Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Dream Landscapes: 10 Perennial Gardens Inspired by Piet Oudolf

Search

Start typing to search...

Search
Muhly GrassesIssue 27 — Practical Magic

Dream Landscapes: 10 Perennial Gardens Inspired by Piet Oudolf

October 28, 2019

Considered “the most influential garden designer of the past 25 years,” Dutch plantsman Piet Oudolf has done for perennial gardening what artist Leonard Koren did for the concept of wabi-sabi: popularized and modernized an under-the-radar movement. Oudolf’s approach to planting extends beyond the technical to concepts of composition, time and temporality, repetition, and contrast. His goal is to create “dream landscapes.”

While Oudolf cites designer Mien Ruys as his primary inspiration, it’s he who put her “New Perennial Movement” into motion on a global scale. Consider, for instance, New York City’s High Line, London’s Serpentine Gallery Pavillon, and a large-scale matrix planting project underway in Japan.

The designer’s perspective is so pervasive that the first glance of a lyrical garden has us thinking “Piet” every time. Here we’ve gathered 10 dreamscapes of soft grasses and four-season garden beds, each with a decidedly Oudolfian attitude.

Landscape architect firm Nelson Byrd Woltz designed \2\2 acres in Virginia with native species in mind. One is Pink Muhly Grass, a feathery varietal that creates a pink wash across the horizon when it&#8\2\17;s in bloom. Photograph by Eric Piasecki/OTTO.
Above: Landscape architect firm Nelson Byrd Woltz designed 22 acres in Virginia with native species in mind. One is Pink Muhly Grass, a feathery varietal that creates a pink wash across the horizon when it’s in bloom. Photograph by Eric Piasecki/OTTO.
A Napa Valley vineyard retreat is complete with surrounding gardens by San Francisco-based Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture. The garden was planted with, as the designer say, &#8\2\20;seasonal color and strategic circulation,&#8\2\2\1; with narrow wooden pathways reminiscent of Ouldolf&#8\2\17;s Lurie Garden in Chicago. Photograph courtesy of Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture.
Above: A Napa Valley vineyard retreat is complete with surrounding gardens by San Francisco-based Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture. The garden was planted with, as the designer say, “seasonal color and strategic circulation,” with narrow wooden pathways reminiscent of Ouldolf’s Lurie Garden in Chicago. Photograph courtesy of Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture.
Designer Julie Farris&#8\2\17; own private garden is a version of New York City&#8\2\17;s High Line scaled to fit a rooftop in Brooklyn. Photograph by Sophia Moreno-Bunge for Gardenista.
Above: Designer Julie Farris’ own private garden is a version of New York City’s High Line scaled to fit a rooftop in Brooklyn. Photograph by Sophia Moreno-Bunge for Gardenista.
 A native of northern Italy, Turin-based landscape architect Cristiana Ruspa of Giardino Segreto creates the sorts of gardens you see in a dream, with hazy swaths of color against a distant horizon. Photograph by Dario Fusaro courtesy of Cristiana Ruspa.
Above: A native of northern Italy, Turin-based landscape architect Cristiana Ruspa of Giardino Segreto creates the sorts of gardens you see in a dream, with hazy swaths of color against a distant horizon. Photograph by Dario Fusaro courtesy of Cristiana Ruspa.
A meadow of red fescue grass creates a hazy, romantic focal point in the distance in a former cornfield on Long Island. For more of this landscape by La Guardia Design Group, see Dune Story: A Postmodern Masterpiece Saved from the Sea. Photograph courtesy of La Guardia Design Group.
Above: A meadow of red fescue grass creates a hazy, romantic focal point in the distance in a former cornfield on Long Island. For more of this landscape by La Guardia Design Group, see Dune Story: A Postmodern Masterpiece Saved from the Sea. Photograph courtesy of La Guardia Design Group.
From Cristiana Ruspa of Giardino Segreto, a garden of delicate Mediterranean ornamentals at Rocca Civalieri Hotel and Spa in northern Italy. For more. see Rehab Diaries: Resurrection of a Medieval Nobleman&#8\2\17;s Garden. Photograph by Dario Fusaro courtesy of Cristiana Ruspa.
Above: From Cristiana Ruspa of Giardino Segreto, a garden of delicate Mediterranean ornamentals at Rocca Civalieri Hotel and Spa in northern Italy. For more. see Rehab Diaries: Resurrection of a Medieval Nobleman’s Garden. Photograph by Dario Fusaro courtesy of Cristiana Ruspa.
A minimalist garden by Edmund Hollander is a singular approach to borders of perennial grass. For more see our post Required Reading: The Private Oasis.
Above: A minimalist garden by Edmund Hollander is a singular approach to borders of perennial grass. For more see our post Required Reading: The Private Oasis.
Grass guru John Greenlee paints with plants. Muhlenbergia rigens (at R) is a native California bunch grass that grows quickly and sends up a \2-foot-high haze of fronds. For more, see Expert Advice: 8 Tips for a Meadow Garden. Photograph courtesy of Greenlee and Associates.
Above: Grass guru John Greenlee paints with plants. Muhlenbergia rigens (at R) is a native California bunch grass that grows quickly and sends up a 2-foot-high haze of fronds. For more, see Expert Advice: 8 Tips for a Meadow Garden. Photograph courtesy of Greenlee and Associates.
 Another of Greenlee&#8\2\17;s meadow planting schemes is a mix of Carex pansa (on the path), Pennisetum spathiolatum (at R), and Spartina bakeri (L). Photograph courtesy of Greenlee and Associates.
Above: Another of Greenlee’s meadow planting schemes is a mix of Carex pansa (on the path), Pennisetum spathiolatum (at R), and Spartina bakeri (L). Photograph courtesy of Greenlee and Associates.
Adam Woodruff & Associates of St. Louis, Missouri won the Gardenista Considered Design Awards Best Professional Landscape with a project in Girard, Illinois. Judge Flora Grubb noted: “The garden at Jones Road doesn’t so much borrow the surrounding landscape as collect it. The plantings near the house evoke the spirit of the long view, but with an intensified palette that remains prairie–subtle and intoxicating.” Photograph of Adam Woodruff & Associates.
Above: Adam Woodruff & Associates of St. Louis, Missouri won the Gardenista Considered Design Awards Best Professional Landscape with a project in Girard, Illinois. Judge Flora Grubb noted: “The garden at Jones Road doesn’t so much borrow the surrounding landscape as collect it. The plantings near the house evoke the spirit of the long view, but with an intensified palette that remains prairie–subtle and intoxicating.” Photograph of Adam Woodruff & Associates.

To get the Oudolf look in your garden:

Finally, get more ideas on how to plant, grow, and care for various perennial plants with our Perennials: A Field Guide.

(Visited 18,823 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

Trending on Remodelista: Beautiful Basics

October 25, 2019
Next Post

10 Easy Pieces: Stylish Kitchen Compost Pails

October 29, 2019

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

Related Stories

Read all recent posts

join us on Instagram Logo

gardenista_sourcebook

Sourcebook for Cultivated Living, sister site to @remodelista
Tag us using #gardenista 🌿🌱

Gardens & Outdoor Living

v5.0

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack