A guiding light in the international community of garden designers, Oudolf teams up with Gerritsen, a leading garden writer in the Netherlands, to present their stylistic approach to natural gardening. Gardeners wishing to ride the so-called Dutch Wave will find here a key to essential components, and Oudolf defines his aesthetic in an exuberant intermingling of tough yet showy plants. Perennial standbys like achilleas and artemisias feature, along with such common herbs as borage and bee balm. Named cultivars and specific species are highlighted to indicate the very best specimens for the ultimate in visual interest, and mixing it up is what it's all about, along with year-round beauty and benefit. Grasses appear prominently, bringing to the fore highly textural forms and gorgeous inflorescences. Various habitats are addressed, including arid and moist alpine, with a further range of situations covering ornamental gardening trends, and helpful listings of plant properties. All in all, Oudolf and Gerritsen offer a savory sourcebook. Alice Joyce
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"Piet Oudolf ... the Dutch master of perennials"
—Anne Raver, New York Times, July 15, 2004 (The New York Times)
"Anyone who longs to move beyond the basics will marvel at this book for its fresh notion of a natural garden that holds up without looking weedy."
—Ann Shayne, BookPage, March 2004 (BookPage)
"A guiding light in the international community of garden designers."
—Booklist, December 1, 2003 (Booklist)
Book Description
Piet Oudolf's landmark first book (coauthored by Henk Gerritsen) is now available in English. Thoroughly updated and revised, it provides the definitive argument for the "natural garden." Hundreds of eye-catching plant combinations are explained in detail and provide ideas for every garden. As ethereal, even lyrical, as these gardens and plants can seem to the eye, these are tough plants that do not need to be pampered or coddled.
About the Author
Piet Oudolf is a native of Holland and originally studied to be an architect. Instead of designing buildings he became the founder of New Wave planting, a movement which takes inspiration from nature but employs artistic skill in creating planting schemes. As a plantsman, his aim is to emphasize the form, texture, and natural harmony of plants, and as a skilled plant breeder, he creates new varieties for these and other specific design purposes. His style is the result of the influence of various horticultural traditions such as the combination of Dutch formality and naturalistic planting styles.
