Summar Flowers in the Park

Every spring, our park staff plan summer flowers for the park’s beds and pots. If you are inspired and want to try it yourself, here are several articles with lists of the plants used.

Summer Flowers 2024

The Fan Beds

In 2024, apprentice Camilla Svarverud was given the responsibility of designing the summer flower display in the fan beds by the Great Lawn, and she took on the task with confidence.

– Camilla has a natural talent for this,” says Filip Ihrsen, adding that it takes several years to learn how to visualize sketches and plans on paper, so that one is confident that the summer’s result will be as envisioned. Camilla grasped this immediately.

– I started by finding a color scheme I liked and chose plants from the available plant list. Then I sat down, looked at pictures, and made sketches. I placed two circles in each bed, where the tall plants would stand, surrounded by low plants. Between the fields, I drew a sea of orange flowers of medium height, Camilla explains, adding that it’s cool to work on paper and then see the finished result.

Camilla had many helpers during the planting. She marked the areas where different plants should be planted and efficiently managed the work to get the plants in the right place. She admitted that it was a logistical challenge and leadership training to get the plants in the ground, but it was all the more satisfying to see the beautiful result. “It’s so inspiring to create something yourself,” she smiles slyly, unable to hide her enjoyment of working in the park.

Courtyard Beds

David Arnott, like everyone in the park, is focused on accommodating insects in the choice of plants and the maintenance of the areas. Therefore, he has chosen flowers that provide food for the insects and set up 14 apartment blocks.

– “Bed and breakfast” for the insects is my theme. I have chosen pollinator-friendly species that are good for different types of insects. Here are flowers for bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, and moths. The insects are different; some have short tongues, some have long, some are thick, some are thin, so the flowers must also have different shapes.

In the sea of flowers, blocks of aspen that were felled on campus when the Water Center was built have been set up. Here, he has drilled holes of various sizes so that different types of insects can settle. The holes are popular with solitary bee variants that live alone. David proudly shows that several holes have been sealed. It is therefore quite clear that the residences are in use.

One of the goals of the planting is to show people how they can easily accommodate insects in their own gardens.

– This has been incredibly successful,” says David warmly. “So many people stop and ask us who work in the park what this is and ask for tips on what they can do themselves. We are so happy about the interest and that people come back and tell us about their own projects. We can’t emphasize enough how important insects are; they are caretakers who contribute to the recycling of dead plants, animals, and trees. They function as a kind of glue in nature, ensuring pollination and influencing the lives of many other species. It is alarming that the number of insects in the world is decreasing as quickly as it is.”

See the plant list below to learn which plants insects like.

The Beda by Urbygningen

Filip Ihrsen komponerte blomane inntil Urbygningen.

– I was stuck in my head and asked Camilla to give me a challenge that could give me new thoughts and ideas. She replied ‘purple,’ and then ‘Craxy purple Crazy’ popped into my head,” grins Filip. “The main building is formal and static, and the hedge around it is completely symmetrical. These beds need something wild and invigorating. And it’s easy to play and be a bit wild when combining summer flowers.”

Filip chose blue-purple flowers and plants with blue-purple leaves. A color that appears calming and cool, and is also beautiful as it withers. To add some flowers that stand out, he chose orange. The plants were placed by seasonal workers without any plan; the flowers were planted randomly. It was so wet in one of the beds that the flowers floated around, and some plants had to be helped into place once the water was gone.

The Pots

Tomas Høglund has been responsible for the flowering in the pots. He has collaborated with David and used many of the pollinator-friendly species that are used in the Courtyard. The pots tie together this year’s summer planting from the courtyard to the fan beds.

This year, it rained when the summer flowers were planted. This is good for the plants, although a bit uncomfortable for those planting. There has been a lot of rain and wind, but the flowers have tolerated it well, and there has been little need for watering. As usual, the park shines when students and staff arrive on campus in August.

Plant list 2024

Fan Beds                                    

Senecio cineraria ’Cirrus’              

Ipomoea batatas ’Sidekick Black Tone’                   

Helichrysum petiolare ’Golden Leaved’                                   

Pennisetum setaceum ’Rubrum’               

Ipomoea batatas ’Sidekick Black Tone’

Dahlia Mystic ’Fantasy’                

Rudbeckia hirta ’Sahara’                                               

Scabiosa atropurpurea ’Fata Morgana’                 

Cosmos bipinnatus ’Apricotta’                                   

Antirrhinum ’Rocket Bronze’                                       

Dahlia x pinnata ’Waltzing Matlida’                         

Helianthus annuus ’Buttercream’                             

Nicotiana langsdorffii ’Bronze Queen’                    

Cosmos bipinnatus ’Velouette’                                  

Dahla x pinnata ’Belle of Barmera’           

Calibrachoa ‘Neo Orange Red Eye’                           

Coleus Wizard Coral Sunrise                                        

Coleus Wizard Sunset                                                    

Agastache aurantiaca ’Apricot Sprite’                    

Lagurus ovatus                                                                

Calendula officinalis ’Pink Surprise’

Courtyard

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Vicenza Blue’                    

Centaurea cyanus ‘Midget Blue’               

Fuchsia hybrida ‘Beacon’                                             

Antirrhinum lav ‘Snappy White’                                

Nicotiana x sanderae ‘Perfume White’                  

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata Pink’                              

Salvia Sallyfun ‘Mystic Spires’                                    

Borago officinalis                                                            

Daucus carota ‘Dara’                                                     

Verbena bonariensis ‘Finesse’                                   

Cleome spinosa ‘Violet Queen’                                 

Cleome spinosa ‘Sparkler White’                              

UR

Setaria italica ’Red Jewel’                                            

Cleome hassleriana ’Violet Queen’                           

Salvia canariensis ’Lancelot’                                        

Amaranthus cruentus ’Oeschberg’                           

Nicotiana langsdorffii ’Bronze Queen’                    

Eucalyptus cinerea ’Silver Dollar’                               

Centaurea americana ’Rosy Lilac’                             

Scabiosa atropurpurea ’Blue Cockade’                   

Trachelium caeruleum ’Black Knight’                       

Dahlia Mystic Haze                                                         

Verbena bonariensis                                                      

Rudbeckia ’Cherry Brandy’                                          

Scabiosa atropurpurea ’Black Knight’                      

Nicotiana x sanderae ’Perfume Deep Purple’       

Salvia splendens ’Lighthouse Purple’                       

Salvia farinacea ‘Evolution Violet’                            

Pots                                               

Helichrysum petilare ‘Golden Leaved’                     

Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’                              

Nicotiana sylvestris ‘Only the Lonely’                      

Nicotiana x sanderae ‘Perfume Lime’                     

Nicotiana x sanderae ‘Perfume Deep Purple’       

Petunia super Surfina Sky blue                                 

Gypsophila muralis ‘Gypsy White’                            

Verbena rigida ‘Polaris’                                              

Pelargonium interspecific ‘Marcada Pink’              

Salvia Sallyfun ‘Mystic Spires’                                  

Canna indica ‘Cannova Yellow’                      

Verbena bonariensis ‘Finesse’           

• Summer Flowers 2023

  After this year’s cold spring, with late-blooming bulb plants, it was almost as if the bulbs were being pulled up while the plants were still in bloom. Eager gardeners were ready to materialize the winter’s planning work for colleagues, staff, students, and visitors. And suddenly, the summer flowers were in place in their lush and colorful splendor. Vidar Krog Johansen led the systematic work in the fan beds, David Arnott directed at the Ur, while Filip Ihrsen filled the pots and the Courtyard beds. These three, of course, received help from others when it came to planting, but they are the ones who designed the flowering for 2023. From mid-June, flowers burst forth from pots and beds.

  

  Courtyard Beds and Pots

  Filip is always eager to help, showing people around and talking to everyone who passes by. During a short interview, there are several pauses where plant enthusiasts exchange Latin and Norwegian names of many plants. It is clear that the summer flowers mean a lot to Filip and to those who use the park.

  “This year, the theme is R for romance. I focus on colors that match the surroundings,” he says, “and they should be moderate, pleasant, give a ‘laid-back’ impression while also allowing for imagination and being calming.”

  
  “Look at the beautiful hue of the brick buildings, as well as the dark tone of the copper beech trees in the University Grove and the large beech tree near the Main Building. It’s clear that I have to consider this framing,” he says enthusiastically, while picking at beautiful grasses, ornamental carrots, dahlias, and many other exciting species. Summer flowers have many fine qualities; they bloom for a long time, they have an incredible range of colors, and they have leaves in many different shapes. All this makes it incredibly exciting to work with them. Since the theme is R for romance, this year it is lightly swaying, colorful in soft tones, imaginative, and detailed. I don’t need to be so concerned with exact lines and placements when we plant," he smiles slyly. “And those who pass by here in the courtyard, whether walking or cycling, have time to look at the details. So, it’s not wasted to have around 20 different colors.”

  

  In the pots, he planted what was left of blue and purple and filled in with silver-gray species. “Did you know that silver-gray plants need less water?” he asks quickly. "That’s why I’m testing out silver-colored plants. The pots are small and a bit difficult to shape, and they need to be watered often.

  Water is sometimes scarce in the park. For the first time this year, the Courtyard beds have been equipped with self-watering lines. It will be exciting to see how they work. With this watering method, less water is used,” he says, “and hopefully we won’t have to water so much by hand.”

  This year, too, a plant appeared with a flower in a different color than ordered, but that’s how it is with seeds; they sometimes do as they please. Regardless, the flowers are beautiful, and in a romantic arrangement, there is always room for diversity. The plant was included in the composition, and no one can guess which plant came with the wrong color.

  The Fan Beds

  Vidar Krog Kristiansen is responsible for the fan beds for the first time.

  “It is incredibly exciting and a great responsibility to design beds that so many people come to see,” he says, picking away some wilted leaves in the bed. When asked about the inspiration for the design, he replies that he has worked at the Østfold Museums and has additional education in historical gardening. Therefore, it was only natural to delve into the historical photo archive when he started planning the beds this winter.

  In a photo of the Courtyard, Agave was used as a focal plant. This, along with inspiration from the large lawn as the neo-formalist facility it is, laid the foundation for his construction of this year’s fan bed planting. “Did you know that Agave from Mexico is used as an ingredient in the production of Tequila?” he asks quickly, looking around as if worried someone might harvest the plants, even though such a small crop wouldn’t yield much.

  Clear lines, systematic construction, and historically accurate plant selection were necessary to achieve the historical look he wanted to bring out. When it came to color choices, he thought more freely and chose colors he liked that created contrasts to highlight the lines in the beds.

  

  The planting itself required great precision. – “We had to find the center of each bed and measure and adjust each bed individually. They were not exactly the same. Strings were pulled out and lines were drawn before the plants could be placed in the soil. We started planting in the middle and worked our way outwards.”

  The beds have clear colors, distinct lines, and look good both from a distance and up close. They are also a beautiful sight for those driving by. The agave plants and the castor oil plants stand, or almost float, in a nest of light gray threads.

  Vidar is pleased with the beds and is very happy to have been involved in planning and executing this. – “It is great that employees can get tasks beyond general maintenance and operation of the park, it makes the work even more varied and exciting,” he says, expressing that he enjoys his job at NMBU.

  The flowers have stood well throughout the summer and are at their best in August, even after the storm Hans. In a few weeks, they will be taken up, and all the beds will be measured and edged again. The experience gained from measuring with lines and threads is then good to have. This work must be completed before the planting of spring bulbs begins.

  
  David Arnott has arranged the flowers between the alpine currant hedges by the Main Building. Yellow colors and delicate flowers and leaves create a nice contrast to the neatly trimmed hedges.

  List of plants used:
  
  Fan Beds

  • Begonia semperflorens, Nightlife Deep Rose
  • Calocephalus brownii, Silver
  • Celosia argentea, Sol Gekko Green
  • Ricinus communis, New Zealand Black
  • Salvia argentea, White Birds
  • Salvia splendens, Reddy White Surprise
  • Tagetes patula nana fl.pl., Strawberry Blonde

  Courtyard

  • Ageratum, Red Cutting
  • Calistephus chinensis, Chamois Turm
  • Cosmos bipinnatus, Apricotta
  • Dahlia hybrida, Mystic Fantasy
  • Daucus carota, Dara (Vill gulrot)
  • Foeniculum vulgare, Smokey
  • Helianthus annuus, Ms Mars
  • Helichrysum microphyllum, Silver Mist
  • Leonurus sibiricus
  • Nicotiana affinis, Whisper Appleblossom
  • Ocimum x basilicum, Magic Mountain
  • Pennisetum setaceum, Rubrum
  • Phlox drummondii, Creme Brulee Blushing Bride
  • Rudbeckia hirta, Sahara
  • Salvia officinalis, Purpurascens
  • Scabiosa atropurpurea, Fata Morgana
  • Verbena bonariensis, Finesse
  • Verbena rigida, Polaris

  Ur

  • Artisjokk, Vert de Provence
  • Gaura lindheimeri, Belleza Dark Pink
  • Kochia trichophylla, Sommersypress
  • Zinnia elegans, Benary's Giant Golden
• Summer Flowers 2022

  Early on a sunny morning in July, I met the three gardeners who have planned, prepared, and carried out the summer planting for 2022. The four of us met in the courtyard. There stood a beaming, newly graduated apprentice, looking out over his plants

  David Arnott, originally from South Africa, has been an apprentice in the park unit at NMBU. He has worked on many smaller projects, both with planting and stone laying as part of his training, and he passed his final exam with flying colors.

   - I am really proud of what I have done,” he says, smiling.

  The Courtyard beds are not part of the training plan; these are tasks he does in addition. David has been responsible for bulb planting and the summer planting in the courtyard.

   "Last year, the colors were light and warm, so this year I want cooler colors with a darker hue,” he says. “I chose the theme ‘Deep Ocean.’ The theme was reflected in both the bulb planting and the summer planting.”

  

  The blue colors and the dark reddish tones, which pick up color nuances from the copper beeches by the Science Park, are the main colors. When I heard this, I immediately saw that the jellyfish (Dahlia) floated above the others. I got extra points for noticing this because that was the idea behind choosing these flowers.

   - David says that he likes working with flowers and is glad that he could work on planning this while working from home in the fall. Now he is happy to be back among people and flowers and concludes by saying that he is very pleased with the result.

  And he has every reason to be.

  

  Tomas Höglund is relatively new to the park and hasn’t seen many of the previous summer plantings. He was given responsibility for the fan beds on the Great Lawn. He also chose some dark colors and some of the same flowers, completely independent of the others’ choices.

  "I am focused on structure. I want it to be evident that it is man-made,” he says, adding that he is interested in music and has been inspired by the lively, swinging music of Bobby Darin, namely “Splish Splash.” It is easy to see with his swaying plants, polka dots, splashes of color, and speed and excitement, but everything is structured.

  

  "This is the first time I have planned, calculated the number of plants, ordered, and led the execution of the planting,” he says. “I am quite satisfied, even though some plants did not grow as tall as the guide indicated and the beds were a bit larger than the drawing showed."

  

  Elin Kruge Storvand has planned summer flowers before. Her plan for the beds within the hedges by the Main Building was to keep things as minimal as possible. Structure and color nuances that match the bricks were chosen. Dark colors were also selected here. It must be modern with dark red, copper beech-like colors this year, since all three chose this while working from home.

  Not all the flowers have bloomed yet, but the gardener can tell that the beds will be at their best in late July and August. So, it’s just a matter of looking forward to that time. Meanwhile, the gardeners have to trim wilted flowers, weed, and take care of everything.

  "We and the insects swarm around these beds all summer," they say with a smile.

  The summer flowers are worth a visit this year as well, and they last a long time.

  

  Plant list

  Courtyard beds

  • Lavandula angustifolia, Ellagance                                                    
  • Salvia farinacea, Victoria Blue           
  • Coleus solenostemos, Black Dragon 
  • Calocephalus brownii                       
  • Ageratum, Aloha Blue
  • Bidens ferulifolia, Beedance Painted Yellow
  • Salpiglossis sinuata, Royal Purple
  • Monarda bergamo                            
  • Cerinthe major, Purpurascens                 
  • Centaurea cyanus, Blue Boy  
  • Scabiosa atropurpurea, Black Knight                                                             
  • Pennisetum glaucum, Purple Majesty         
  • Dahlia “Hollyhill spiderwoman”                       
  • Dahlia “Tartan”                                            
  • Canna indica, Tropical Scarlet Bronze                
  • Centaurea cyanus, Blue Boy  

  Fan Beds at Storplenen

  • Verbena bonaris Finesse
  • Canna indica Cannova Red Shades
  • Calendula officinalis BonBon Orange
  • Lobelia erinus compacta riveria Marine Blue
  • Helianthus annus Ring of Fire
  • Argyranthemum frutescens Grandaisy Pink
  • Salvia farinacea Victoria Blue
  • Lagurus ovatus
  • Hordeum jubatum
  • Tagetes patula nan Disco Yellow
  • Begonia tuberhybrida Nonstop Red
  • Antirrhinum lav Snappy White
  • Perilla frutescens
  • Helianthus debilis Italian White
  • Dahlia hybrida Mystic illusion
  • Leonotis nepetifolia Shrimp Coctail
  • Anthirrhinum Rocket Bronze
  • Echinacea purpurea Primmadonna Deep Rose
  • Colues solenostemos Wixard Coral Sunrise
  • Salvia patens Blue Angel
  • Coleus Wizard Golden
  • Pennisetum glaucum Purple Majesty

  Beds by Urbygninga

  • Amaranthus paniculatus, Pygmy Torch        
  • Cineraria maritima, Silverdust         
  • Cordyline australis, Purple Tower    
  • Dahlia hybrida, Mystic Dreamer      
  • Dahlia hybrida, Mystic Wonder
• Summer Flowers 2021

  

  When the tulips have finished blooming and are removed, it’s time to plant the summer flowers. Throughout the autumn and winter, the gardeners have been working on planning and ordering plants. Experienced summer workers and gardeners planted three fan beds in one day, which is a new record.

  There are approximately 700 plants per fan bed. The park staff share the tasks and help and support each other in the idea and planning phases. Filip Ihrsén coordinates everything.

  The Fan Beds

  In 2021, Filip Ihrsén planned the fan beds. He wondered why we humans always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and chose the theme “On the other side.” Therefore, you will find a “hedge” in the beds and plants of different characters on each side of it.

  There is a row of catmint, which has been tasked with being the hedge. It will be trimmed when it gets a bit larger. In one section, there are low plants with soft, metallic colors, while on the other side, there are colorful, tall, resilient, and swaying plants. Filip thinks they can stand there and be a bit envious of each other all summer. At least we humans can imagine that the plants do as we do, thinking that everything is so much better on the other side and that the others have something we wished for but didn’t get.

  The Courtyard

  Elin Kruge Storvand has planned the flower beds in the courtyard. She drew inspiration from a special plant combination she saw on a professional trip to the “London and Chelsea Flower Show.” So, we can say that we have brought in a lovely mix of colors and shapes and are going for an English style in the courtyard this year.

  Urbygningen

  Margrete Brynem planned the airy and meadow-like flower collection in the beds by the Main Building.

  Pots/Car Barriers

  This year, instead of many pots, there is a plant arrangement by the Science Park. It was planned and built by John Skogsrud. He wants to create the impression of an abandoned, dilapidated house on the prairie or in the mountains. A building ruin where nature has taken over. He has selected plants that have a natural look and can evoke thoughts of something romantic and dreamy, but that are also resilient, as they take over where humans have built and lived.

  The few pots that are on campus have plants listed in the overview.

  The construction work done in the beds around the fan beds and the work being done in the beds in front of the steps towards the Great Lawn will be covered in another article. These beds contain perennials, not summer flowers, which live and will continue to live in these beds.

• Summer Flowers 2020

  

  The summer of 2020 will be a summer we will remember. It is the summer when Covid-19 was introduced. The gardeners had planned and ordered the summer flowers long before this virus was known to most people. Corona is certainly not the theme for the flower beds.

  2020 was a spring where local walks saw a resurgence and a summer where everyone vacationed in Norway. This provided many opportunities to see NMBU’s park come to life and change through the various blooms of spring and summer. Even though the university was closed and students and staff stayed home, many walkers and visitors to the park enjoyed that it was maintained as usual. And it was an important welcome when the students returned in August.

  This year, too, the gardeners shared the tasks of composing, planning, and organizing the planting. Filip Ihrsén, Ole-August Zakariassen, and Margrethe Brynem each had their own beds: the Courtyard, the fan beds on the Great Lawn, and in front of Urbygningen.

  Filip Ihrsén was responsible for the bed in the Courtyard. Colorful poles appeared right after the beautiful but finished-blooming tulips were removed. A few days later, the summer flowers arrived. In an instant, it could be seen that the color combinations were perfect. The strong colors of the poles matched exactly with the colors of the flowers. It seems possible to order plants by color code.

  Filip says that the theme for the planting in the courtyard is ‘Healthy Breakfast.’ He envisions a grand breakfast buffet at a luxury hotel somewhere in Asia, overflowing with lots of fruits and vegetables and plenty of edible things that one has never seen before.

  Ole-August has given the fan bed a touch of edible plants. There you will find, among other things, green kale, green red cabbage, cauliflower, physalis, and beetroot, along with “solid” and sturdy plants. He has shifted his style a bit, aiming for a rougher and more robust expression. This is a contrast to his previous beds, which have been pink, white, and blue and thus a bit sweet, he says with a smile.

  Margrethe received a challenge from Filip before she started planning. She was to use different colors than she usually does. She followed through and eagerly explains that the theme for the summer flowers in front of the Main Building is “The Circle is Complete.” This bed is dedicated to the idea that the Veterinary College and the Veterinary Institute would finally be geographically united with the rest of NMBU. When the bed was planned, it was not known that the move would be delayed. We hope that some of those coming to Ås in the fall of 2020 will visit the park before the flowers wither and are removed.

  The pots are, as usual, brimming with colors and flowers. You can find the list of species below.

  The summer of 2020 is the year when the start of the new park area shows itself in full splendor. NMBU planted thousands of perennials behind the Main Building last year. They are well worth a visit this year. The rest of the park area is beginning to take shape, including the placement of artworks and the geological collection. For now, the area closer to Nordskogen is not as green and lush.

  Everyone is advised to take a walk in the park on Campus. It is a balm for the soul. Look to see if you find a bountiful Asian breakfast, a rough edible bed, some new artworks, beautiful stones, or if you see that the circle is complete, but remember: Let the plants be.

  Plant liste per bed:

  Courtyard                 

  •               Ageratum houstanianum 'Aloa Blue
  •               Ipomoea Sidekick lime
  •               Nemesia Plus Blood Orange
  •               Coleus s Wizard Golden
  •               Heliotropium Arborescens 'Marine'
  •               Coleus s Wizard Coral Sunrise
  •               Nicotiana x sandere 'Perfume Lime'
  •               Rudbeckia hirta 'Prairie Sun'
  •               Agastache foenicum 'Golde Jubilee'
  •               Tagetes erecta 'Vanilla'
  •               Amaranthus caudats 'Viridis'
  •               Dahlia hybrida Mysitc Fantasy
  •               Nicotiana langsdorfii 'Lemon Tree'
  •               Foenicum vulgare 'Smokey'
  •               Antirrhinum majus Rocket Bronze
  •               Limonium Qis Dark Blue
  •               Cardiospermum halicacabum
  •               Cobaea scandes 'Purple'

  Fan Beds                          

  •               Amaranthus caudatus 'Red'
  •               Amaranthus caudatus 'Viridis'
  •               Argyranthemum frutescens 'Maxie'
  •               Beta vulgaris 'Bulls Blood'
  •               Brassica oleracea 'Nero di Toscana'
  •               Cineraria maritima 'New look
  •               Cobaea scandens
  •               Coleus solenostemon 'Black Dragon'
  •               Cosmos atrosanguineus
  •               Eucalyptus globus 'Silverdollar'
  •               Luzula Lucius
  •               Nicotiana sylvestris 'Only the Lonely'
  •               Osteospermum ecklonis akila 'White purple'
  •               Physalis peruviana
  •               Rosenkål 'Maximus'
  •               Rød grønkål 'Redbor'
  •               Salpiglossis sinuata 'Royal purple'
  •               Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Black Knight'
  •               Zinnia marylandica 'Zahara double Fire'
  •               Zinnia marylandica 'Zahara double Fire'
  •               Salvia farinacea 'Vicoria'

  Beds in front of Urbygningen             

  •               Verbena bonariensis
  •               Eucalyptus globolus
  •               Gaura lindeimerii Dark Pink
  •               Gaura lindheimerii White
  •               Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Black Knight'
  •               Antirrhinum Sonnet Pink
  •               Antirrhinum majus Rocket White
  •               Salvia viridis Pink sundae
  •               Daucus Carota 'Dara'
  •               Pennisetum villosum
  •               Senesio sineraria
  •               Euphorbia gramminea Glitz
  •               Rudbeckia hirta Cherry Brandy
  •               Cobaea scandens Purple
  •               Cardiospermum halicacbum

  Pots             

  •               Eucalyptus globulus
  •               Coreopsis grandoflora 'Sunfire'
  •               Gaura lindheimerii White
  •               Antirrhinum sonnet Pink
  •               Verbena rigida polaris
  •               Euphorbia graminea Glitz
  •               Daucus carota
  •               Sanvitalia Million suns
  •               Antirrhinum sonnet White
  •               Gaura lindheimerii Dark Pink
  •               Lagurus ovatus
  •               Senescio cineraria
  •               Saliva viridis Pink Sundae
• Summer Flowers 2019

  

  The gardeners at NMBU share tasks and knowledge. This year, three people have each composed their own beds with summer flowers. Elin Kruge Storvand, Ole August Zakariassen, and Filip Ihrsén have all been responsible for planning, ordering lists, and coordinating the planting.

  The three of them eagerly discuss their thoughts about the work. Filip is the one with the most experience and the one who holds most of the threads, but he has given the two new employees free rein. They have all planned independently.

  Jumping in

  Elin is newly hired and is having her first full season in the park. She was given responsibility for the beds by the Main Building (on the Great Lawn side of the Main Building). She had complete freedom to decide everything herself. It was a bit daunting but also very fun, she says, adding that it is super easy to go to Filip and ask questions and even easier to get answers. She wanted to create a splash of color, inspired by a flower meadow. It was supposed to be a feast for insects along the walls of the Main Building. She has succeeded with that. It is like a colorful candy mix surrounded by a hedge. She is satisfied but got a bit stressed when some different plants than ordered arrived. And I found out about it very late, she says with a slightly worried frown.

  Summar Flowers – a live order

  Every year, it is a challenge that seeds fail, and seedlings are attacked by diseases. This means that the supplier has to find other solutions. “We have to live with it,” says Filip, “we are working with living organisms, and things can go wrong.” He also says that there are few suppliers who deliver plants in the quantity and quality that the university requires. He believes that they have established a good dialogue with the supplier they have a framework agreement with and that efforts are being made to reduce the number of surprises and ensure early feedback when the order cannot be fully met. The challenge is that the supplier also discovers this late. “But look at the result,” he says, “it turned out really great.”

  The Fan Beds are Swaying

  Ole August has been an apprentice at NMBU and has previously had the task of composing summer flower beds. He was given responsibility for the fan beds, and he also had a meadow as his inspiration. “Systematic randomness” was his motto. He chose a natural color palette and a floating impression. Based on this, the plants were ordered. To ensure randomness, those who were to plant the plants were given almost free rein. Therefore, the fan beds are not exactly alike. “I got too many white flowers because something went wrong with the supplier, and the climbing plant was replaced, so not everything is exactly as I planned,” he sighs, but he is proud of the floral display swaying in the wind.

  This year marks the 100th anniversary of horticultural education, and sunflowers are planted around in various beds. This was added after the “composers’” plans were completed.

  Summer Flowers are More than Decoration

  The summer flowering is part of the teaching, so some reliable species are used, but trendy flowering is also planned. Filip is keen on trying something new every year, something that one doesn’t quite know how it will behave. Filip has composed the courtyard beds and the rectangles by the mirror pond on the Great Lawn. He also ordered plants for the pots. There are many pots this year because new ones have been ordered that won’t break when moved or hit by cars.

  As for the pots, the summer workers had free rein to plant the rest of the summer flowers exactly as they wished in the pots. It should be mentioned that one of the flowers came as yellow – which was not ordered. It doesn’t matter; the pots are overflowing with abundance.

  Metal og Crystal

  Filip plans and composes based on a theme; he has to, he says, to put a small brake on the creative part of his brain. He enthusiastically adds that the courtyard is a fantastic area where terracotta-colored bricks together with copper beeches and blood maples create an incredibly beautiful frame. This year’s theme was Metal and Crystal. The color palette of metal was chosen, and the shapes were meant to resemble frost and ice roses as in crystal. Those who have followed the bed through the summer see that it changes from week to week. The climbing frames, which Filip built in the winter, are becoming increasingly overgrown, and flowers of all shapes and colors stick out here and there. It is beautiful. In this bed, there are two trendy newcomers: Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’ and Pentas lanceolata ‘Northern Lights Lavender.’

  Tradition and History

  By Speildammen, the mirror pond, the inspiration was the anniversary. Here, he revived an old tradition that the Swedes call “Tapetgrupp.” This means planting low-growing plants in squares and patterns, often bordered by summer flowers that are to be pruned into shape throughout the summer. In addition, any self-respecting garden owner must have some show-off flowers. These have often been palms. The same goes for NMBU.

  Once again, the park’s summer flowers help make the way to school, the way to the office, walking paths, and play areas a balm for the soul and eyes. The green university is colorful and beautiful.

  Plant list

  Fan Beds

  • Dolichos lablab ‘Ruby Moon’
  • Hordeum jubatum
  • Lagurus ovatus
  • Briza maxima
  • Nasella tenuissima
  • Orlaya grandiflora
  • Ammi majus ‘Snowflace’
  • Gaura lindheimeri
  • Tanacetum parthenium
  • Cosmos ‘Gazebo White’
  • Trachymene coerulea
  • Verbena bonariensis ‘Lolipop’
  • Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Oxford Blue’
  • Nigella damascene
  • Centaurea cyanus (en blå)
  • Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sweet Kisses’
  • Escholzia californica
  • Calendula offinicalis ‘Neon’
  • Emilia Coccinea
  • solsikker

  Courtyard

  • Dolichos lablab ‘Ruby Moon’
  • Ipomoea purpurea ‘Dolce Vita’
  • Eucalyptus cinerea ‘Silver Dollar’
  • Dahlia Mystic Dreamer
  • Plectranthus argenthatus ‘Silver Shield’
  • Nicotiana Whisper Appelblossom
  • Hibiscus acetosella ‘Red Shield’
  • Amaranthus cruenthus ‘Oeschberg’
  • Verbena rigida ´Santos´
  • Gaura lindheimerii ‘Lollipop Pink’
  • Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’
  • Cynara cardunculus ‘Violet De Provence’
  • Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’
  • Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’
  • Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Oxford Blue’
  • Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’
  • Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’
  • Pottenellik Capitan Diaz
  • Hordeum jubatum
  • Salvia argentea
  • Pentas lanceolate Nothern Lights Lavender

  In Front of Urbygningen (Towards Storplenen)

  • Scabiosa atropurpurea Black Night
  • Ammi majus Snowflake
  • Zinnia elegans Zinderella Peach
  • Cosmos Sweet Kisses
  • Calendula officinalis Neon
  • Salvia farinacea Victoria
  • Hordeum jubatum
  • Setaria italica Lowlander
  • solsikker

  Mirror Beds

  • Echeveria elegans 520
  • Santolina chamaecyparissus
  • Dahlia Dalina Maxi Lopez
  • Euphorbia Diamond Frost
  • Begonia Freiland Peardrops
  • Sutera cordata ´Snowflake

  Pots

  • Burn
  • Pennicetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’
  • Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’
  • Tagetes ‘Strawberry’
  • Althernantera
  • Petunia ‘Cascadias Indian Summer’
  • Coleus Wizard ‘Sunset’
  • Bidens Beedance Painted Red
  • Cold
  • Althernantera
  • Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’
  • Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’