Tuesday, November 3
5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Matrix Planting for Home Gardeners
Presented by: Deborah Chud,
Matrix planting is naturalistic gardening in its purest form. Popularized by Piet Oudolf, this landscape design model uses perennials and grasses to explicitly imitate the structure of a meadow. All naturalistic gardening borrows from meadows to some degree, but matrix planting makes the imitation the point.
In this richly illustrated presentation, Deborah Chud brings matrix design down to the scale of the home garden. She begins by asking why meadows look the way they do, then analyzes the features that matter most when we try to recreate them in a garden. From there, she reveals the key to successful matrix plant combinations and explains the embellishments that add complexity and seasonal interest.
The presentation is more than a lesson in concepts. It is also the story of Chud's own matrix experiment, told through a series of gorgeous professional photographs. She closes with a step-by-step chronicle of how the planting was made and shares the results.
Deborah Chud is a retired Massachusetts physician turned landscape designer, consultant, and educator. Her nine years of research on New Perennial gardens, including New York's High Line, produced a unique database of plant combinations and inspired her own highly unusual garden, a "must see" for Massachusetts garden clubs and a data source for a Boston University study of pollinator activity. In 2020, she presented her research in "Piet Oudolf: How Does He Do It?", an international event organized by Oudolf's co-author, Noel Kingsbury. Since then, she has given more than 70 talks, including at the Arnold Arboretum, the U.S. Botanic Garden, and the Toronto Botanical Garden. Chud lives in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
A graduate of Harvard College (A.B. 1972) and Boston University School of Medicine (M.D. 1984), Chud lives in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. She designs Boston-area gardens, coaches home gardeners in person and online, and offers design consultations across the country.
Members - $5
Non-members - $15
The fee for this class is non-refundable. If cancelled by NPA, you will receive a full refund. Open Gardens available to members only.
This is an ONLINE presentation only. You must register to receive a Zoom link to watch this event LIVE, where questions can be asked of the presenter. A RECORDING of the presentation will be available to all registrants until December 3, 2026.
