Five Great Grasses from the Oudolf Garden
Piet Oudolf knows grasses. Several Hoffman Nursery favorites populate his home garden. Take a page from his design book, and try these great grasses yourself!
Read PostThe Delaware Botanic Garden at Pepper Creek (DBG) isn’t even open to the public yet, but it has already put itself on the map. Renowned landscape designer and plantsman Piet Oudolf has designed a meadow for the nascent garden on Delaware’s Eastern Shore. The meadow will be a centerpiece of the gardens, and is the result of several years of planning.
Volunteers, led by DBG Horticulture Director Gregg Tepper, came out to prepare and plant the first phase of the meadow the week of September 5. They installed 17,000 plants in two days. Piet Oudolf then arrived to inspect the work and advise on the next phases. As part of his visit, the garden held a lecture and small reception, and Hoffman Nursery was thrilled to co-sponsor the event. Oudolf’s work has inspired us all and fueled the popularity of grasses. Horticulture Director Gregg Tepper and Advisory Council Member Barbara Katz were instrumental in getting Hoffman Nursery involved with this project.
John and Jill Hoffman, Marketing Director Shannon Currey, and Martha Hamblin, who handles HR/Legal at the nursery, attended. Dr. Richard Olsen, Director of the US National Arboretum, joined us for the visit. We spent the afternoon at the lecture, which included a preview screening of Tom Piper’s documentary on Oudolf, followed by an audience Q&A. The evening’s reception was fun and filled with friends and colleagues. The following day was especially exciting, as we toured the newly planted meadow and walked the garden woods nearby.
It was memorable experience, so we wanted to share a few images from our visit.
For more on the meadow installation, check out the DBG’s blog post. For a more comprehensive view of the garden and its master plan, go to their garden tour page.
