Beauty in the Winter Landscape

From the New York Times, an article on Piet Oudolf- garden designer, nurseryman, author, and leader in the naturalistic and sustainable gardening movement. Oudolf designed public and private gardens around the world, and was a part of the design team for gardens in Millennium Park in Chicago. The articel describes Oudolf's work with North American native prairie plants to create well-composed gardens that are beautiful not only in bloom but also in the dead of winter.

Looking out over his perennial meadow, Mr. Oudolf articulated it this way: “You look at this, and it goes deeper than what you see. It reminds you of something in the genes — nature, or the longing for nature.” Allowing the garden to decompose, he added, meets an emotional need in people. “You accept death. You don’t take the plants out, because they still look good. And brown is also a color.”
A Landscape in Winter, Dying Heroically
By Sally McGrane, Published New York Times: January 31, 2008