Piet Oudolf Explained

Piet Oudolf
Birth Date:27 October 1944
Birth Place:Haarlem, Netherlands
Nationality:Dutch
Known For:Garden design

Piet Oudolf (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈpeet' ˈʌudɔl(ə)f/; born 27 October 1944) is a Dutch garden designer, nurseryman and author. He is a leading figure of the "New Perennial" movementhis designs and plant compositions using bold drifts of herbaceous perennials and grasses which are chosen at least as much for their structure as for their flower color.

Design philosophy

Working primarily with perennials, Oudolf practices a naturalistic approach to gardening. Taking a cue from architectural design, Oudolf prioritizes the seasonal life cycle of the plants over decorative considerations like flowers or colours. He focuses primarily on structural characteristics, such as leaf or seed pod shape, present before and after a plant has flowered.[1] [2] [3] He explains: "A garden is exciting for me when it looks good through out the year, not just at one particular time. I want to go outside and for it to be interesting in seasons, in early spring and late autumn."[4]

The stability of perennials after planting are key to Oudolf's designs, especially the use of long-lived clump-forming species. The result are gardens that persist in their planned state years after being planted, with little deviation from Oudolf's hand drawn maps.[5]

Oudolf's overall approach to planting has evolved since the 1980s when he and his wife Anja opened their nursery, at Hummelo, in Gelderland. His early work with perennials consisted of block-type groupings based on structure and texture. More recently Oudolf's gardens have experimented with a variety of approaches which, broadly speaking, are more naturalistic, often using blends of species. The change in style has been described as a shift from a painter's perspective to one informed by ecology. It was first introduced into Oudolf's public work in 2004 as part of the Lurie Garden in Chicago. The approach can be seen in the New York High Line project. [6] [7]

Projects

His own garden at Hummelo, near Arnhem in the Netherlands, was established in 1982. It has gone through many changes, which reflect Oudolf's constantly developing designs. Initially it was designed with a series of yew (Taxus baccata) hedges and blocks, reflecting Oudolf's architectural style which owed much to Mien Ruys, the designer who dominated Dutch garden design in the post-war period.

High Line (2006)

Oudolf's work on the High Line relied heavily on plants native to the region. A matrix of grasses with perennials grouped throughout was used to convey how the plants grow and intermingle in the wild.[14]

Published works

Film

Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf (2017) is a documentary directed by Thomas Piper following gardens designed by Piet Oudolf through five seasons.[16] [17]

Awards

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Patel. Riya. Piet Oufolf. Icon. 22 May 2016. 23 February 2015.
  2. Web site: Sorin. Fran. Piet Oudolf – Rhythms of Nature: Where Ecology Meets Design. ecology.com. Ecology Today. 22 May 2016. 20 September 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20160126064157/http://www.ecology.com/2011/09/20/piet-oudolf-ecology-meets-design/. 26 January 2016. dead.
  3. Naturalized perennial and bulb combinations offer elegant alternatives. American Nurseryman. July 2007. 206. 1. 34. Oudolf likes to use the architecture, i.e. size, shape, color and texture, of plants to build the bones of a garden. He often opts for plants with interesting berries or seedpods, believing that plants should look good in more than one season, which is why a classic Oudolf garden looks as interesting in the winter as it does in the summer..
  4. News: Piet Oudolf at home in the garden. 22 May 2016. The English Garden. 3 February 2015.
  5. News: Pearson. Dan. Growing Wild. 24 May 2016. The Observer. 7 April 2013.
  6. News: Stuart-Smith. Tom. Dutch master: the garden design genius of Piet Oudolf. 23 May 2016. The Telegraph. 4 May 2013.
  7. Web site: Kingsbury. Noel. Piet Oudolf's Next Wave. gardendesign.com. Garden Design Magazine. 23 May 2016.
  8. Web site: 'The making of' de Singer Oudolf beeldentuin Singer Laren. Peppered. www.singerlaren.nl. nl. 2018-06-13.
  9. Web site: About the Vlinderhof. vlinderhof.com. 23 May 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160608173248/http://www.vlinderhof.com/en/about-vlinderhof/. 8 June 2016. dmy-all.
  10. Web site: Garden. Hauser & Wirth Somerset. 23 May 2016.
  11. News: Fortnam. Joanna. Piet Oudolf's garden at the Serpentine Gallery pavilion. 24 May 2016. The Telegraph. 29 June 2011.
  12. Web site: Entry Garden Walk. Toronto Botanical Garden. 23 May 2016.
  13. Kingsbury, N. (2017, October). Trentham stands triumphant. RHS The Garden, 142(10), 30–37.
  14. News: Kingsbury. Noel. A Wilder Way. 23 May 2016. T Magazine. New York Times. 10 April 2013.
  15. http://www.timberpress.com/books/planting/oudolf/9781604693706 Planting: A New Perspective
  16. Web site: Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf review – art of a Dutch master. Guardian News and Media. 15 September 2019.
  17. Web site: Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf. IMDB. 15 September 2019.
  18. Web site: Twenty-Second Annual Awards for Excellence in Design, July 12, 2004. NYC. NYC Design. 7 June 2016.
  19. Web site: Bakker. Michael. Piet Oudolf: New Perennials Legend. tuinenstruinen.org. 7 June 2016. 29 June 2013.
  20. Web site: The King and Queen visit the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show. Royal.uk. the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace. 22 May 2023.

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