Heidi Klum's Garden Planting Pairs These 'Odd Bedfellows,' but a Master Gardener Says the Unusual Combination Creates a Dramatic Display
The combination of romantic roses and angular agave is unexpected but stunning in the supermodel's garden – and it's easier to maintain than you might think
There's nothing like an English rose garden, except for maybe a verdant succulent garden... but what if you didn't have to choose? Heidi Klum demonstrates the expansive possibilities in her garden, planting sprouting agave alongside traditional florals.
It's unusual to see these varied choices companion-planted alongside one another, but then again, Hedi Klum isn't afraid of an expected aesthetic (just check out her latest Met Gala look). She took to Instagram to share a video smelling the roses in her unexpectedly planted flower beds, and we were stunned. One glance shows that the plants are gorgeous together. However, differing needs often keep them apart.
Lucky for you, Homes & Gardens consulted with our in-house master gardener, Drew Swainston to get to the bottom of how you can care for these plants alongside one another, so they can thrive as we see in Heidi Klum's garden. With Drew's advice, plus our edit of the perfect plants to recreate the look, you will have a supermodel-approved garden in no time. Let's jump in.
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Recreate Heidi's Planting at Home
These flexible gardening gloves are dual sided, making it easy to slip them on to garden at any time. Even better, they are machine washable. At $3 a pair, you won't find a better bargain for something this good.
This set is perfect for beginners, including all the tools you need to get started on gardening this spring at an affordable price point. They are fade, rust, and weather resistant.
If we are looking for a plant to add dramatic presence to our garden, this Octopus Agave will fit the bill. It grows with grace and beauty before blooming at full maturity.
These English roses are own root, so they bloom abundantly, stay hardy, and remain true to their variety, making them ideal for creating a classic English rose garden that thrives year after year.
These climbing roses grow 5 to 10 inches tall without a pot, with flower colors ranging from light to dark shades depending on the batch. They fill your garden with rich fragrance and quickly leaf out and bloom once planted and established.
This light pink rose is bursting with life and citrusy scent, grounded in lush, dark green foliage. It would be gorgeous paired with a tall green agave plant, as seen in Heidi Klum's garden.
If you are looking for a striking, yet challening garden combination, Heidi's picks are the ideal option. Drew states: 'Roses and agave are odd bedfellows, but they do make a striking combination in the flower bed, with the gentle romantic blooms against the dramatic architectural spikes. If you want to try this unique blend at home, it is worth remembering that the two plants do have differing requirements.'
However, it's important to balance the needs of growing agave with those of your roses. Drew explains: 'In particular, roses are hardier than the agave. There are some cold-hardy agave species, though even those may need to be lifted and overwintered indoors in colder climates. In frost-prone areas, an agave will need protecting or moving, so it could be an idea to grow it in a container that you can sink into a flower bed come summer and move back indoors once the temperatures drop.'
Though we can't see a planter in Heidi's garden, container gardening is your best bet for making this combination last long term. Drew continues: 'Agave also prefers drier conditions, especially compared to the consistently moist soils that roses thrive in. Agaves can rot sitting in wet soil for too long. Again, planting the agave in a container and adding it to the bed allows you to create an environment with a drier soil mix.'
When planting this combination, it's imperative to take certain precautions and plan. Drew advises: 'One way they match is that both plants like a sunny spot, somewhere they can get at least six hours of sunlight per day. If you do grow this combination, thornproof gloves and long sleeves are a must. Whether it is the spikes of the agave or the thorns of the roses, you will be thankful for the protection.'
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Heidi's garden is proof that sometimes, the most unusual plant combinations are the best. With proper planning and care, you needn't be intimidated by clashing requirements.
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Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.
In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.
Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.