Designing with plants (engelsk)

A garden designer and plant breeder, Oudolf designs gardens that use perennials exclusively, eschewing the current trend toward high-maintenance mixed borders of perennials, annuals, and shrubs. He values perennials for their form and texture, emphasizing structure as the most important aspect in successful garden design. The color of flowers comes in a distant third after the form of the plant and the shape of the leaves; Oudolf's motto is "a successful plant combination relies primarily on shapes." To help gardeners follow this principle, he lists plants he has found valuable based on what he calls a "palette of shapes" and gives diagrams for planning borders based on them. While his approach is novel and thought-provoking, it reflects the context in which he works, mainly Britain and Northern Europe. But even if you do not garden in this ideal maritime climate, his ideas will be helpful, especially his advice on when to break the rules: "To be a successful gardener you need to understand the basics of how plants grow, and how they develop over time." Recommended for large public and academic libraries.ADaniel Starr, Museum of Modern Art, New York.