Synopses & Reviews
Review
"for both beginner and experienced gardeners who are looking for a fantastic resource!" -
A BOOKISH AFFAIR"Two advocates of the naturalistic planting movement, Dutch garden designers Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen (now deceased) have carefully selected reliable plants for schemes that imitate the beauty and bounty of nature. Having created some of the most imaginative gardens in the world, the authors are recognized authorities in this style." - CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN, Current Books on Gardening and Botany
"Lovely photos...to help with identification. Another wonderful reference book..." - GARDEN DESIGN ONLINE
Synopsis
In this book, pioneering garden designers Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf describe their special choice of ideal plants, perennials, bulbs, grasses, ferns and small shrubs. An ideal plant is one that is both beautiful and robust, performing reliably with very little input from the gardener. Complete growing information is provided for each plant along with advice on how to use it to best effect. Gerritsen and Oudolf have a genuinely innovative approach to gardening. Rather than striving for big, bold masses of colorful blooms that are vigorously pruned back as soon as they have finished flowering, the authors choose plants chiefly for their form - leaves, flower heads and stems included - which means they retain their natural beauty through all the seasons.
Synopsis
A great source of reference for the natural gardener, this comprehensive compendium classifies 1200 plants according to their behaviour, strengths and uses. Join pioneering garden designers Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf as they describe their ideal perennials, bulbs, grasses, ferns and small shrubs, explaining that an ideal plant is one that is both beautiful and robust, performing reliably with very little input from the gardener. Rather than striving for big, bold masses of colourful blooms that are vigorously pruned back as soon as they have finished flowering, their innovative approach to gardening involves choosing plants chiefly for their form - leaves, flower heads and stems included - which means they retain their natural beauty through all the seasons.
Synopsis
Join two of the world's most influential garden designers, Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen, as they describe their ideal perennials, bulbs, grasses, ferns and small shrubs for your natural garden. This comprehensive compendium classifies these 1200 plants according to their behaviour, strengths and uses. An ideal plant is one that is both
beautiful and robust, performing reliably with very little input from the gardener - and
without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Rather than striving for big, bold masses of colourful blooms that are vigorously pruned back as soon as they have finished flowering, their innovative approach to gardening involves choosing plants chiefly for their form - leaves, flower heads and stems included - which means they retain their
natural beauty through all the seasons. Find within:
- 1200 beautiful and reliable plants used by top garden designers
- Full descriptions and growing instructions
- Unique easy-to-follow classification according to growing behaviour and use in the garden
- Natural gardening, without artificial fertilizers or pesticides
- More than 250 full-colour photographs
With these plants and expert advice, create a garden that will thrive with the life of the insects and birds it welcomes.
About the Author
Distinguished garden designer Henk Gerritsen was born in Utrecht in the Netherlands. He trained as an artist and made his living as a painter before turning to garden design. He now writes regularly for gardening magazines in Holland, Germany and the US, and has had several books published. His best-known garden design project in the UK is the reconstruction of the Waltham Place gardens in Berkshire. He also started the Priona Gardens in Schuinesloot in the Netherlands with his friend Anton Schlepers. Henk's gardening philosophy is to respect the full cycle of life in a garden, allowing wild and cultivated plants to grow side by side in natural-looking environments; rather than battling disease and decay, 'troublesome' weeds and 'pests', he prefers to compromise, considering them an essential part of the beauty of the garden. He never uses chemical fertilizers or pesticides.Distinguished garden designer Henk Gerritsen was born in Utrecht in the Netherlands. He trained as an artist and made his living as a painter before turning to garden design. He now writes regularly for gardening magazines in Holland, Germany and the US, and has had several books published. His best-known garden design project in the UK is the reconstruction of the Waltham Place gardens in Berkshire. He also started the Priona Gardens in Schuinesloot in the Netherlands with his friend Anton Schlepers. Henk's gardening philosophy is to respect the full cycle of life in a garden, allowing wild and cultivated plants to grow side by side in natural-looking environments; rather than battling disease and decay, 'troublesome' weeds and 'pests', he prefers to compromise, considering them an essential part of the beauty of the garden. He never uses chemical fertilizers or pesticides.