Piet Oudolf at Work is the most comprehensive monograph yet produced on the Dutch garden designer, bringing together gardens from across his career alongside the largest collection of his drawings ever published — many appearing here for the first time.
About This Book
Made in close collaboration with Oudolf himself, this book traces the full arc of a practice that has fundamentally reoriented how we understand designed landscapes. From the now-iconic High Line in New York to the Lurie Garden in Chicago, the Vitra Campus in Germany, Hauser & Wirth Somerset and Menorca, the Venice Biennale, and beyond — the gardens gathered here span geography, scale, and ambition. What distinguishes this monograph is its dual perspective: horticultural and artistic, process-led and contextual. Original sketches and drawings illuminate Oudolf's design methodology, while newly commissioned essays place his contribution to perennial planting and naturalistic garden design within broader cultural and ecological conversations. Gatefolds and tip-ins further unpack key designs with rare specificity.
Key Features
- 276 pages of large-format photography, original drawings, sketches, gatefolds, and tip-ins documenting gardens across Oudolf's career
- Essays by Cassian Schmidt, Noel Kingsbury, and Hans Ulrich Obrist
- Notable gardens include the High Line (New York), Lurie Garden (Chicago), Vitra Campus (Germany), Hauser & Wirth Somerset and Menorca, Venice Biennale, Singer Museum, Belle Isle (Detroit), and Noma
- Published by Phaidon, ISBN: 9781838664244
What You'll Discover
- How Oudolf's design process moves from sketch to planted landscape — revealed through original drawings, many published for the first time
- The breadth of his global practice, from high-profile civic commissions to lesser-known gardens that shaped his thinking
- The horticultural logic underpinning his signature use of perennials, seasonal colour, and textural meadowscapes
- Critical and contextual frameworks, through newly commissioned essays that interrogate Oudolf's significance within contemporary landscape and garden design
About the Author
This monograph brings together essays by Cassian Schmidt, Noel Kingsbury, and Hans Ulrich Obrist — three writers whose combined expertise spans horticultural science, landscape criticism, and contemporary art discourse. The book was produced in close collaboration with Piet Oudolf himself.
Specifications
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 276
- Dimensions: 290 × 250 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781838664244
- Publisher: Phaidon
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Landscape architects, garden designers, and anyone serious about naturalistic planting design, ecological aesthetics, or the intersection of horticulture and contemporary art.