The long languid days of summer are the perfect time to luxuriate in the beauty and splendor of the Hamptons, particularly the area’s glorious gardens.
As always, sustainability is a guiding force in the gardens created by Unlimited Earth Care, notes Frederico Azevedo, founder of the Bridgehampton-based landscape design company.
“Flowers are timeless beauties that pay no attention. to trends, but I do think that maybe this year people were very excited to see early blooms, like tulips and crocuses, perhaps because it was a cold winter,” says Azevedo, who studied landscape design in his native Brazil, England and the U.S.
Despite summer being the height of a garden’s blooming brilliance, a good landscape design is planned well and carefully timed to allow for beauty in every season.
“The scene of grand evergreens in winter is just as important to me as the dramatic flowerbeds of summer,” says Azevedo. “Landscapes are living, changing things, so I do try to design in a way that is inspired by this, not in conflict with it.”
Landscaping as A Natural Fit
When first creating a landscape, it’s essential to consider the style of the home and other existing structures.
based Unlimited Earth CareCourtesy of Unlimited Earth Care
“I also communicate with my clients because sometimes people in modern homes want an overflowing English cottage-style garden, and that contrast can be very elegant,” Azevedo says. “A charming Hamptons home can also take on a freshness with a modern moss garden or neat arrangements of homogenous grasses.”
One of Azevedo’s greatest challenges in the Hamptons is designing a garden for a beach house.
“In order for my gardens to thrive, I have to factor in the specific environment of the property,” Azevedo says. “Sometimes there are even different soil conditions from one part of the property to another, and all of this is integrated into the aesthetic of my design. Rudbeckia, salvia, sedum, and Russian sage are all plants that do well in sandy soil and that I often use in my work.”
The area surrounding the pool is often a focal point in many Hamptons gardens.
“I like to put bright flowers alongside pools because the colors reflect in the water,” Azevedo says. “Because half the time the pool is a purely visual element, I also design flowerbeds in the exact dimensions of the pool to temper its harsh presence in the landscape.”
Many Hamptons homes are famous for their tall, sentry-like hedges, which Azevedo will use to provide privacy and serve as a foundation for more freeform arrangements of colorful flowers.
“Another way I design for privacy is with evergreens and built-up layers of hydrangea, grasses, and other flowers planted at different elevations,” he says. “This creates a blurrier edge to the boundaries of the property in contrast to the neat edges of a lawn outlined in hedges.”
Color, Layers, Meadows & More
A medley of brilliant hues is a hallmark of Unlimited Earth Care’s landscape designs.
“My color palettes are my signature,” says zcevedo. “If I’m trying to draw the eye, I’ll draw from the color wheel and use yellow or orange flowers alongside complementary purple hues. Or to maintain a more consistent mood, I’ll plan flowerbeds of yellow and white blooms grounded by something soft, like lavender or nepeta, and have occasional moments of something very bright, like digitalis.”
Another ever-present aspect of zcevedo’s designs is his penchant for combining different shapes and sizes of foliage together to create great visual interest.
“I’m always using shape and texture to carve out different experiences of the space,” zcevedo says. “The right balance of tall trees, hedges, and clusters of blooms can make a large lawn feel more intimate and inviting, or a small garden feel more open. Each property needs this kind of depth or vista creation to really be transformed with natural elements.”
When possible, Azevedo goes for a more natural, meadow-like look, as opposed to the more well-defined flower beds.
“Meadows are low-maintenance, sustainable, and lovely because they create a real view with interest,” he says. “My meadows are a great choice for clients who don’t want to maintain a large green lawn or who love the elegant look of seeded wheat blowing in the wind alongside something hardy, like achillea, not to mention the birds and butterflies that will visit.”
Timeless, Seasonal & Sustainable
Designing a garden to ensure that it is perpetually in bloom throughout the growing season requires careful planning.
“I achieve this by approaching each part of the garden from all of its possible moments,” Azevedo says. “The flat lawn for summer can also act as the setting for a brief performance of bulbs in early spring, for example,” Azevedo says.
With his ultimate goal of creating aesthetically magnificent landscapes, Azevedo always remains mindful of sustainability.
“I use native and well-adapted plants and flowers and I encourage design directions that invite and support local pollinator populations and don’t require too much maintenance,” he says. “I’m also always looking for new materials and technology that can support these goals, such as lightweight planters made of recycled material or solar-powered lighting.”
Founded in 1993, Unlimited Earth Care now also includes a Garden Concept Store, which sells unique garden accessories, sculptures, and outdoor furniture for the modern garden, and the Garden Market, which sells many of the plants, flowers, and herbs Azevedo uses in his designs.
On Saturday, June 22, Azevedo will host “The Balance of Colors,” a socializing/shopping event featuring cocktails and music from 4 to 7 p.m. at Unlimited Earth Care’s headquarters at 2249 Scuttle Hole Rd in Bridgehampton. Everyone is invited to mingle amid the flowers. RSVP by emailing info@unlimitedearthcare.com.
This article appeared in the Memorial Day weekend issue of Behind The Hedges magazine inside Dan’s Papers. Click here to read the full digital edition.
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