Vlinderhof

I took a plane to Amsterdam, headed to Utrecht and onto Vlinderhof in MaximaPark, as I was attending   a  course   “Piet Oudolf How Does He Do It ? ”   As uptil this point, I have instantaneously found myself swept away  by the intense beauty of his   Superlative  “New Perennial movement ” Landscapes, when the opportunity arose to explore them – rather than attempt to analyse the planting design. 

I knew this course was going to be a fascinating and practical learning experience ( and it was )

This  is a public park,  yet  feels like a  well loved  domestic  garden.  I  wonder if this is due to the  ongoing care and maintenance,  which  is lead by Mark Kikkert  and  a truly dedicated group of 70 volunteers.  Vlinderhof is only here due to Mark’s  initial idea, and his tireless work ; from  inquiries, planning, sourcing the funding, to finally getting it onto site  – what an incredible acheivement.  

A grass mound  provided a  perfect view-point to sit and take in the structure and beauty of the place.

The spatial design  provides for  a perfectly balanced range of uses,.  There are   spaces large enough to hold  public events and courses,  and wide avenues  provide the  opportunity to stop and take in the planting without causing congestion.  The benches were so comfortable; how could you not sit down, relax and talk amidst   the planting ? 

Noel Kingsbury was the course leader.  Through his many years of friendship, work  and collaboration of published material with Piet Oudolf,  he really was the person who could answer our many questions.

Piet Oudolf’s  earlier design work  was uniquely identifiable by formally  clipped planting material, and large blocks and drifts of single cultivar perennials and grasses.  His palette of plants  chosen for  their stem structure, seed head and winter form, over their flowering capacity.  The three images below are from Scampston, designed in 1999. Images taken in 2017.

Over time,  this has developed to where we see far less  formally clipped plant material, and  greater use of smaller blocks of exquisitely blended combinations of plants as the image below details. Echinacea pallida, Helenium Rubinzwerg and Aruncus Horatio from Vlinderhof.   

I   do spend time  wondering  how Piet Oudolf’s  planting combinations will develop in future years.  Maybe there will be a greater inclusion of  multi stemmed shrubs and trees pruned in a semi transparent manner ? Maybe there will be waist height borders to swish your way through, who knows ?   I do know though, that they will be incredibly exciting and innovative.

What you see when you visit  a Piet Oudolf garden is the original planting design, as  he never redevelops a landscape.  Plants are in their optimal long term growing spaces right from the outset.  For example  Kirengeshoma palmata   was planted only in certain places.  Why ? because as   adjacent woody plants mature, they  will remove light and moisture from the ground.  Kirengeshoma is a dry shade tolerant plant,  making  it the perfect long term choice.    From a distance this perennial possesses a  visual sense of  a formally clipped plant.    Might this be a link back to Piet Oudolf’s earlier design work ?

Discussion, questions, analysis of the planting plans and more discussion  was the order of the day.  I now have a fundamental knowledge of the  key design elements at  Vlinderhof.  

Vlinderhof is an example of block  planting – where single species are grouped together in  individual  blocks. 

Through   focusing  on  a plant’s  structure, seed head and flower colour the   repetition of these blocks  throughout the garden provides  a visual rhythm which leads the eye through the space.  which ultimately creates  unity to the overall designed space.   

I  now understand that block planting  is generally one species, however it can  be two species, if those plants tolerate each others growth habit.  

I already knew that  “block” does not refer to rectangular shape, it is a collective word to describe the specific area of a certain planting. (I decided to included this as if you are new to this planting style, you might find this term confusing, and go off on the wrong track !) 

I also  understand that  individual plants can be interspersed between the main blocks of planting.   Image below details Echinacea pallida within Melica ciliata. 

The following  image  details how all of the above  is achieved.   The  towering  Eupatorium Snowball ( which is planted as an individual plant) and drifts of the grass Calamagrotis brachytricha  – both provide a strong vertical accent as the seasons progress.   Echinacea pallida with its distinctive pale pink petal formation was in many of the borders.  I found it was the Echinacea and Eupatorium that  drew my attention initially in the garden, and this in turn  started to lead my eyes through all the planting beds.  

Additional images from Vlinderhof which clearly detail  block planting.

A  diffuse and  wispy cloud  look  is a key design element.  Around twenty percent of the planting blocks consist of  ornamental grasses at Vlinderhof.  The slightest breeze creates  and sends a fluid and dynamic sense of movement through the entire garden, which links all the blocks of planting together. 

Movement of  Deschampsis cespitosa Goldau through and around  Echinacea pallida   

Sporobolus heterolepis is an essential inclusion within the diffuse and cloudy look .  Noel’s  description was   ” This is not a dramatic plant, just a quiet beauty which links  the plants together ”  Sporobolus can be seen in blocks in the foreground, midground and background of the image below.

Deschampsia and Melica ciliata combined.

Scatter plants are a key element in a Piet Oudolf design,  they possess  a brief moment of flowering glory and then disappear.  From looking at the planting plans Papaver orientalis Karine would have provided  this –  however I omitted to take an image.   Through analysis of the planting plans  the use of  seasonal bulbs  including  Allium Purple Rain, Allium Nigrum, Snowdrops and Dog tooth Violets would be considered as scatter plants.  I was  there in July, and they were there in late Spring, so apologies for no images.

I  now realise  all  the plants are chosen for their resistance  to pest and disease.  Vlinderhof is full of resilient, tough and  hard working plants, that are  also incredibly beautiful. 

Plants which self seed freely don’t  have a role, as they  could alter the characteristic and visual dynamics of the original  planting.  Plants with the capacity to  gently self seed  would appear to be accepted, which is exactly what the  pale mauve scabious – Knautia arvensis was  doing.

Perennials which require staking don’t make it onto the final planting design list.  Veronicastrum Diane, which can reach 1.5 metres  stood majestically. 

From the sublime beauty of a single plant to  exquisite  combinations, through to the seamless linking of Vlinderhof in its entirity, this is an mesmerizing and dynamic landscape. 

Whether  you are walking through, viewing from a distance, standing up, sitting or kneeling down to soak up the sense of this garden , it truly is perfect from any angle or distance. 

 Hopefully my  images portray the very essence that is a Piet Oudolf design.

I will always be swept away by Piet Oudolf designs, but now thanks to this excellent workshop  I  have a greater  understanding of his fundamental design principles.  I think I will make my next  stop, the  New York High Line !