Piet Oudolf documents twenty-three of the landscape designer's most celebrated public and private gardens, mapping a design philosophy that treats plant structure — not colour — as the foundation of enduring, ecologically grounded landscapes.
About This Book
This volume makes the case for Piet Oudolf's New Perennial planting movement through direct encounter with its finest built work. Rather than prescribing a gardening manual, it traces the logic behind Oudolf's approach: a rejection of colour-dependent, high-maintenance schemes in favour of perennials selected for their structure, seasonal transformation, and ecological fit. From the High Line in New York City to Il Giardino delle Vergini at the Venice Biennale, each project is contextualised through Noël Kingsbury's clear, informed text and Oudolf's own planting plans — making this essential reading for landscape architects, garden designers, and anyone working at the intersection of design and the natural environment.
Key Features
- 282 pages of full-colour photography and detailed planting plans across twenty-three public and private gardens
- Text by Noël Kingsbury; planting plans by Piet Oudolf
- Notable projects include the High Line and the Battery (New York City), the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park (Chicago), Wisley RHS Garden (Surrey), Pensthorpe Gardens (Norfolk), and Il Giardino delle Vergini at the 2010 Venice Biennale
- Published by Thames & Hudson, 2010
What You'll Discover
- How Oudolf uses plant structure — form, texture, and seasonal decay — as the primary design criterion, prioritising longevity over short-lived colour bursts
- The role of perennials across their full life cycle, from emergence through to winter dormancy, as a design resource rather than a maintenance liability
- How large-scale public landscapes such as the High Line are designed to relate to their specific urban and ecological contexts
- How detailed planting plans translate design intention into replicable frameworks applicable to both intimate private gardens and expansive public commissions
About the Author
Piet Oudolf is a Dutch garden and landscape designer widely recognised as a leading figure in the New Perennial planting movement. His work spans major public landscapes across Europe and North America, including the High Line in New York City and the Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millennium Park. Noël Kingsbury, who contributes the text, is an author and horticulturist known for his writing on naturalistic planting and garden design.
Specifications
- Format: Softcover
- Pages: 282
- Dimensions: 292 x 230 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9780500289464
- Publisher: Thames & Hudson
- Publication Date: 2010
Perfect For: Landscape architects, garden designers, horticulturalists, and design students with an interest in naturalistic planting, ecological landscape design, and the New Perennial movement.