Gardening with Grasses

Two imaginative garden designers provide beautifully illustrated information and inspiration about these most versatile and sophisticated of garden plants.

Bloomsbury Review

"This is truly finesse gardening made attainable by anyone who chooses to try."—Bloomsbury Review, February 1998

Michael King is a garden designer, photographer, and author who runs a garden advice bureau from Amsterdam. He is constantly evaluating new garden perennials and new ideas in landscape and garden design, and his ongoing areas of research include the latest trends in planting design and the introduction of garden worthy perennials. A British native, he became immersed in his lifelong passion for gardens and plantsmanship while working at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as secretary to the board of trustees. In addition to designing gardens, he has written many articles on plants and planting design and is the author of five books.

Piet Oudolf is a native of Holland and originally studied to be an architect. Instead of designing buildings he became the founder of New Wave planting, a movement which takes inspiration from nature but employs artistic skill in creating planting schemes. As a plantsman, his aim is to emphasize the form, texture, and natural harmony of plants, and as a skilled plant breeder, he creates new varieties for these and other specific design purposes. His style is the result of the influence of various horticultural traditions such as the combination of Dutch formality and naturalistic planting styles.