I happened to be near Bruton in Somerset at the weekend so popped in to see Piet Oudolf’s garden for the Hauser & Wirth Gallery Somerset at Durslade Farm. The farm buildings have been beautifully restored and transformed into a gallery space and restaurant set within the large perennial meadow that Piet Oudolf has created. There are apparently 26,000 herbaceous perennials made up of 115 different plants in ‘Oudolf Field’, which spans the space between the gallery and the Radic Pavilion where events are held.
Being the beginning of November there wasn’t much colour but one of the features of Prairie planting is the mixture of grasses and seed heads provide interest long after the flowers have faded. I will have to go back in the summer (with a bit more preparation and a proper camera) to fully appreciate the combination of colours and shapes in their full glory but it still looked great in the winter sunshine. I especially loved the way the garden sits within the Somerset landscape and complements the farm buildings especially within the enclosed gallery courtyard.
