You: World-class urban garden designed by Dutch naturalistic gardener Piet Oudolf.
Me: Disorganized and distracted California gardener who longs to cultivate effortlessly cool wildness.
If you are rangy, weedy, and overgrown, but with a hip, urban sensibility, you may be the garden I'm looking for. Prickly seed pods, tough root systems, and muscular stems a plus. Must be sophisticated enough for jazz on warm summer nights, but rough-and tumble enough to take the heat and the wicked cold.
I'm tired of pampered annuals that disappear the morning after and never call again. My ideal garden knows what it wants and isn't afraid to go out and get it. I'm looking for plants that don't seek anyone else's approval and have the confidence to stand tall all year, even after they've gone to seed.
Must love wildlife. Must hate plant tags; alternative forms of signage a plus.
If this sounds like you, meet me in Chicago's Millennium Park around sunset. No phone calls, please--my regular garden thinks I'm out of town on business. Discretion appreciated. You won't be sorry.
Two-timing on your garden, that's a new one. Love it!
Posted by: mary | August 25, 2008 at 05:57 AM
The problem is, one tryst with the Lurie just isn't enough! I know--I'm hankering to get back there, meanwhile trying to recapture that prairie allure in my piedmont VA garden with rattlesnake master, switchgrass, amsonia, etc.
Posted by: sarahammocks | August 25, 2008 at 09:04 AM
How dare thou leave your significant other for such a SEEDY character. I suggest counseling to get to the ROOT of your perennial issues. Volunteer to BRANCH out and discuss.you have so MULCH to talk about.
The (glad I didn't hang around the IGC too long..look what happened to Amy) TROLL
Posted by: greg draiss | August 25, 2008 at 09:19 AM
I have been having a plant based love affair with Piet Oudolf since I started this garden obsession 12 years ago. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Millennium Park garden! I wish I could grow rudbeckias and angelicas and echinops ritro... the grasses I can do, the prairie plants just laugh at me and decide to play wan and silly.
Boo.
I'm with you - gimme some of that action!
Posted by: germi | August 26, 2008 at 08:54 PM
WRONG.... designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol of Seattle, WA. Winner of the 2008 ASLA Award of Excellence in the General Design Category. Obviously they have better judgement than you do.
Posted by: Thomas Fraley | January 24, 2009 at 07:59 PM
As a garden maintenance girl I have so many lovely gardens in my own life, but I have to admit after going to Lurie for the first time last fall...
I long to return and can't help but occasionally fantasize about it's many charms while working in my own gardens.
Come visit me at http://www.gartengrl.blogspot.com
Posted by: GartenGrl at Cool Garden Things | April 08, 2009 at 12:06 PM