neutral backdrop Veltkamp presents doubtlessly enhances
the textures; black and gray houses, gravel, and patio
furniture abound. The neutral planters, too, are a way to play
with plant height and presentation; Veltkamp places small
trees in these planters just as often as low-lying shrubs.
The attention is properly placed on the garden designs
themselves, yet by introducing the human touch of perfection
and control in his designs, Veltkamp explores the intriguing
tug of war between nature and humanity. The metal edging
Veltkamp places between the gravel, dirt, and grass create
true right angles. His designs are certainly geometrical—if
one were to present a garden as a mathematical equation, it
would likely take after the Dutch, if not Veltkamp himself—yet
he masters the integration of grass, the delicate sweeps of
fine greenery that is so often overlooked simply as a functional
plant where one may safely place their feet rather than one
HYLAND
Photographer: Walter Herfst, Designer: Piet Oudolf
The front garden of this farmland simultaneously blends with the surrounding landscape
while gating off a private domain. An Oudolf creation, the designer juxtaposes the low,
autumnally colored plantings with the taller, cylindrically clipped yews.
