Tag Archives | Noel Kingsbury

Piet Oudolf – An Interview

With the publication of Piet’s latest book in collaboration with Noel Kingsbury, Planting: A New Perspective, I thought it worth re-visiting a 3 Part Interview about Piet that I wrote in 2009. Fran Sorin

When I first saw Piet Oudolf’s work several years ago, it startled and provoked me. Since that time, I’ve bought every book that he has written, and I return to them time and time again for inspiration and his unique understanding of plants. So, when planning a trip to Holland last spring, I was hopeful that I’d be able to visit Piet and his gardens and interview him. Continue Reading →

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How Chicago Ignited The Explosion of Green Roofs in America

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein

It should come as no surprise that Chicago, commonly known as ‘Garden In The City’, has been a trailblazer in the green roof movement in America. **

It has 359 green roofs, totaling 5.5 million square feet, more than any other city in North America. Last year, it added 600,000 square feet more. The momentum to make Chicago a city of green roofs continues at a rapid pace. Within the next one to two years, green roofs in the city will top 7 million square feet.

Chicago City Hall Green Roof

Photo Credit – City of Chicago

The birth of green roofs in Chicago didn’t happen in a bubble. It was after the terrible heat wave in July 1995, when there were more than 700 heat related deaths, that it was decided to find ways of making the city cooler in spite of rising temperatures.

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Why We Want You Involved In The Revamping of Gardening Gone Wild

Rebirth in the garden is magical. And so is the rebirth of a blog.

Exciting changes are happening at GGW that have been brewing for several months. We want your input as we go through the process.

Saxon, Debra, Noel, and I love sharing our passion, expertise, and connecting with you.

We write for you. Pure and simple.

That’s why we want your thoughts.

We want you to tell us how we can improve Gardening Gone Wild. What topics do you want more of? We’re eager for your constructive criticism.

So sharpen up your pens (figure of speech) and get writing. We’re counting on you!

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Dutch Travels

Plant assemblages like this, made up of both hardy and half-hardy perennials, are a real feature at de Kleine Plantage nursery.

A trip to Holland earlier a week or two ago. Years ago, a terrifying fifteen years ago in fact, I had an interesting week up to the north, around Groningen, visiting gardens, nurseries and landscapes, with Rob Leopold, now since sadly passed onto the Elysian meadows. He was a generous host, but exhausting, as he talked his home-spun philosophy from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to bed, except when he wasn’t talking plants. The northern part of The Netherlands is in a way the most attractive part, relatively empty, and very agricultural, but in a less obsessively tidy way than along the densely populated, and if not built-on, intensively farmed eastern coast. A lot of folk who want space and can’t afford much of it on that coastal strip have come up here, so this is very much where to find good gardens and nurseries.

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