Garden visit: Autumn in Mette’s romantic garden

In this outdoor space, natural, wild, and free beauty is cultivated rather than formal, rigid lines. Especially in the main bed outside the greenhouse, colors, shapes, and heights are mixed into a charming and beautiful sea of flowers with a casual, effortless look. Many of the plants have self-seeded and choose for themselves where they want to grow.

Warm autumn colors have spread through Mette’s densely planted flower beds and pots. This is the time to pick the lushest bouquets!

“The look becomes wilder and lusher the further into autumn we get. I almost enjoy this last bonus bloom at the end of the season as much as the first blooms in spring,” says Mette.

She trims faded flowers and leaves for as long as possible so the plants bloom again and continue to bring life and freshness to the beds. Several of the blueberry bushes have turned a stunning red now, and the late-summer queens have finally started their magical flower show. The hydrangeas have darkened from white to pink—a look that pairs beautifully with the warm colors of the lower-growing October daisy, purple coneflower, burgundy sedum, and majestic Joe-Pye weed. Many of the roses are now in their second flowering of the season.

One of the garden’s many seating areas. This one is in the lush woodland part of the garden, an area inspired by the forest. Here too, the plants spill over and into each other, giving the impression that they were created by a happy accident.

At the end of a long pergola is this beautiful seating area. The table is decorated with chestnuts and autumn leaves. It’s a perfect spot to enjoy a warm cup of coffee in the autumn sun.

One of the family’s new favorite spots in the garden is at the end of the new, long pergola that was installed this summer—dreamed of and planned by Mette and built by Geir. The eye is naturally drawn to the cozy seating area at the end when walking through, creating an exciting sightline. The pergola is framed by lush beds on both sides, and an apple tree stretches over it with ripe, reddening apples on its heavy branches. The pear tree is also full of fruit now, and the bushes are laden with sweet blueberries and blackberries.

“The kids’ lunchboxes are filled with apple and pear slices, and we often eat berries straight from the bushes. We also freeze a lot to use for cake decoration and smoothies during the winter months, which is perfect to have ready for a busy family like ours.”

The garden’s blueberry plants are full of blue treasures.

In a hidden corner of the garden, Mette has created a sensory garden, a place where sound, scent, and visual elements come together. It’s a spot to retreat to when you need to unwind and simply be.

At the back of the garden, the chime of a wind chime and the trickle of water can be heard. Here, under a beautiful pergola, Mette has created a stunning sensory garden—a kind of secret, tucked-away space where sound, scent, and visual elements come together, a place for some personal time.

Mirrors and the sound of a wind chime are combined in Mette’s sensory garden.

“You can come here when you need to retreat, unwind, and just be for a while. It feels safe and cozy to sit on the sofa surrounded by greenery on all sides,” she says.

Round mirrors in various sizes highlight the plants from different angles and scatter the sunlight, making it dance and create different patterns. The hydrangea `Vanille Fraise´ smells wonderful, especially on quiet, peaceful evenings. Earlier in the season, the climbing honeysuckle is also a fragrance powerhouse here. Soft sheepskins, cushions, and throws on the sofa add warmth and comfort.

In a large green pot, a small fountain provides the soothing sound of trickling water. It’s made by placing a pump with a fountain head inside. Hydrangea leaves float beautifully on the water’s surface. A wind chime rings when the breeze blows, helping to relax and enjoy the moment. As dusk falls, the solar lamps in the ceiling turn on, creating a magical atmosphere. Mette also likes to light candles.

“It’s good for the soul to sit here with a warm cup of tea. I can really disconnect from work and everything else that needs to be done. The large mirror also lets me see the plants from inside the house, including what’s blooming along the house. I often take a stroll in the garden after hectic workdays, but if I don’t have time, I notice that just glancing out at them calms me, and that’s where the mirrors are worth their weight in gold.”

What could be more soothing than the sound of trickling water? Mette has easily created this mini fountain by placing a pump with a fountain head inside a large pot.

Romantic table setting: Hydrangea creates a beautiful autumn atmosphere both in the beds and as a garland on the table.

The family enjoys dinner together in the garden room and makes the most of the greenhouse as long as possible into the autumn. From here, they can enjoy the garden and sea of flowers even on days with bad weather. Pots that are still flowering when frost nights arrive are moved into the greenhouse, maximizing the garden feeling indoors.

At the end of the season, the garden furniture is put away, and the hydrangeas that have been in pots are planted in the beds. Mette sows tulip bulbs in the same pots before placing them in the greenhouse.

“The deer can’t get in there, and since they’re inside, I get amazing tulips blooming extra early in the spring,” she says. The beds are also filled with flower bulbs. Daffodils and alliums are not favored by the deer, so they are planted in beds and pots outdoors.

“Alliums are beautiful and self-seed. They give exactly the casual, natural look I love!”

Small vases with heather hang as decorations in the trees, along with solar lights that turn on at dusk.

Heavy branches with reddening, ready-to-pick apples create a beautiful canopy over this seating area. In the background, the garden’s new, long pergola can be seen.

Perhaps it is precisely Mette’s responsible job that has led her to choose the romantic, casual, and slightly wild garden style. Out here in the garden space, there are no expectations. The plants are largely allowed to grow and self-seed as they wish, and the perennials don’t require much care. Here, Mette doesn’t need to achieve anything—she can simply be and let nature take the lead. The beautiful result speaks for itself.

• A tall plant with delicate flowers that form a green and burgundy wall in height.
• Available in various heights, with the tallest reaching up to 2 meters.
• Begins blooming in early July.
• Very low-maintenance and self-seeds, appearing wherever it pleases. Once sown, it returns year after year.
• A queen in autumn bouquets.

Purple coneflower

• Purple coneflower has pink flowers and is a magnet for bees and bumblebees.
• Begins blooming in early July.
• Adds beautiful autumn color to beds and containers.
• Prefers air around it and should not be planted too close to other tall, robust perennials, but grows well near other purple coneflowers.

Yellow coneflower

• More robust than purple coneflower, has yellow flowers, and self-seeds.
• Forms large clumps that brighten the autumn garden.
• Drought-tolerant; requires no care in Mette’s garden yet blooms abundantly.
• Lovely to plant together with purple coneflower and autumn stonecrop.

Autumn stonecrop is one of Mette’s favorite perennials in the fall. It’s the last perennial to bloom in the garden and stays beautiful past the first frost, well into November.

• Adds a beautiful, warm burgundy-red color to the garden at the end of the season.
• Begins blooming in late August.
• It is a succulent, so it can handle very dry conditions.
• Does not like to sit in water. Prefers a dry, sunny spot in the garden.
• In Mette’s garden, this is the very last perennial to bloom. It stays beautiful past the first frost and well into November.

• Adds drama with its height, volume, and large flower heads.
• Begins blooming in early August.
• Needs water and regular fertilization throughout the season. Mette gives it either chicken manure or cow compost twice per season.

• Has a cloud of delicate and beautiful flowers high on the stems, and comes in light pink, dark pink, or white.
• Prefers partial shade.
• Can start blooming as early as July once established.
• Spreads through long underground stems, so it’s wise to plant it where there’s plenty of space.
• The white variety is said to spread less than the pink.
• Can be a bit sensitive at first. Best planted early in the season to establish properly before frost arrives.
• Adding leaves around the base in autumn helps protect it over winter.

Follow the romantic garden through the seasons:

• Garden visit: Romantic and abundant garden at Mette's

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• ROMANTIC GARDEN – fragrant, sprawling and blooming

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