Planting the Natural Garden
A guiding light in the international community of garden designers.
Booklist
Following on the success of Designing with Plants and Dream Plants for the Natural Garden, Piet Oudolf's landmark first book (co-authored by Henk Gerritsen), is now available in English. Thoroughly updated and revised, including several new chapters and many new photographs, it provides the definitive argument for the "natural garden." This updated edition of the book that started the "Dutch Wave," a movement that is now sweeping gardens from Europe to North America, shows how to plant a garden that can look wild but be tame at heart.
Hundreds of eye-catching plant combinations are explained in detail and provide ideas for every garden. The authors emphasize how gardeners can create moods and emotional responses with the deft use of themed plants. Foolproof lists and instructions for placing specific plants in particular garden habitats are included, as well as complete growing requirements. As ethereal, even lyrical, as these gardens and plants can seem to the eye, it is important to recognize that Oudolf and Gerritsen have chosen their plants for hardiness and suitability for garden habitats. These are tough plants that do not need to be pampered or coddled. The popularity of the "Dutch Wave," from England's Chelsea Garden Show to the healing garden at New York's World Trade Center has as much to do with the reliability and sturdiness of the plants as it does to their beauty and grace.
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 144 pp.
- Book dimensions: 9 x 10⅝ in. (230 x 270 mm.)
- Images: 183 color photos, 5 line drawings
- ISBN-10: 088192606X
- ISBN-13: 9780881926064
Media reviews
"Piet Oudolf ... the Dutch master of perennials"
—Anne Raver, New York Times
"A guiding light in the international community of garden designers."
—Booklist
"Throughout the book, all points are beautifully illustrated with excellent photographs. This book, like their others, is quite inspiring and applicable to all of our gardens."
—Bobbie Schwartz, Buckeye
"The writing is clear ... recommended for academic, special horticultural and larger public libraries."
—Elizabeth Evans, E-Streams
"Punchy plant information provides interesting insights ... If you are interested in contemporary herbaceous planting you should have a copy on your bookshelf."
—James Hitchmough, Plantsman
"Part inspiration and part reference ... Dive on in and catch the next new wave of garden design."
—Boox Review
"Authors Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen perfect the art of exterior decorating by explaining how to transform your yard with plants that reflect your personality ... Following their instruction, you can create year-round beauty around your home."
—O'Mama Report
"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
"Hundreds of eye-catching plant combinations are explained in detail and provide ideas for every garden. The authors emphasize how gardeners can create moods and emotional responses with the deft use of themed plants."
—Sorana Bucur, Sierra Heritage Magazine
"As an unabashed Piet Oudolf fan, I would enthusiastically encourage every gardener to buy any book bearing his name ... This volume continues to prod us to look beyond mere flower color."
—Julie Siegel, Chicago Botanic Garden
"If you are interested in contemporary herbaceous planting you should have a copy on your bookshelf."
—James Hitchmough, Garden (Peterborough)
"This book is sure to be popular with those who like a naturalistic planting style."
—Gardens Illustrated
About the authors
Piet Oudolf
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.
Henk Gerritsen
Henk Gerritsen is a well-known garden architect whose international projects include creating a wild flower garden from the formal Waltham Place garden at White Waltham in England, and incorporating a natural garden in and around the French hamlet of Leyvinie, close to Perpezac-le-Blanc in the Correze. He is a celebrated writer in the Netherlands with several books and monthly magazine columns to his name.
This book is no longer in print
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