Gardens of the High Line: Elevating the Nature of Modern Landscapes by Piet OudolfMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an absolutely beautiful book which spotlights the gardens of the High Line -- the 1.45 mile long elevated garden walkway on the west side of Manhattan. It was developed using the New York Central abandoned elevated railway line running from the Whitney Museum to 36th Street. Each of the 13 sections of the garden is given a separate chapter in the book, spotlighting the plantings throughout the seasons.
Piet Oudolf is the landscape architect responsible for these gardens. He is from the Netherlands but has been involved in designing gardens throughout the world. The other two that I've visited are the Oudolf Garden Detroit at Belle Isle Park and the Lurie Garden in Millenium Park in Chicago (near the Bean sculpture).
The accompanying text is helpful in giving us the history and backstory of how the project got started, its development, roadblocks, and ultimate successes. However, what really makes this book special is the stunning photography of the variety of flowers, shrubs, trees and landscape. Oudolf relies on native plants and seeks out those that will be self-sustaining especially in a challenging environment.
This book is highly recommended to those planning on visiting the High Line in New York. And for garden lovers unable to visit in person, this is an excellent way to appreciate it through the beautiful photography!
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