Gardener Piet Oudolf unveils plans for a new garden due to open in May 2025
In an exciting development for the world of horticulture and art, renowned Dutch plantsperson and designer Piet Oudolf has announced plans for a new garden at the Vandalorum art and design museum in Sweden. Scheduled to open in 2025, the 3,500 m² perennial garden will mark Oudolf's first commission at a Nordic cultural institution.
Known globally for his naturalistic and dynamic garden designs, such as those at The High Line in New York and the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, Oudolf's approach emphasises a garden as a living, evolving process rather than a static artwork.
### Design and Features
The garden at Vandalorum will feature a meadow planted with around 8,000 perennials, creating diverse, layered vegetation. It will also integrate artworks, rest areas, and walkways, inviting visitors to experience the garden actively. Designed spaces will accommodate educational activities and include an outdoor seating area linked with the museum.
The garden is deeply rooted in naturalistic cultivation, harmonising with the surrounding nature and environment of Vandalorum. This unique garden complements the museum’s architectural design, originally conceived by Renzo Piano.
### Evolution Throughout the Seasons
Oudolf highlights that the garden is "not a painting that you look at, but a dynamic process that changes all the time." His design ensures that the vegetation shifts and appeals in all four seasons, encouraging repeated visits to experience its evolving character. The garden’s structure and plant choices provide year-round interest, showcasing different forms, textures, and colours as seasons progress.
The Vandalorum garden will be a unique addition to Oudolf's portfolio, as it will be located at a cultural institution in the Nordic region. Construction of the new garden will begin in February 2025.
This will be the fourth garden by Piet Oudolf, following those at Hauser and Wirth Somerset, RHS Wisley, and the High Line in New York. Oudolf specialises in naturalistic planting design, rooted in the location and surrounding nature, creating gardens that evolve and captivate throughout all four seasons.
Visitors to the museum can look forward to a truly immersive and educational experience, as they wander through the seasonally evolving perennial landscape that blends art, design, and naturalistic planting.
- The living, evolving process of the perennial garden designed by Piet Oudolf at Vandalorum art and design museum in Sweden, featuring around 8,000 plants, will promote an active exploration for visitors, integrating artworks, rest areas, and walkways.
- The Vandalorum garden, rooted in naturalistic cultivation and harmonizing with the surrounding environment, will showcase Oudolf's signature naturalistic planting design, complementing Renzo Piano's architectural structure of the museum.
- With the Vandalorum garden, Piet Oudolf will further expand his portfolio, offering museum patrons an immersive and educational experience as they wander through a seasonally evolving perennial landscape, mirroring the artist's belief that the garden is "not a painting that you look at, but a dynamic process that changes all the time."
