How to Grow A Garden in the City
Courtesy of Blondie’s Treehouse via Instagram
On corners from endless summer-LA to snow-covered New York, luxury outdoor gardens have fast become the largest trend in home design. Playing off the indoor “jungalow” theme that’s run rampant on Instagram and Pinterest alike, these considered outdoor spaces bring plants back outside—but with a twist.
“Living space has truly made its way outside—and it’s showing in continued strong demand for amenities like outdoor kitchens and lounge areas, built features like pergolas and privacy screening, and add-ons like integrated lighting,” says Howard Freilich, President and CEO of Blondie’s Treehouse, a luxury residential and commercial exterior design firm based in New York.
“The trend in elaborate outdoor spaces is becoming more permanent—we recently installed outdoor showers for one ambitious client earlier this year,” Freilich says. “Another recent residential installation on a terrace overlooking the High Line featured custom floating concrete benches softened by vibrant, colorful pillows and a hot tub.”
In terms of plantings, native species are trending in a big way, as are edible gardens. Meadow-inspired designs, quite possibly due to the immense popularity of the High Line, are also on the rise, as are lavish gardens. One such verdant spot welcomes guests to the PUBLIC Hotel, Ian Schrager’s latest development on the Lower East Side. Its designer, Madison Cox, is behind the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech as well as gardens at other Ian Schrager properties. In an interview with Alain Elkann, he emphasized “the power a garden has in transmitting the importance of the natural world, because today more and more of us…are becoming ‘urban inhabitants,’ and hence we have become removed from the natural world.”
Accoutrements such as waterfalls, firepits, and zen gardens adorn the patios and terraces of the lucky few—but how can you recreate the look and feel of a luxury garden at home, even when working with limited space and a small budget?
“DIYers have more resources than ever before,” Freilich says. “We love using recycled containers like old jugs, milk crates, pallets, pots or anything with drainage. You can also drill a few holes in a favorite vessel for instant drainage—just be sure whatever you choose is non-breakable for fire escapes!”
Courtesy of @arielokin
If you’re looking for plant species that can hold up to varied changes in the weather, succulents, trailing plants, and seasonal herbs and vegetables are all fantastic and hardy choices for outdoor home gardens, Freilich says. “Blue African Sage are a gorgeous variety; Stachys Glow reflects moonlight for a very ethereal effect, and Creeping Jenny with lime green foliage has a real wow-factor. Heucharas, available in tons of colors from lime green to burgundy, also add some colorful punch.”
For those living in cooler climes, Freilich suggests considering evergreen, especially broadleaf, varieties, as well as robust trees and perennials for tough winters. “Tried-and-true methods like wrapping planters in burlap and lightly watering during warm breaks will help to protect your plants during the cold months,” he says. “Boxwood, Junipers and grasses also tend to be very sturdy and are specially adapted to endure harsh weather; Hollywood Juniper and Juniper Robusta are tough and beautiful. Artificial turf is also making somewhat of a comeback—it can soften a space, adds a soothing shade of green, and needs no maintenance at all: win, win, win.”
An alternate approach to tending to your outdoor garden in the winter is to use annuals, starting fresh each spring and removing your plants in the fall and winter. “Selecting plants that are suited to your planting zone is crucial, he explains. “If you live in a high-rise, remember that for every ten stories up, you are one zone colder.”
For those without any outdoor space at all who still want to grow plants at home, Freilich recommends Northern African violets, hoya, orchids, and rabbit’s foot fern, depending on the level of sunlight in your space. If you’re blessed with ample light, cactus and agave make great houseguests. “We frequently use ZZ (Zamioculcas Zamifolia), rhipsalis, the pencil cactus, and sansevieria, but it’s all determined on the amount of light in the home,” Freilich says.
And if you’re really short on options, you can always go faux. When there’s a will to be green, there’s a way.
*This article written by Ariel previously ran on Vogue.com in 2017.
