We typically create these to screen neighbors or unwanted views.
With the mixed hedge, the idea is to create depth and texture. It’s a hydrangea variation that has a pinkish tinge to it, so it looks pretty interesting. And then this year, I’ve added something called Smokebush, which is a beautiful flowering plant. White, flowering Hydrangea paniculata.Ī: No, but I do like firecracker. It’s a member of the holly family, but not like the Christmas leaf holly that may come to mind. I call it, “the mixed hedge.”Įxample of a mixed hedge, featuring Smokebush plantĪ: So it’s the Thunderhead Japanese Black Pine mixed with something called Ilex, which is an evergreen, oblong rounded plant. K: So what are some others? Could you give us your top five blooming trees?Ī: There’s this thing I do on roofs. The multi-stem varieties, or the low branching varieties, are the most interesting because you have sculptural branches instead of just a skinny stick, so in the winter when there are no leaves on the tree, when it’s under-lit they still look kind of cool and sculptural.
I like to use them on rooftops because they do well in the full sun. The leaves are heart-shaped, about the size of the palm of your hand, and it’s a great tree for anyone’s garden. The nice thing about the cercis canadensis alba is that around Mother’s Day it blooms: it produces these beautiful spring flowers, and then all of the sudden the flowers drop off and the leaves come out. I’m really excited about the nursery initiative because I get to plant my favorite trees and curate them over time.Ī: Well, I love cercis canadensis alba. He designs it, he contracts it, he owns the nursery…Ī: Yes, and my role in all of this is as a designer, but I also do project management and oversee the constructions-right down to the placement of a tree and how it’s positioned in a space. And now he just bought a nursery that’s Hamptons adjacent called Troy, named after his hometown in Maine. And now my boss Alec has three companies: Gunn Landscape Architecture Vert Gardens based in Brooklyn, but they build projects here in the city and Loam Landscapes, which is pretty new and is a landscape contracting company in the Hamptons. There were three of us, and then we hired a fourth person, and then many more people years later, and it just built and built. Kathy (K): So, tell us a little bit more about Gunn.Īaron (A): Alec Gunn is the founder, and he created it in 2000. Here’s how the conversation went, just two good friends (and experts in the field) discussing their favorite outdoor plants, this season’s rooftop garden trends, and Aaron’s (mild?) obsession with Martha Stewart.īrooklyn Townhouse project by Gunn Landscape Architecture So it wasn’t too much of a surprise when Aaron entered the office carrying his adorable French Bulldog Harry, a beautiful potted orchid, and a handsome smile. Kathy first met Aaron McIntire at RISD, where they both attended design school and actually lived in the same college house. Gunn Landscape Architecture is a leading landscape architecture practice based in New York City and the Hamptons, and the photos you’re about to see in this blog post demonstrate their extensive portfolio of high-end projects. That’s why we were very excited when our own Kathy Kuo sat down with her good friend Aaron McIntire to discuss this spring’s latest outdoor trends along with Aaron’s success at Gunn Landscape Architecture. If you follow us on Instagram or visit our Friends of the Kuotes section of the blog, you’ll come to realize that we live (and write) to celebrate the talented people who bring joy to our lives through design.