{"id":10138,"date":"2020-01-29T02:59:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T16:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardens.theownerbuildernetwork.co\/?p=10138"},"modified":"2025-10-30T21:17:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T11:17:42","slug":"how-to-design-a-garden-ala-piet-oudulf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/2020\/01\/29\/how-to-design-a-garden-ala-piet-oudulf\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Design a Garden ala Piet Oudulf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Piet Oudulf is famous. One might even say he is to landscape design what Mick Jagger is to rock n\u2019 roll. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strangers call the Dutch designer by his first name.\nJournalists jostle for an interview. And people flock to his gardens as they would\na rock concert, whether it\u2019s the High Line in New York or the Olympic Park in\nStratford. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of Oudulf\u2019s gardens are in chic locations or attached to big-name architects, but the reason people return again and again is his planting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The signature Oudolf style calls for drifts of grasses, perfectly suitable perennials, and garden beds that look beautiful even in the depths of winter.
(Photo: Esther Westerveld\/Flickr) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dynamic, Playful, and Breathtaking Designs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oudulf’s designs \u2013 which experts agree exemplify the New Perennial Movement – offer something unmistakably wild and alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Countless gardeners and landscape artists have dog-eared\nOudolf\u2019s book, Planting: A New Perspective<\/em>. A quick perusal of the\nphotographs on its pages will tell you what the fuss is all about.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The signature Oudolf style calls for drifts of grasses,\nperfectly suitable perennials, and garden beds that look beautiful even in the\ndepths of winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His plant combinations are dynamic, breathtaking, and\nplayful: designed to captivate across all four seasons. You are as likely to marvel\nat decaying seed heads in winter as you would a spring blossom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the basic principles of Piet Oudolf\u2019s style that you can use for your own garden<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oudulf's
Oudulf’s garden designs offer something unmistakably wild and alive. (Photo: Ryan Somma\/Flickr) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Garden for all four seasons.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To create a four-season garden, start by planting perennials\nand grasses that thrive in your area. The more resilient the plant, the better\nit will withstand changes in weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn whether the plants are perennial or short-lived. \u201cThat\nis the most essential thing,\u201d says Oudulf. \u201cIf you create a garden, you want to\nhave it for a long period, not just for a season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the flowers wither, leave the plants in place instead\nof cutting them back. Sturdy stalks and dried seed pods will stand up to frost\nand snow, coated in white. In the dead of winter, they will take on a\nfascinating otherworldliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"To
To create a four-season garden, start by planting perennials and grasses that thrive in your area. (Photo: John Lord\/Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Plant grass in hazy masses.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Grasses set a mood in a garden, much like candlelight at a\ndinner table. Plant grasses in masses to create a soft, blurred background for\nother plants. The effect is a romantic, easy-going look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrasses have very long lives and are stress-tolerant,\u201d once\nsaid in an interview. \u201cThey don\u2019t need as much water or care as perennials do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Plant
Plant grasses in masses to create a soft, blurred background for other plants. The effect is a romantic, easy-going look. (Photo: John Lord\/Flickr) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Follow the 70 percent rule.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Oudolf says perennials fall into two categories: structure\nand filler plants. Structure plants should invite visual interest until autumn\nat least. Filler plants are only used for flower or foliage color, becoming\nformless or even untidy after mid-summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 70 percent of a garden should be filled with\nstructure plants. You can plant filler plants throughout the remaining 30\npercent. For structure, choose repeat bloomers, long-season perennials, and\ngrasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"For
For structure, choose repeat bloomers, long-season perennials, and grasses.
(Photo: Martyn Wright\/Flickr) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4. Keep it simple.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When designing a garden, keep it simple. Oudulf is of the opinion that two or three layers should suffice. The idea of layers is to help the eye discern order in the tangle of leaves and stems. This, in turn, helps the visitor make sense of the garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, evergreen shrubs in the background and perennials in the foreground are enough to create strong visual focal points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMake a list of plants you want to use,\u201d Oudulf says. \u201cDon\u2019t choose from pictures, but by flowering time, height, color, and texture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The idea of layers is to help the eye discern order in the confusion of leaves and stems. This, in turn, helps the visitor make sense of the garden. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5. Brown is a lovely color, too.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gardens remind us that life is a cycle, and every phase of\nthe sequence is at once beautiful and necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If gardens look breathtaking in the summer, by autumn and winter they should be heart-rending, as the yellows, purples, and pinks fade into shades of brown, tan, and eventually black. Plants must look as good in decay and dormancy as they do in the first unfurling of spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGone are the days when brown and yellow foliage was seen as\ncompost material to be cleared away as quickly as possible,\u201d says Oudolf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gardens
Gardens remind us that life is a cycle, and every phase of the sequence is at once beautiful and necessary. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSharing with Lots of People\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now in his 70\u2019s, the wintry-haired Oudulf does not intend to\nrest on his laurels. He has in fact taken an interest in growing food.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the naturalistic, perennial meadow style he pioneered\nexerts such an influence that you see it in local pocket parks throughout the\nworld. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery time I do a private job, I think, \u2018This is beautiful and great, but who is going to see it? Two people and their guests,’\u201d he says. \u201cMy only interest is sharing my work with lots of people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Piet Oudulf is famous. One might say he is to landscape design what Mick Jagger is to rock n\u2019 roll. His plant combinations are dynamic, breathtaking, and playful. We’ll tell you how he does it! (Photo: Esther Westerveld)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13557,"featured_media":10142,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Learn the secrets behind Piet Oudolf's breathtaking garden designs. Master his dynamic planting techniques to transform your own outdoor space.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sma_last_campaign_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,99,182],"tags":[266,187,209,265,264],"class_list":["post-10138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colourful-gardens","category-lawn-care","category-tips-and-tricks","tag-four-season-garden","tag-garden-design","tag-gardening-tips","tag-new-perrenial-movement","tag-piet-oudulf"],"modified_by":"Freddie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13557"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10138"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10138\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}