Pastel coloured plants are a quiet signature of Nordic garden design; they soften the landscape, amplify the cool northern light, and create that unmistakable Scandinavian calm. They’re not used as bold focal points but as mood‑setters, blending into the natural environment rather than competing with it.
Nordic gardeners often mimic wild meadows: tall grasses mixed with pale pink yarrow, soft blue cornflowers, and creamy cow parsley. The effect is airy, light, and slightly nostalgic.
Herbaceous perennials
Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle) – A charming perennial herb that graces gardens with its unique foliage and delicate blossoms. Characterized by its soft, velvety, scalloped leaves that collect dewdrops like glistening jewels, this plant adds an ethereal quality to any landscape. In late spring and early summer, Alchemilla mollis produces clusters of tiny, chartreuse-yellow flowers held aloft on wiry stems. Its low-growing, mound-forming habit makes it an excellent ground cover, thriving in moist, well-drained soils. Beyond its ornamental appeal, folklore associates Lady’s Mantle with alchemical properties, lending a touch of mystique to this enchanting garden favourite.
Anemone Ruffled Swan (‘Macane007’) – A stunning perennial that produces elegant semi-double white flowers with a pale blue reverse and a vibrant yellow centre from summer to autumn. The blooms are held above tall, branched stems, creating a graceful and airy display in the garden. This variety forms a compact mound of dark green, lobed leaves. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil.
Agapanthus (African Lily) – A striking South African perennial known for its tall stems topped with large, spherical clusters of trumpet‑shaped blue, purple, or white flowers that bloom from mid‑ to late summer.
Bergenia ‘Harzkristall’ (Elephants Ears) – A tough, evergreen perennial prized for its bold foliage and delicate spring flowers. It forms large, glossy, mid-green leaves that can take on warm red or bronze tones in cooler weather, providing year-round structure and colour in the garden. In spring, upright stems carry clusters of pale pink to white, bell-shaped flowers that rise above the foliage and attract early pollinators.
Digitalis purpurea ‘Dalmatian Peach’ (Foxglove) – A compact, early‑flowering foxglove celebrated for its soft, peach‑coloured bells and reliable first‑year bloom. It’s a biennial or short‑lived perennial forming a neat rosette of downy green leaves and sending up upright spires of pendulous, funnel‑shaped flowers with delicate orange‑speckled throats.
Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican Fleabane) – Adaptability is a hallmark of this plant, thriving in various soil types and displaying remarkable resilience to drought conditions. Often used in gardens, hanging baskets, or as ground cover, Erigeron karvinskianus is celebrated for its low maintenance and ability to attract butterflies and bees, contributing to biodiversity. Its enduring bloom period, extending from spring to early autumn, enhances its popularity among gardeners seeking a resilient and aesthetically pleasing addition to their landscapes.
Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ – A long-flowering, evergreen perennial admired for its vibrant colour and exceptional garden performance. Producing masses of rich mauve-purple flowers over an extended season, often from spring through to autumn, it brings reliable colour and interest to borders and containers. Its slender grey-green foliage provides an attractive contrast to the vivid blooms, while its compact, bushy habit makes it easy to incorporate into mixed displays. Height and Spread 1m.
Geranium Rozanne (‘Gerwat’) – Geranium ‘Rozanne’ is a remarkable perennial geranium known for its prolific blooms and easy-going nature. This cultivar boasts large, violet-blue flowers adorned with white centers, creating a striking contrast against deeply lobed, glossy green foliage. The blooms of ‘Rozanne’ are sterile, meaning they do not produce seeds. This characteristic contributes to the plant’s exceptional longevity in bloom, as energy that would otherwise be directed toward seed production is channeled into continuous flower production. Cultivating this geranium is straightforward, as it thrives in well-drained soil and partial to full sun. A hardy plant, ‘Rozanne’ is resilient in various soil types and adapts well to garden borders, containers, or rock gardens.
Verbena bonariensis – A tall perennial prized for its slender stems topped with clusters of small, vibrant purple flowers from summer to autumn. The long-blooming flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, adding life and movement to the garden. Its open, upright habit makes it ideal for adding height and structure to the borders, while allowing lower-growing plants to flourish beneath. Thriving in full sun and moist but well drained soil, its graceful presence creates a relaxed, meadow-like feel in any garden. Height 2.5m Spread 50cm.
Shrubs
Cornus ‘Norman Hadden’ (Flowering Dogwood) – Cornus ‘Norman Hadden’ is a beautiful deciduous tree celebrated for its long-lasting floral display. In late spring to early summer, large creamy-white bracts mature to pink, creating an elegant and eye-catching show. Fresh green, oval leaves form a well-shaped canopy through summer before turning rich shades of red and purple in autumn. Decorative strawberry-like fruits may follow, adding further seasonal interest. Ideal as a specimen tree, Cornus ‘Norman Hadden’ prefers well-drained in full sun or partial shade. Height and Spread 4-8m.
Cornus × rutgersensis Stellar Pink (Flowering Dogwood) – Admired for its graceful form and showy, pink-tinged bracts. A cross between Cornus kousa and Cornus florida, this deciduous tree has exceptional beauty. In late spring, it produces large, overlapping bracts that transition from soft pink to deeper hues, surrounding a central cluster of tiny green flowers. Its lush, green foliage turns brilliant shades of red and purple in autumn. Ideal as a specimen or a focal point. Height 4-8m. Grow in well drained neutral to acidic soil in full sun or partial shade and shelter from cold drying winds.
Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’ (Mock Orange) – A beautiful flowering plant which is a member of the hydrangea family. Known for its large, showy and highly-scented flowers that bloom in the summertime, it’s relatively easy to care for and does not require much maintenance.
Syringa vulgaris (Common Lilac) – Native to the Balkans but long naturalised across Europe, especially in northern regions. It’s known for it’s long lifespan (decades, even centuries), heavily scented blooms, soft pastel colours and early summer flowering.
Spring Blossoming Trees
In many Scandinavian gardens there is a tradition of planting a deciduous tree in the middle of the garden as a place of reflection. In Swedish called it’s called a Vårdträd and in Norwegian a Tuntre. It has roots in the worship of the Norse gods. Find out more about our spring flowering trees <click here>
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