Garden stories

At the far end of Long Island, east of New York City, lies the community of Water Mill. This is the home of landscape architects LaGuardia Design Group. Founded in 1994 by Christopher LaGuardia, the firm's goal from the start was to create beautiful and lasting gardens and larger landscapes.

A restrained colour palette that highlights white and lavender blue against the green tones of the plants is a combination that appears timeless and subtle. At least if you believe Ian Hanbach, partner at LaGuardia Design Group. But the key to doing something special with your garden, according to Ian, is first and foremost to create space.

– It could be by opening up long corridors through shrubbery stretching across a property, or designing a garden designed for large dinners. It is absolutely crucial to consider that space, rooms, are experienced from the human perspective. "It's very easy to overwork things like plants or other elements in the garden, but if the surface, the outdoor space, doesn't have a purpose, the rest won't matter," says Ian.

With light, you can create different rooms in the garden, which can paradoxically create the feeling that the garden is bigger than it actually is.

It is increasingly common for our outdoor environment and garden to be treated more as a natural, organic extension of our home. The boundaries between indoors and outdoors can be blurred as much as possible, says Ian, as long as it's done properly.

– Like the rooms from the house spill over into the garden!

What is the most important thing to consider when planning your garden?

– If homeowners have the privilege and time to build their own garden from scratch, it can really be something special. When I work with our clients, they rely on us to develop a long-term plan, and it can be an advantage to have one to work from in smaller stages. In small phases, you implement your ideas one by one, and can work at your own pace. This allows you to constantly make wise and thoughtful decisions that are all part of your long-term plan. We usually recommend reflecting on how you live, and based on that, what your needs are. What do you want from your garden? If you haven't thought about this before you put pen to paper, it can easily become a waste of time. In the end, it's much more important that your needs are met than that the garden is just something beautiful to look at.

During the winter months, especially in the northern parts of Europe, we are relatively uninterested in the garden and it is difficult to find anything that survives in the flora. The magical moments when trees and shrubs are in full bloom last only a few weeks.

– There are many plants with sculptural branch structures, interesting bark textures and even some flowers and berries that are beautiful in the winter months. Of course, you shouldn't rely solely on these for your entire garden palette. But if you manage to incorporate this type of vegetation in a discreet and subtle way, it will create more interest in your garden during those usually uninspiring cold months. Here you can also work with a few more splashes of colour. "If you want to change the colours depending on the season, the pops of colour can consist of different types of pots that are easy to alternate," says Ian.

The winter months are not only cold, but also starved of natural light. For Ian, light is everything in the garden, and not just in relation to the plants. Whether the light is good or not affects your sense of humour and general attitude towards the garden.

– "With light you can create different rooms in the garden, which can paradoxically make the garden feel bigger than it actually is," says Ian. 'One part of the garden is used for eating, another for socialising, another for relaxing. The human eye can't create an overall picture in that situation, so you're naturally drawn to different areas to build that overall picture.

What about those who only have access to a balcony or terrace?

– Of course, your best friends will be plants planted in pots and flower boxes. Just keep in mind that depending on the structure of the house you live in and the location of your balcony or terrace will affect how your flowers and plants live and thrive.How do you think the pandemic is affecting our relationship with the garden? -The garden has always been a refuge, a place where you can return to nature. This can mean a literal escape to the countryside, but also an escape that only happens inside your own head. I think most people strive for a work-life balance, and the garden is a key ingredient in that. It's incredibly rewarding to work with your hands and watch your garden grow and change between seasons. It doesn't have to be overwhelming either, sometimes it's enough to plant a pot of parsley that sits on the kitchen windowsill, an arm's length away from the stove when you're cooking.

Products featured in the post

Riviera

Fritz Hansen