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Piet Oudolf-designed garden officially opens on Belle Isle

Posted at 9:22 AM, Aug 31, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-31 09:22:41-04

(WXYZ) — Oudolf Garden Detroit, a new public garden designed by world-renowned designer Piet Oudolf, officially opened to the public over the weekend.

The garden is 2.5 acres and came after The Garden Club of Michigan sent a letter to Oudolf. They have an all volunteer crew and raised $4.7 million to install and endow the garden.

"This garden sits on one of the most natural sites for one of my gardens anywhere," Oudolf said in a release. “It’s a place where people can go and never be bored or disappointed. It is also a place that will teach you about plants because you will see plants you have never seen before or have never seen combined this way."

The site didn't come without problems. Flooding in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the site opening, and the group redesigned the garden and raised more money to elevate it by three feet to withstand future flooding.