I have visited a preserved monastic garden several times. This garden with perennial flower beds is located in Breda in the south of the Netherlands. If you have opportunity to watch the perennial beds at weekly intervals, you can see how beautifully their colours and structures are converted and how their beauty culminates with the arrival of autumn.

This garden has retained its spirit of place and monastic houses are still inhabited by nuns who take care of its beauty as it used be in the past.

Place that seem frozen in time. There’s a magically designed space for individual families of the perennials. Many of them can be used in the kitchen recipes, as well as the medicinal herbs. As I mentioned, garden retains its original state and judging, according to the range of products and it retains also its purpose. All plants can be consumed or used during whole growing season year.

The origin of the monastery gardens is associated with the Middle Ages, when the farming and the gardening hold economic independence of the monastic complexes, as well as guaranteed medical care for people around them.

Renaissance of the perennials is already the new way of thinking and I’m very grateful for this. I recommend to plant perennials in all garden because of their variability, stability and easy maintenance. There are many guides how some species can be utilized and one article is not enough to describe their amazing features.

I invite you to view a gallery of photos that I took during the visit, and if you need advice with perennials, I am glad to help to choose the right species.