Garden visit: Classic and timeless garden at Therese's
Outdoor plants and garden
In Therese's charming garden, traditional wood, slate, and black steel are mixed with lush flower beds and romantic bouquets. Join us for a visit to Therese in Hosle, Bærum.













Written by: Kristin Tanderø Brekke
- aka @hagebonanza, garden-crazy writer and content producer who has visited over 100 of Norway's most beautiful outdoor spaces to spread gardening joy and inspiration.

Written by: Tanja Hauge Reine
- aka @rekkehusbonden, copywriter, content producer and gardening enthusiast who is passionate about the joy of growing, with a love for everything edible.
Kristin Tanderø Brekke,,@hagebonanza,,Tanja Hauge Reine,,@rekkehusbonden
A short overview of the garden
Garden owner: Therese Penne Rusten, @so_far_so_garden on Instagram, her husband Jo, and their children Mathilde and Sondre,Garden: Semi-detached house with outdoor space in classical style of around 300 sqm,Hardiness zone: Hosle in Bærum, H3-H4,Therese and her husband Jo have built the garden from scratch. There were a few trees here, otherwise they have landscaped and planted everything themselves."I drew inspiration from my own childhood in the process. Lilacs and peonies were the first plants I put in place. They smell of upbringing and remind me of long, bright summer evenings, overnight stays in the playhouse, and rabbits hopping freely around in my childhood garden," she says.
Therese smells of childhood memories, bright summer evenings, and sleepovers in the playhouse. Therefore, this was one of the first perennials she planted in her own garden.
Forever cherished
The patio is designed to fit the traditional, white wooden house from the 50s and the neighborhood, which is why they have both old apple trees and classic, Norwegian bushes like mock orange and cotoneaster. Enjoyment! Being able to decorate the table and cakes for the summer party with flowers from your own garden is pure luxury.
There are 5 tips
Therese's favorite perennials in June, Geranium 'Rozanne', catmint, feverfew, sweet peas and Japanese anemone 'Wild Swan' provide a lot of long-lasting blooms for the money from June all the way until the frost arrives.,Create curiosity with height,With trees, you can create excitement and living roofs and walls in the outdoor space. Curiosity is aroused when you can't see the entire garden at once. Therese has an apple tree, ornamental cherry tree, and ornamental pear tree. They all contribute with a beautiful flowering in the spring.,Romantic entrance,A lush garden arch at the entrance emphasizes where the outdoor space begins. On Therese's arch grow two plants of clematis 'Summer Snow'. This is a vigorous climbing plant with a long flowering period that is easy to succeed with.,Timeless color expression,By choosing a classic color palette such as white, pink, and purple, the expression will last a long time, and there is a high chance that you will enjoy the style for many years. If you want more color in some seasons, you can easily add annual summer flowers.,Repeat materials to create harmony,Materials in wood, slate, and black steel tie Therese's garden rooms together and create a sense of calm in the expression and a common thread. Slate tiles run through the lawn, and black steel is used in lanterns and on the bench of the outdoor kitchen. Wood is used as a base, for planters, and in the framework of the pergola. It provides a natural and timeless expression, lots of character and charm.,The pots are overflowing at Therese's, who has chosen a classic color palette with white, pink, and purple.
Pergola joy
A romantic garden arch overgrown with clematis 'Summer Snow' leads into the garden. During the summer, the climbing plants will cover the entire arch and form a cloud of white, small flowers.
From here, a garden path winds through the lawn past a pergola surrounded by beds of sun-loving perennials and summer flowers. A climbing grapevine and vining 'Susanne with the black eye' wind up the pergola and will create lively, lush ceilings and walls throughout the summer. Life under the cozy pergola roof is beautiful in the summer. This is the family's favorite reading nook. They also sometimes hang up mosquito nets and sleep outside on the comfortable daybed.
Therese has arranged the garden so that the flowering follows each other from spring to autumn. June is the peak season for several bushes. Mock orange and lilacs are among those that contribute to a flower party and lovely scent right now. "I choose plants that are beautiful to look at, that make me happy, and that attract insects," says Therese. An old wine crate adds classic nostalgia. It is hung on the wall and used as a shelf for the summer flower 'Silver Falls' and a garden bouquet.
Traditional perennials such as columbine, sage, catmint, and peonies are mixed with newer varieties such as anise hyssop, feverfew, and silver laceflower. She has pre-cultivated the summer flowers indoors since January, and both cosmos, sweet peas, sunflowers, and giant verbena have been planted where she has found available gaps in the flower beds. Some of them are also planted to camouflage the children's trampoline as much as possible. Soon they will create a lush flower display where Therese can go crazy with the scissors and make bouquets. On the terrace, there is a pot bonanza. Therese chooses plants that make both her and the insects happy. Here grow among other things mountain ash, lavender, anemone, and Russian sage. - The genius of having perennials in pots is that they can be moved around.
Plant tips for classic style
Do you like Therese's style? Here are suggestions for plants you can use in the garden to achieve the classic style.,,Columbine, Catmint, Russian Sage, Hardy Geranium 'Rozanne', Japanese Anemone 'Wild Swan', White Sage, Peony, Tanacetum, Sweet Pea, Heuchera, Mock Orange, Lilac,Tip! If you cut back catmint, sage, and heuchera after the first bloom, they will bloom again in late summer.,The perennials catmint, columbine, and camassia are lovely and create romantic vibes in the bed.
Wonderful summer life
On the terrace there are wooden crates full of dahlia bulbs. They don't look like much now, but come late summer, these will turn into a dense blooming hedge with large flower heads - so beautiful that it almost doesn't look real. It's just a matter of being patient. A charming rope swing with cushions hangs in an old apple tree, creating a space to retreat with a good book under the roof of the protective tree crown. From here, they can see the garden from a new angle and have a good overview of all the areas connected by wood, slate tiles, and black steel. In the rope swing hanging in the old apple tree, it's lovely to dangle a little and hit the pause button.
The family often have dinner in the outdoor kitchen during the summer, with easy access to herbs and other ingredients. Salads and desserts are often garnished with colorful edible flowers from the garden. As twilight falls, Therese likes to light candles in all the lanterns placed around the outdoor space. - It's wonderful to have such easy access to a great nature experience and bird songs. Just open the patio door. We feel very fortunate. Therese enjoys moving the kitchen out into the greenery in the summer. Herbs and tomatoes in pots contribute to locally sourced cooking.
TEXT AND PHOTO,,Kristin Tanderø Brekke, aka @hagebonanza, garden enthusiast writer and content producer who has visited over 100 of Norway's most beautiful outdoor spaces to spread garden joy and inspiration.,,,Tanja Hauge Reine, aka @rekkehusbonden, garden enthusiast and writer who is passionate about the joy of growing, with a preference for everything that can be eaten.
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Outdoor plants and garden