Programs showcasing the work of Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf are being presented this month by the Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, West Tisbury, and Chilmark libraries. Oudolf’s signature gardens exist in New York, Chicago, the Netherlands, Southwest England, and even the desert of Western Texas and the forests of Pennsylvania.
According to a press release from the libraries, the first program is a virtual screening of the narrative documentary, “Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf,” from Monday, May 17, to Sunday, May 23. This immersive film takes viewers inside Oudolf’s creative process, and it reveals how he transcends conventional ideas of landscaped gardens and public spaces.
On Friday, May 21, at 2 pm, the libraries are also providing an online Q and A session with Thomas Piper, the director of the film on Piet Oudolf. Piper filmed the garden designer over five seasons in various locations around the world, including a new garden in Somerset, England, that Oudolf considers his best work yet.
In addition, the libraries are hosting a presentation on Thursday, May 27, at 7 pm with Deborah Chud, a landscape design consultant who has thoroughly studied Oudolf’s designs, and has developed a deep understanding of why his gardens are so magical. She has also created the world’s most comprehensive database of Oudolf’s plant combinations. Chud will describe the historical context of his work and his basic design principles.
To receive a link to watch the film, and obtain Zoom access for the Q and A and presentation, email the Edgartown library at programs@edgartownlibrary.org, call 508-627-4221, or contact any of the other libraries.
