Jonatan Bengta - Nature Garden & Design

Hjem
Danmark
Hornbæk
Jonatan Bengta - Nature Garden & Design

Biodiversitet - Landskabsdesign - Totalentrprise

09/09/2026

A great garden is:

1. A living system you do not want to leave.
2. A dynamic gift shop with constant surprises.
3. A beautiful world made by hands, not computers.

We are into our 4th year of this lovely garden by the northern coast of Zealand. After designing the garden from scratch, we took on the entreprise and built the garden around a natural lake with runoff water from the roof. More than 100 metres of winding paths takes you through combined steppe, prairie, wetland and woodland plantings.

Last fall, we added new dry-garden layers of stones, gravel, and plants to support the mosaic principle and extend summer flowering.

MORE about the place:

The garden has been sown and planted with 60–70% endemic species. A long-lasting, steppe- and meadow-inspired landscape designed to support the full life cycle of butterflies, solitary bees, amphibians and many others.

Gardens as ecological systems and bio-corridors are still underestimated in Denmark. We are deeply convinced of their importance. For biodiversity, learning, and for creating beautiful designs that truly serve and engage visitors.

The more experience we gain, the clearer it becomes: designing and gardening are inseparable. A great garden design is a process.

01/09/2026

Never been this nervous with a guest before.
She came all the way from southern part of Jutland.
She’s never been reckles. Not with cleaning, gardening, cooking, clothing, appearance or - most of all, her wholehearted curios presence.
My 95-year old grandmother Ingrid.
First thing she mentions “I see you’ve mowed the lawn (reads: good job)”. Then she fell in love with a Salvia yangii and I had to grab her, to not fall into my moat (as Molly Mullane calls it. Thanks Molly, I really like your rat-hole too).
Is it me, or is she smiling on photo no. 2?

31/08/2026

I wonder if my entrance design will ever last more than a year? Like planted beds, it now feels natural to disturb it for me. Break it down like a lazy body in a gym. Do I need to push it or settle and rest?

It’s an interesting debate altogether. We talk about long lasting designs and construction, but nothing really is permanent, right? And it’s not like our mindsets are “settling in”, honestly?

Maybe we should all be more accepting of our nature. Build only with simple reusable blocks and materials. I don’t see how this whole idea of permanence and low maintenance will “make us free”, really.

The “farmland” understanding of life is ultimately our biggest challenge, as we then settle and insist. We prevent the beauty and gifts of a dynamic landscape. We forget how to travel and explore.
You’re taking it a bit too far Jonatan. It’s a bunch of fancy tiles. Calm down.

23/08/2026

Volcanon, Innocent Satan or Blood Money maybe?
I haven’t decided for a name yet.
These are Rudbeckia hirtas in my Hornbæk garden.
I’ve achieved the volcanic, reddish-brown look through rigorous selection from year to year.
I love them paired with purple and grey. They bloom for months and leave behind the most beautiful black seed pods for the winter.

19/08/2026

3 september hos

Havedesign i mosaikhaven.

Få mine bedste hacks til:

- Smukke tørketålende beplantninger på tværs af sæsoner
- Biodiversitet som strukturel og æstetisk løsning
- Vandmiljø og mine favoritplanter
- Grusbeplantninger
- Prydgræsser og vinterhaven
- Genoplivning af kedelige træer
- Et opgør med gødning og vanding

Billetter i bio

12/08/2026

What does your dream garden feel like?

Tomorrow I’m heading out for a new design and consultation job in Fredensborg. The client sent me a couple of lines prior to our meeting. I really think this one deserves to stand out on its own with all its child-like beauty and openness:

“One of the greatest pleasures in my life is walking in circles while listening to music and thinking. Being able to walk around the garden - along small, winding paths connecting the many different garden areas, surrounded by the most beautiful scenery - would be a dream come true for me.”

Photos in the post from my own Hornbæk garden yesterday.

11/08/2026

It’s dry, so we are making it drier?

Yes and no. Mostly, we are being realistic and responding to the microclimate we actually have here at Metropolis gardens in Copenhagen.

This is a site surrounded by water, concrete and hard surfaces, with very little available nutrient in the soil. It is exposed, warm and increasingly dry. So rather than fighting those conditions, we are designing with them.

Unlike a traditional Danish garden climate, it’s more reminiscent of a Central European steppe. And a heat often approaching what we associate with Southern European climates.

The last photo shows my favorite part. It is not a bad situation. In April this will be covered with Violas, Salvia pratensis, Lamium, Bellis and more. A super diverse and flower rich, partly open ground packed with insects.

08/08/2026

Come join me tomorrow Sunday night for a live session through my Hornbæk garden. 20pm.

How do we maintain a wilder garden while still keeping it visually appealing thoughout the year?
Do we water anything during drought and what does it mean to garden with complexity and disturbance opposed to classic weeding and no replanting?

Send me your questions, please.

And don’t forget to get tickets for my talk - in Danish - at on Sept 3.

22/07/2026

I can’t get enough of Bornholm.
After working with for 2 years soon, I’ve gotten to know more and more hidden gems. The island holds several endangered species only found here. Ironically, the old quarries are some of my favorite nature spots in Denmark. It really challenges the whole discussion and idea of prestine nature, eco-restoration and novel nature.
Here’s a couple of shots from last week. And a few from Sommerlunden too.

19/07/2026

From my Hornbæk garden. This moment of wind, clouded late sun and a couple of Italian girls playing somewhere in the streets.

Adresse

Solvej
Hornbæk
3100

Telefon

+4530252269

Internet side

http://www.jonatanbengta.dk/

Underretninger

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