Lookbook: Open Field

The wild natural gardens of Piet Oudolf belie the masterful hand that conceived them. A new exhibition of his sketches reveals his creative process.

Piet Oudolf paints with the pinks of Diantus Carthusianorum, Papaver Karine and Echinacea tennesseensis, the blues of Aster Azureus and the fine textures of Muhlenbergia capillaris and Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'.

Like an artist, Oudolf, counted among the most acclaimed and significant landscape designers in the world, layers colours, textures and forms to compose gardens that have an effortless, natural feel characteristic of the New Perennial movement of which he is a leading proponent. He has developed an intimate knowledge of plants, growing them in his own nursery in his hometown of Hummelo, Netherlands.  

His preparatory designs are shown together for the first time in an exhibition titled Piet Oudolf: Open Field. The designs reveal the creative processes and artistic vision behind some of his most influential and innovative projects. His extensive oeuvre includes public and private gardens all over the world, including commissions for the High Line in New York and the Serpentine Gallery in London. 

The exhibition is hosted at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, where he is also designing a 1.5-acre garden, which will be open to the public from 14 September 2014.

Flip through our Lookbook of hand-drawn sketches of the Hauser & Wirth garden as well as of his other renowned projects. 

Piet Oudolf: Open Field is on show until 5 October 2014. 

You can watch the trailer to an upcoming documentary on Oudolf's work here.