Piet Oudolf: Embracing the Naturalistic Garden

Written By Lara Wadsworth

Piet Oudolf is a world renowned Dutch garden designer. His designs are focused on a naturalistic approach to enjoy the ever changing beauty offered by plants in their various stages of life. His designs have played a role in the New Perennial Movement of utilizing perennials as a keystone to sustainable gardens that are focused on natural appearances, textures, functions, and ecological benefits. His notable designs include the High line Park in New York City and Lurie Garden in Millennium Park, Chicago. In addition to his role as a designer, Oudolf has authored and co-written several books including "Planting: A New Perspective." Piet is recognized with many honors including the Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers and Veitch Memorial Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society.

From Restaurateur to Landscape Artist

Piet Oudolf's journey into the world of horticulture was anything but conventional. Born in 1944 in the Netherlands, Piet’s family owned a restaurant. From a young age he felt drawn to nature and knew he had no future in a restaurant. His transition from restaurateur to landscape artist began in the 1970s when he and his wife, Anja, moved to Hummelo and started a nursery. This nursery became a playground where Piet could experiment with plant behaviors, forms, and their resilience across seasons.

What makes Piet’s style so interesting is that he was never formally trained. He learned everything from trial, error, and observation. His deep connection with plant life allowed him to see beyond the traditional gardening norms and innovate with his naturalistic, yet highly artistic planting schemes. He slowly started gaining a local reputation which soon catapulted him onto the world stage.

Oudolf's work on influential public gardens significantly boosted his visibility. Notable projects include the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park in Chicago and the High Line in New York City. These projects are accessible to millions of visitors each year and have been featured extensively in media outlets, helping to cement his reputation as a leading figure in contemporary landscape design.

Evoking Emotion and Beauty

Emotion is part of life. The things that we see and interact with can influence how we feel. Looking at happy and beautiful things press on our minds and hearts to feel calm and content. That is part of what makes art of any kind so powerful. It makes us feel things. That is also Piet Oudolf’s objective in designing his gardens and landscapes. What is so amazing about plants though is that they are constantly changing and evolving, producing interest at a variety of times.

Piet’s purpose is to design gardens that evoke emotion and help people to appreciate their surroundings. As we live our lives it is easy to take things for granted. We see the same plants and buildings every day. What once may have been interesting to us is now just background noise. Oudolf’s design strategy is to avoid this. He said, “[My garden designs are] intended to attract people so they want to visit more often.” By understanding a plant's life cycles and structures, we can create a visually changing landscape. Oudolf’s designs look beautiful year round and change every couple of months. The plants take turns blooming all while interacting with each other in the general flow of the design.

Piet Oudolf's influence stretches far beyond his immediate projects. For budding gardeners and seasoned landscapers alike, Piet’s approach is both liberating and enlightening. He teaches us to see the potential in what might seem unremarkable, encouraging a deeper appreciation for our natural surroundings. His books and public speaking engagements have inspired countless individuals to rethink their own gardens—not just as collections of plants, but as ecosystems that support diverse life and offer year-round appeal.

Principles of Oudolf's Designs

Oudolf frequently talks about his method for designing a garden. Seeing as this is a gardening blog, I thought I would summarize what I learned for anyone who wants to try and imitate Oudolf’s striking style.

First, he makes a list of plants. Oudolf uses exclusively perennial plants. All the plants on the list should be well understood by the gardener. When do they bloom? How big do they get? What do they look like in the winter? How quickly do they return in the spring? Do they need full sun or can they handle some shade? Consider all these factors and more as you create a list of plants to add to your artists’ easel. Gather a variety of types of plants including flowers, grasses, tall plants, short plants, and everything in between.

Second, draw out the area you wish to fill and begin layering in the plants. Piet's gardens are renowned for their depth and complexity, which you can achieve through thoughtful layering. Begin with taller species at the back and work your way to shorter ones at the front. Place them in clusters of 3 or more in order to create cohesive groupings. Mix in some evergreens or shrubs for year-round structure. Remember, the goal is to create a naturalistic look, so avoid straight lines and perfect symmetry.

Third, obtain your plants and lay them out on the soil according to where you planned to group them. Do your last check to make sure you are satisfied with the groupings and the flow of the plants. Your eye should seamlessly run over the plants. Transplant them as normal. A true Oudolf garden usually does not reach its peak beauty until a year or more after installation.

Lastly, an Oudolf-inspired garden is never static. It changes and grows, sometimes in unexpected ways. Embrace these changes. Let your garden evolve over the seasons and years, seeing which plants thrive and how different species interact with each other. This approach not only reduces maintenance but also leads to delightful surprises each year. Of course, some maintenance is required to maintain the garden at peak beauty, and it should look like a thoughtfully maintained natural area.

The Vision

Piet Oudolf's designs are more than just beautiful—they're masterful ecological storytelling. Each garden is a canvas where he paints with plants, considering their lifecycle from budding spring to the stark beauty of winter decay. Piet's philosophy centers around the idea that a garden should have life and interest in every season, not just when it's in full bloom.

What truly inspires Piet? It's the beauty of plants in all their stages: fresh growth, blooming, and the way they fade back into the earth. He finds a certain poetry in the cycle of life and death in nature, and this perspective has revolutionized how we think about garden aesthetics. The traditional quest for perpetual blooming has given way to an appreciation for the rhythm of nature, and Piet's work invites us to find beauty in resilience and transformation.

Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

I am a native of Southwestern Michigan, where I also reside, and I love all things plants! I got a Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture and found the first work-from-home job I could get. Now, I spend my days writing for TLM, playing with my dog, eating delicious food with my husband, and plotting my next landscape or gardening move. I believe everyone should get down and dirty in the soil now and then. Happy Gardening!