they can google the name. They can learn the qualities of the plant and how to get involved in caring for it.
The pictures show the bed, a week after planting. It is looking sparse now, but it will hopefully fill quickly.
All in all, it has been a great opportunity. The neighbourhood board got a planting proposal for less than a garden designer would charge, and I got all the practical experience I wanted!
As landscape architecture students, we are often distanced from gardening and horticulture. As a result, we lose touch of the soil in which we design for. For students in their placement year, I recommend working for a practice that has a practical approach. You could also send out emails or ask friends or family if they need gardening help, or check with your neighbours. You could charge a small sum for a planting proposal, chances are, many people might want some help with this, especially in the summer months!
I am looking forward to the next time I go to my mum’s home, to see how the planting bed will develop. Her favourite is Achillea ‘Cloth of Gold’, and hopefully we will get to see it flower this year. If not, next summer isn’t too far away! I have already received compliments from neighbours who like the initiative and who are excited to see the development. Hopefully the bed will interest and help to bring the neighbours together.