Garden visit: Nordic and minimalist style at Hanne's
Together with her husband, Hanne has transformed a steep slope full of wilderness into a gem of a garden spread over several different plateaus. See how lovely they have it in Høyenhall, Oslo.
Briefly about the garden
- Garden owner: Hanne Holsted, @hanneholsted on Instagram, husband Rune, daughter Meline, and the cat Fia.
- Hardiness zone: H4 in Høyenhall, Oslo.
- Style: Garden in a Nordic style where stone, slate, and wood are mixed with straight lines and structure. Varied foliage and grouped plants.
Hanne has created what she calls a 'lazy man's garden' that doesn't require a lot of maintenance, but some watering is necessary.
"We have tried to create the same feeling as when you go away to a spa hotel for a weekend. Parts of our style are also inspired by trips we have taken. At the same time, we wanted the expression to suit the tall trees that surround our property," she says.
Combining clean lines with the wild-growing forest around the property creates an extra 'wow' feeling. Clean lines, a minimalist expression, and structure are typical characteristics of the Nordic garden style.
Hanne's garden is built on sloping terrain that previously consisted only of wilderness. Together with her husband Rune, she has created a dream of an outdoor space over three different plateaus with many different garden rooms. Here is the lounge area by the pool.
Hanne's 5 tips
- Three of Hanne's favorite plants are the ornamental grass Japanese sedge, bamboo, and boxwood. They are decorative, require little maintenance, and maintain both their green color and shape throughout the winter.
- Remember that hostas get large over time, so give them enough space when planting. One plant can become many. Feel free to divide it in the spring and spread it; this is the time of year when it tolerates it particularly well.
- Plant perennials in groups. Buy three or more of the same variety, or divide them when they have become large enough, and plant them together. Repeat the same group in several places. It creates unity, calm, and harmony.
- Mix stone elements with different color variations. Hanne mixes slate, pebbles, and decorative stone. Covering beds with pebbles gives the plants a gray-beige background that makes the leaves pop a little extra from the background. The stones also help to retain moisture. Small decorative stones are lovely on top of planted pots.
- Contrasts are exciting to the eye. Mix a strict and soft expression in different ways. Hard stone against soft woodwork is lovely.
Hanne is more interested in mixing different types of foliage than flowers. Here, the pool is glimpsed through the finely cut leaves of the rowan 'Sunshine'.
Harmonious and clean expression
"A garden should be a place for recreation. We wanted to create an atmosphere that invites calm and relaxation. It should be pleasant to let the eyes wander here," she says.
The family has focused on continuing the style they have indoors by using materials such as stone, slate, and wood in the outdoor space. The mix of strict stone against soft wood embraced by the green reflects the nature in the area.
Stones in various sizes are used in different ways in the outdoor space. Small decorative stones are lovely on top of pots. The light color makes the green color of the plants pop a little extra. They also help the soil retain moisture.
"A garden is about creating spaces. We have created different zones based on the family's needs and have, among other things, an outdoor kitchen, dining area, and relaxing lounge areas out here. By sticking to the same materials and colors in the zones, we have let a common thread run through the garden," she says.
The family loves to cook under the open sky. The outdoor kitchen is the garden's newest room. The tall, free-standing trees in the forest that surrounds the property create an exciting contrast to the strict shapes of the bench and cabinet doors.
The color palette of white, green, beige, and black ties the expression together. Hanne likes flexibility and being able to rearrange the outdoor space, so she has created movable frames between the zones.
Large pots and urns with plants in them work well as dividers, preferably with tall ornamental shrubs at the back and lower plants in front. Movable partition walls are also nice room dividers, and string lights provide a nice zone demarcation. The dividers help to give the outdoor space a tidy expression and at the same time create a cozy and intimate feeling.
Typical of the Nordic style is the repetition of plants to create unity and calm. Three topiary boxwoods are placed in pots along the pool edge.
Planting tips for Nordic style
- Hosta, varieties: 'Blue Mouse Ears', 'First Frost', 'Minuteman', 'Big Daddy', 'Blue Angel', and 'Elegans'
- Ferns, varieties: Bird's nest fern 'Crispy Wave' and 'Fluffy Ruffle'
- Bamboo
- Round-trimmed boxwood
- Japanese maple
- Rowan, 'Sunshine'
- Brunnera (Siberian bugloss)
- Windmill palm
Round iron planters are dug into the sloping terrain to better retain the soil and give plant roots a better grip. Both smart and decorative! Several of them are covered with leftover wood materials the family had from other projects.
Obsessed with leaves
Hanne prefers to enjoy the outdoor space rather than spending a lot of time weeding and working. Therefore, she has created what she calls a 'lazy man's garden' that mainly consists of low-maintenance perennials combined with ornamental shrubs and some ornamental trees. Here, the focus is on leaves rather than flowers.
- I like contrasts and mixing different shapes, structures, and colors – from very light green foliage to dark burgundy-colored.
Many different seating areas are scattered around the outdoor space, allowing the family to move around according to sun and shade. Here is the lounge area on the lowest level. In the raised planter behind the sofa, the Japanese maple 'Bloodgood', the ornamental grass Carex 'Feather Falls', the hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears', and heuchera are repeated.
Round-trimmed boxwood, the elongated leaves of the hostas, and the tall, slender ornamental grasses create excitement together, while also giving a clean expression.
"I like to group plants and always buy several of the same variety, either three or five at a time. These are repeated in different places to create unity," she says.
Even though the plants have different shapes, this planting method gives a rhythm and a delicate expression.
Colorful tomatoes and snack peppers stand in pots on the outdoor kitchen counter. Locally sourced ingredients are delicious in summer food.
Hannes's favorite ornamental grass
If you live in hardiness zone 4 or higher, it is recommended that you plant ornamental grasses directly in the ground for them to survive the winter. If you have them in a pot, you can place some blocks under the pot in winter. This acts as insulation and increases the chance that the ornamental grass will survive until the next season. It is also important that the pots are under a roof during the winter months.
Evergreen varieties that do not need pruning:
- Japanese sedge, varieties: 'Everest' and 'Ice Dance'
- Sedge 'Feather Falls'
This group also remains beautiful throughout the winter, but needs a trim in the spring:
- Lyme grass 'Blue Dune'
- Chinese silver grass, varieties: 'Variegatus' and 'Gracillimus'
- Reed grass, varieties: 'Karl Foerster' and 'Overdam'"
In the pots, the ornamental grass Japanese sedge grows. This is one of Hanne's favorite varieties because it requires little maintenance and maintains its green color and shape throughout the winter.
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