• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Alena Samoylenko

Alena Samoylenko

Sustainable gardening, plant combinations, practical gardening advise for beginners

  • Work with Me
  • Blog
    • Butterfly garden
    • Garden design ideas
    • Planting Plans and Plant Combinations
    • The Best Gardening Books
  • Downloads

Planting Plans and Plant Combinations

  • Planting Plans and Plant Combinations
  • No Comments

Designing Drought-Resilient Plantings: Knautia macedonica — A Plant That Needs to Be Understood, Not Simply Planted

Knautia macedonica is one of those perennials that quietly captures attention. Its beauty does not come from dramatic architectural flowers or a bold structural presence. Instead, it offers something much more subtle: lightness, movement, and a sense of natural...

Read
  • Planting Plans and Plant Combinations
  • No Comments

Designing Drought-Resilient Plantings: A Functional Layering Approach

Over the past several years, gardeners across Europe have experienced increasingly extreme weather conditions. Long periods of drought, unusually high summer temperatures, and in some regions even restrictions on watering private gardens have become part of the new reality....

Read
  • Planting Plans and Plant Combinations
  • No Comments

Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ vs. ‘Overdam’: Which One Should You Choose?

When designing a sunny border, one of the grasses I reach for most often is Calamagrostis × acutiflora. It belongs to a group of cool-season ornamental grasses that are incredibly reliable in the garden. Unlike many vigorous grasses, it...

Read
  • Planting Plans and Plant Combinations
  • No Comments

Deschampsia cespitosa in Garden Design: Growing Conditions, Care and Plant Combinations

Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted Hair Grass) is a plant that often sparks debate. Some gardeners admire its delicate texture, while others feel let down by its performance. In my experience, the issue is rarely the plant itself; it’s a failure to...

Read
  • Planting Plans and Plant Combinations
  • No Comments

Aster ‘Mönch’ in the Garden: Design Ideas and Plant Combinations

The full botanical name of this plant is Aster × frikartii ‘Mönch’.In this post, we’ll look at four practical ways to use this aster in the garden, suitable for different conditions and design styles. Key Plant Information Aster ‘Mönch’...

Read
  • Planting Plans and Plant Combinations
  • No Comments

Centranthus ruber (Red Valerian) and Astrantia major: A Striking Yet Simple Pairing

One of my favorite plant combinations is Centranthus and Astrantia. These two perennials complement each other so naturally that at the peak of flowering, it’s impossible to look away. In this border, the Astrantia was already growing — likely...

Read
  • Planting Plans and Plant Combinations
  • No Comments

Salvia nemorosa ‘Amethyst’: Four Ready-to-Use Planting Schemes

Among the many cultivars of Salvia nemorosa, ‘Amethyst’ stands out as one of the most versatile perennials for modern flower borders. Its soft pink-lilac color integrates effortlessly into a wide range of planting palettes, while its naturally wide, well-branched...

Read
  • Butterfly garden
  • No Comments

Companion Plants for Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’: 3 Planting Schemes

If someone asked me to recommend a reliable, low-maintenance shrub for a sunny spot — one that flowers generously and asks for very little in return — Buddleja ‘Miss Molly’ would be one of the first plants to come...

Read
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Next
Perennial Combinations Workbook Designing a Perennial Garden Underneath a Tree How to Create a Gravel Garden Workbook Companion Plants for Hydrangeas
  • Work with Me
  • Blog
  • Downloads
Copyright © 2026 Alena SamoylenkoBack to Top