• Barn House Garden
  • Blog
  • The House
  • Gallery
    • Summer
    • Spring
    • Autumn
    • Winter
  • Links & Photosets
  • In The Press
  • Garden Plan

Barn House Garden

~ A garden set in the Wye Valley

Barn House Garden

Tag Archives: Panicum ‘Shenadoah’

Oudolf Field in Autumn

07 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by kate@barnhouse in Garden visits

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

Hauser and Wirth, Molinia 'Moorhexe', Panicum 'Shenadoah', Piet Oudolf, Sesleria autumnalis

An excursion to the Hauser and Wirth art gallery in Bruton, Somerset with gardens designed by Piet Oudolf has long been top of my wish list. Based on a flurry of recent visits, these are my impressions of Oudolf Field and the Cloister Garden in early autumn.

Oudolf Field

Ouldolf field colour and seed heads September 2015

It was a perfect time to go, the planting seemed poised in time midway between late season colour and sumptuous seedheads.

Ouldolf Field September 2015

The initial view of Oudolf Field greets visitors while crossing a cool stretch of formal lawn that acts as a relaxation area and transitional zone between the gallery proper and the naturalistic planting. A further delineation of space is marked by a rimless reflective pond, on the gallery side is a zone of wet meadowland and marginal planting. At the far end of the garden a shell like structure hovers above the garden.

Clock Ouldolf Field September

To one side of the pond sat Anri Sala’s surreal working timepiece ‘Clocked Perspective’ with its oblique face, I say “sat” as within days said clock was en route to tick noisily in Mexico.
'Eye Benches' Louise Bourgeois

It was worth pausing at this end of the garden before emersing ourselves in the planting. I like Louise Bourgeois’ all-seeing pair of black granite ‘Eye Benches’.

Colonnade with seating SeptemberArchitect Luis Laplace’s cool limestone colonnade is a good place to reflect on the design of the garden.

Ouldolf field panting scheme

This, the most beautiful garden guide I’ve ever seen, is based on Oudolf’s original design and has a complete colour coded key to 115 genera used in the planting. Containing 26 000 plants it is a complex, seasonally layered scheme. The subtly mirrored, asymmetrical borders contain blocks of plants either side of the sweeping gravel path. To one side of the mid point are three looser plantings, the Sporobolous Meadows. Here the Dutch designer’s hallmark plants mingle in his characteristically painterly style. Side borders (in grey) are adjuncts to the main beds, this is where taller plants are found. The layout of paths encourages a meandering exploration of the space, the planting has a leisurely rhythm and, for me, the kaleidoscopic changes of perspectives were the greatest surprise.

View from the opposite end

The 1.5 acre site is rectangular, flat and bordered on two sides by rolling countryside complete with grazing sheep. Hawthorn hedges, dating back to its days as a field-proper, enclose the space, behind which on the third side a line of trees that screen the sports field next door. From here with the slight rise of the land, it’s possible to imagine what the once-pasture looked like before gallery owners Iwan and Manuela Wirth embarked on their ambitious project to reinvent the Grade II listed Durslade Farm.

Phlomis against Radic Pavillion

Phlomis russeliana

Although I have been following news about the garden since it opened last September, I’d missed the arrival of the gallery’s largest single exhibit the Chilean architect Smiljon Radic’s Pavillion installed in March. I’m glad I did, I think I’d already come with excess baggage aplenty.

Radic Pavillion exterior
Radic Pavillion interior
Interior window shute
Incongruous window framing view

Until this spring the expanse of rough grass at the far end of the garden remained notably vacant. In retrospect, I wondered if the area was conceived as a plinthe with precisely this sort of folly in mind, even the rough hewn quarry stones looked at home. Without the help of the exhibit’s booklet, I’d never have guessed Radic’s inspiration was Oscar Wilde’s parable The Selfish Giant, making this his interpretation of the giant’s castle. Maybe the Swiss art dealers represent the big-hearted giant? The gardens and galleries are open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am -5 pm. Admission is free.

Discs in gravel walkway

Wending my way back towards the gallery gave me a chance to leave my whimsical thoughts by the wayside in order to appreciate the details of the planting lying either side of the gravel walkway. I liked the way Oudolf punctuated the surface with tufty clover-rich discs, nudging visitors towards the curving grassy paths between the slightly raised contoured beds. It’s easy to loose track of time in this garden, there’s so much to see and the stylishly pared back palette of plants is a plantaholic’s dream. Although planting is made up of about 70% flowering herbaceous perennials, my eye was drawn to the restrained use of grasses. Two in particular caught my eye :

Panicum

Wind and sun on red tints to Panicum 'Shendandoah'

Swathes of flowering Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ shimmer and shimmy, used in a mass their dynamic nature is almost hypnotic.

Helenium and Panicum

The hues of the panicum blend harmoniously with the planting, especially with the last show of colour from orange Helenium ‘Moorheim Beauty’. In general the planting is kept low, the result is an undulating quilt of meadowlike vistas.

Panicum

A second equally upright but much taller Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’, not yet in flower, creates blue tinted accents towards the back of the beds along with other statuesque perennials. North American prairie grasses tend to be late flowering, making them useful for autumn interest. Other than Molinia ‘Transparent’, this is the only other tall grass used in the garden. In flower tall panicums make a dramatic statement reaching 2 metres or more.

Sesleria autumnalis

Sesleria autumnalis

Lower growing Sesleria autumnalis, a European native, carries equal weight in the planting, providing stunning contrasts in the autumnal borders. As a near evergreen cool season grass it puts on a terrific year-round performance with a second burst in the autumn when it turns into chartreuse mounds.

Sesleria autumnalis in flower

I love the way the ripening seed heads stand out like dark rockets against the luminous foliage.

Sesleria bed corner

In just one year sesleria has filled corners like this, whereas it will take a while longer for others like the charmingly airy but slow growing Sporobolous heterolepsis to stand out. Next year there just might be a hint of popcorn or coriander in the air, thanks to the maturing prairie dropseed.

Slideshow of some other seasonal highlights :

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Cloister Garden

The Cloister Garden is where architecture of old meets new. This is a bold and dramatic space, overhung by more than shadows from the elevations of the buildings.

Spider sculpture Cloister Garden

Oudolf’s planting is superbly refined hinging as it does on the use of just three grasses : Sesleria autumnalis, dwarf Molinia ‘Moorhexe’ and Deschampsia ‘Goldtau’, all of which appear in the larger meadow planting, here they create a different effect and mood. It’s hard to imagine any other plants that would work as well to complement the disparate colours and textures of the natural and manmade building materials : straw blond deschampsia and limestone; ripening dark seed heads of the molinia and wood/stone/tiles; and the space made airy by glowing autumn moor grass. I bet it looks stunning at night ….

Actaea and spider legs
Colchicum and Sesleria autumnalis

On close inspection of both the plan and the gravel drifts, the seasonal planting is much more sophisticated than first meets the eye, there are seasonal treasures – in late September ethereal whisps of actaea plus fresh bursts of colchicum stud the mix. The dynamic spider was also created by Louise Bourgeois. I hope it stays.

Parting thoughts

The courtyard and entrance Hauser and Wirth

I wished I could stay too, however, tea in the courtyard beckoned before the journey home. For those with the good fortune to live further afield than I, it might be an excuse to stay in At The Chapel, a trendy restaurant and boutique hotel close by. Incidentally, they manage some of the on-site catering for the fabulously funky Roth Bar and Grill. Bruton itself is worth exploring, the low-down was given in an article in The Telegraph earlier this year.

Bruton on local cross road sign post

On his deathbed, John Steinbeck fondly recalled the picturesque village of Bruton as a place where “Time looses all meaning. All the peace I dreamed about is here.” He was reflecting on his extended retreat at Discove Cottage where he worked on a first draft of the posthumously published The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights.

Planting a new perspective Piet Ouldolf and Noel Kingsbury

 

Even after only a handful of hours, I felt the same way about this artful garden. It really was like falling down the proverbial rabbit hole to emerge among the pages of one of my favourite reference books, Planting : A New Perspective (Timber, 2013) by Piet Ouldolf and Noel Kingsbury.

Note : There’s a great series on YouTube of gallery events last autumn/winter, Piet Oudolf in conversation with Tania Compton begins with a 20 minute discussion of the garden’s concept and design.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Garden Journal

  • Wordless Wednesday : Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Pink Glow’ August 16, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Hedychium spicatum from Tibet August 2, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Self-seeded Nasturtiums July 26, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : A Misted Spider’s Web July 19, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Sanguisorbia tenuifolia var. alba July 12, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ July 5, 2017
  • NGS Open Day June 2017 and Plans for 2018 June 30, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : A Bit of Light Relief June 28, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Fascinating Fasciation June 21, 2017
  • ‘Lamprothyrsus hieronymi!’ A Grassy Magic Spell for NGS Day June 19, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Clematis ‘Pangbourne Pink’ June 14, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Paeonia x lemoinei ‘Souvenir de Maxime Cornu’ June 7, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Raindrops on a Favourite Rose May 31, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : A Tiny Teatime Treat May 24, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Iris sibirica ‘Tropic Night’ May 17, 2017
  • The Many Charms of a Fine Old Apple Tree April 30, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Tulip Brown Sugar April 12, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Rustica Rubra’ April 5, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Magnolia stellata March 22, 2017
  • A New Look for the National Garden Scheme! March 17, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Greeting the Sun March 8, 2017
  • Sesleria autumnalis : A New Grass for the Little Meadow? February 17, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Fluffy Seed Heads February 15, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : A Little Bit of Cheer February 8, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pinky Winky’ February 1, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Frosted Phlomis January 25, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Windswept January 11, 2017
  • Wordless Wednesday : Crystal Flowers January 4, 2017
  • Getting Ready for a Christmas Break December 19, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Sticky Seedheads December 14, 2016
  • Morning Walks in Helsbury Park December 7, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Persicaria vacciniifolia November 23, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Wind Dancers November 16, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Vitis vinifera ‘Rondo’ November 9, 2016
  • Surprisingly Blue Roundhead Mushrooms November 5, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : An acer and its grassy friends November 2, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Something Nasty in the Woodshed October 26, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : The Remains of the Day October 19, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Touched with Fire October 12, 2016
  • Westonbirt Arboretum : Walkies in Silk Wood October 4, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Shadows and Sunlight September 28, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Red Head’ September 21, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Curiouser and Curiouser …. September 14, 2016
  • A Room with a View …. September 6, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Moody Blues August 31, 2016
  • The Chatty Gardener August 27, 2016
  • Exciting News from the BBC August 15, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : A Sleepy Bee August 10, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Stipa gigantea Going for Gold August 3, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Glowing in the Twilight July 27, 2016
  • Nearly Wordless Wednesday : Ladies in Lavender July 19, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Nasturtiums and Summer Showers July 13, 2016
  • NGS Day 2016 July 5, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Papaver somniferum June 29, 2016
  • NGS Day June 26th 2016 : Gates Open Today from 1-5.30pm June 26, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : The Common Spotted Orchid June 22, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Siberian Iris ‘Silver Edge’ June 15, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Hanging by a Thread June 8, 2016
  • Wildlife Wednesday – A Perfect Storm June 2, 2016
  • The Cedar Stump : A Happy Ending May 31, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Happy Wanderers May 25, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : After the Rain May 18, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Coming in to land …. May 11, 2016
  • Springtime Sport in the Meadow May 8, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Tulip ‘Orange Emperor’ May 4, 2016
  • A Walk in a Bluebell Wood May 1, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Anemone nemerosa April 27, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Epimedium pinnatum April 20, 2016
  • April is the sweetest month …. April 16, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Viola odorata April 13, 2016
  • Evergreen grasses : to cut or not to cut? April 8, 2016
  • Replacing the Vine Pergola April 3, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Spot the difference March 30, 2016
  • Bringing In the Sheaves March 24, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Hedgerow Treasures March 23, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Soaking up the spring sunshine March 16, 2016
  • Chionochloa : A Case of Mistaken Identity March 12, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Catkins March 9, 2016
  • The story of the big blue cedar February 27, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Welcome signs of Spring February 24, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : snow drops February 17, 2016
  • The plight of the honey bee February 14, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Cyclamen coum February 10, 2016
  • Pennisetum alopecuroides : a late winter friend February 6, 2016
  • Wordless Wednesday : Yellow crocus February 3, 2016
  • Touches of Frost January 23, 2016
  • Happy New Year January 3, 2016
  • Pinetum Park and Pine Lodge in winter December 21, 2015
  • Eragrostis curvula : African weeping love grass November 28, 2015
  • Tall purple moor-grass : Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea November 7, 2015
  • Autumn musings : Lofty cultivars of Miscanthus sinensis October 30, 2015
  • Filming Barn House garden for BBC Gardeners’ World 2016 October 21, 2015
  • Choosing a dwarf miscanthus October 14, 2015
  • Oudolf Field in Autumn October 7, 2015
  • A Tale of Two Himalayan Fairy Grasses … October 1, 2015
  • Patio pots September 23, 2015
  • Rudbeckia fulgida : flower power September 16, 2015
  • Persicaria great and small September 9, 2015
  • Splendour in the Grass September 2, 2015
  • Pennisetum macrourum : perfect picked, dried or simply left on the plant …. August 26, 2015
  • E.A. Bowles and The Riddle of the Pheasant’s Tail Grass August 19, 2015
  • Hakonechloa macra : Japanese Forest Grass August 13, 2015
  • In search of the perfect pennisetum August 6, 2015
  • A peaceful spot : sitting, staring and drinking tea. July 30, 2015
  • The pot in the seed raised meadow July 23, 2015
  • “A garden isn’t meant to be useful. It’s for joy.” July 16, 2015
  • Misty morning treasure July 10, 2015
  • Learning to love The Pink and Orange Patio July 2, 2015
  • Bamboo : taming the dragon June 26, 2015
  • NGS Day : reasons to be cheerful June 22, 2015
  • NGS open garden day : Sunday 21st June, 2-5.30pm June 6, 2015
  • A seed raised ‘meadow’ May 15, 2015
  • Calamagrostis : a great grass for all seasons May 9, 2015
  • Low maintenance grass-like plants April 19, 2015
  • Miscanthus sinensis : “queen of the grasses” March 14, 2015
  • Easy evergreen grasses February 15, 2015
  • Grasses’ terrace in winter January 26, 2015

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Barn House Garden
    • Join 206 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Barn House Garden
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: