He proposed! In mid-May, we were thrilled to receive a proposal from Piet Oudolf for a 1.5-acre garden he envisions in the heart of Belle Isle’s cultural area.
As Richard Thomas, a Garden Club of Michigan member and local landscape designer put it, “He saw what no one else did. The hole in the donut between the Conservatory, the Carillon, and the Band Shell.”
Detroit’s Belle Isle could see a garden designed by internationally renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf.
At the Garden Club of Michigan’s request, Oudolf visited Detroit recently to tour a bit of the city, the riverfront and Belle Isle.
The Dutch designer — who has been likened by some to the late famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted who designed Central Park in New York City and Belle Isle — was charmed by the island and said it’s there that he can see one of his famed gardens.
Oudolf is a rock star in his world, according to the Garden Club’s immediate past President Maura Campbell. He designed the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park in Chicago, several gardens at Battery Park in New York City and the full design of the High Line park in Manhattan.
He is known for designing year-round gardens that look good even when the plants are dormant.
via Crain’s Detroit Business
We had the best 30 hours with Piet Oudolf earlier this month and thank each and every one of you who share our vision of an Oudolf garden in Detroit.
See More “Piet Oudolf in Detroit Update #1”
