Working primarily withperennials, 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][6]
Oudolf's overall approach to planting has evolved since the 1980s when he and his wife Anja opened their nursery, at Hummelo, inGelderland. 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 byecology. It was first introduced into Oudolf's public work in 2004 as part of theLurie Garden in Chicago. The approach can be seen in the New YorkHigh Line project.[6][7]
His own garden atHummelo, nearArnhem in theNetherlands, was established in 1982. It has gone through many changes, which reflect Oudolf's constantly developing designs.[14] Initially it was designed with a series of yew (Taxus baccata) hedges and blocks, reflecting Oudolf's architectural style which owed much toMien Ruys, the designer who dominated Dutch garden design in the post-war period.[citation needed]
TheHigh Line, New York City (20th Street, looking downtown)
Oudolf's work on theHigh 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.[6][15]
Dream Plants for the Natural Garden (2000) with Henk Gerritsen – originally published in the Netherlands under the titleMéér Droomplanten (1999)
Planting the Natural Garden (2003) with Henk Gerritsen, revised (2019) withNoel Kingsbury – originally published in the Netherlands under the titleDroomplanten (1992)
Planting Design: Gardens in Time and Space (2005) withNoel Kingsbury
Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf (2017) is a documentary directed by Thomas Piper following gardens designed by Piet Oudolf through five seasons.[18][19]
^"Naturalized perennial and bulb combinations offer elegant alternatives".American Nurseryman.206 (1): 34. July 2007.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.
