Inspired by Piet Oudolf

   

The long term goals for the gardens around Quilchena are wide open prairie landscapes inspired by Dutch Designer, Piet Oudolf. This design style makes sense when looking out at the wide expanse of green turf that resembles the flatland's of the prairies.  I've spent some time thinking about the farming past of Richmond and enjoying some inspired walks through beautiful neighboring Terra Nova Rural Park.  The beauty of Piet Oudolf's design would translate perfectly to the landscapes of this area of Richmond which was once a rural farming and fishing community.

I'm a huge fan of Piet Oudolf's gardening career. Perhaps, it's because the holistic approach of his garden design celebrates the connection of nature and people with big wide open arms.  Plants are chosen for their unique properties and are are allowed to mature and die, in fact Piet's garden design celebrates the cycle of life.  With the backbone of some neatly clipped conifers and flowering deciduous shrubs, the remainder of the garden bed is ornamental grasses and mass planted prairie perennials.

The garden shifts and changes throughout the growing season. In the Spring time, bright blooming oriental poppy and Astilbe plumes light up the landscape. In the Summer, the happy faces of black eyed susan and  the purple coneflower steal the show. The fall is highlighted with the movement of maidenhair grasses and late blooming perennial Lobelia.  By Winter, perennial seed-heads and grass forms are crystallized in the frosty air to haunt the landscape.  It's four season interest that is void of perfection.
In fact, it's the imperfections and serendipitous nature of the landscapes that provide the visual interest.  Birds feed off the dried flower heads and beneficial insects pollinate the brightly coloured blooms. Piet Oudolf's landscapes are open, inviting and relaxed and always alive with nature.

Plants in these gardens are not fussed over and the herbaceous perennials and ornamental perennials are only cut back in early Spring to allow for a burst of fresh new growth.   In nature these plants would naturally shed their framework from the year before and dress the ground with this natural mulch as the Spring bulbs start to lift from the ground.  When used in a more formal setting, cut and dispose of the perennial debris and apply a thin layer of mulch or soil to freshen up the garden beds.