Spent the day in Enköping, Sweden learning about perennials, annuals and ornamental grasses. It was a grey day initially. Sadly it went from bad to worse, soon it was raining cats and dogs. How lucky wasn’t I that I had brought a raincoat? Even though the forecast had not actually forecasted rain. But weather aside, what a picturesque, bordering on perfect garden city Enköping is. In the pm the sun decided to show itself displaying the city in its full glory.
Before I attended today’s field trip I must confess I wasn’t all that familiar with Enköping and its wonderful green spaces. Now I’ve done my research and found out that the current green scene is due to a very fruitful collaboration between the local authority and Head Gardener Stefan Mattsson. What you see today is the result of the former’s recruitment of the latter in the early 1980s. Together they set out a mission to transform municipal green areas from ordinary to extraordinary.
The main transformation took place using trees and perennials. Trees were planted to create ambience and coherence and large swathes of perennial blooms replaced an earlier focus on annuals. Another innovation was to create so called “pocket parks”. Small, previously unused, spaces were transformed into cozy green spaces with seating and attractive garden designs.
Park and garden development is now ongoing – currently there are twenty something green spaces which can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. The latter group no doubt lured by all the greenery.
