A Giant Has Fallen

Visionary landscape designer Wolfgang Oehme died December 15 at the age of 81. If you deal in grasses and/or perennials, a moment of silence is in order. Wolfgang's garden creations, private and public, were instrumental in popularizing your - and our -- products.

Ironically, this German immigrant defined the 'new American garden.' Emerald Coast Growers owner Paul D. Babikow said, "His designs changed the way we think about how plants fit into our surroundings. Without pioneers like Oehme, I doubt we would have settled into a niche in ornamental grasses."

Wolfgang lives on in his indelible impact on our landscapes -- and our catalogs. When he grabbed your list at a trade show, you were in for a grinning, merciless, red-pen assault on suspect nomenclature. R.I.P.

My Memories of Wolfgang 

Bo Tidwell  

As John Friel said above, we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Wolfgang for the influence and impact he has had on the American landscape in the past fifty years.  I would  be remiss if I did not also acknowledge his business partner, James van Sweden, and his other colleagues, Kurt Bluemel, and Richard Simon, of Blue Mount Nurseries for their equally significant contributions.  Back in the early 1980s, when the use of ornamental grasses was still in its infancy in this country, I remember being astonished to learn that these men, whom I only knew as very good customers and respected businessmen, were considered the fathers of the Ornamental Grass movement in this country. This small band of dedicated plantsmen had been preaching this mantra since the 60s, and the fruits of their efforts were finally beginning to emerge.  I can thank these men for making me aware that movement, sound, and most notably, shades of brown were important elements of a landscape composition.

Each time we see the magical incandescent plumage of a cluster of Cortaderia selloana

gleaming in the light of a sunny fall afternoon, or hear the rustling of  a Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' as the majestic stalks move and sway on a breezy summer's day , or enjoy the endless array of browns, golds, cinnamons and coppers of a grouping of Miscanthus 'Gracillimus' contrasted with a heavy blanket of snow on a bleak winter morning, we should all remember to look to the sky, and thank Wolfgang and his cohorts for bringing these treasures to our attention, to our senses, and to our spirits. 

Wolfgang was world famous but he never seemed to notice.  He was always too  busy preaching his gardening gospel and exhorting others to share his enthusiasm.  I will never forget the time he spent with me in my booth at the MANTS Show twenty four years ago, voluntarily pouring over photographs of my new home and telling me plant by plant what I should  surround it with.  As he walked away and I realized the precious time, information, and advice that I had just received pro bono from the Royalty of the Landscape Design profession, I felt like I had been blessed by the gods.

Wolfgang was like a One Man Mob at a trade show. He seemed to always be surrounded by an entourage and there was unfailingly a stirring in the aisles when he was near. A couple of years ago, he cornered me as I was walking past him in the aisle at the MANTS Show in Baltimore. Only Wolfgang could corner you in an aisle! Before I could escape, I was the proud new owner of his latest book and my travel allowance was a good $40 lighter. There was simply No Question about whether I needed this book or not. If Wolfgang said I needed it, that was the end of the discussion. 

There was no walking away from this latest collection of  ideas and works captured in beautiful photographs, authored

and autographed by one of the most influential and recognized Landscape Architects of our time. It was only after I returned home that I discovered that the entire book was printed in GERMAN! It is even more of a treasure now. 

I urge you to click on Wolfgang Oehme   to see some very nice photos of the Master in action and to read a wonderful tribute written by Wolfgang's son, Roland Oehme, who is now following in the footsteps of his famous father.