Each week, Mansion Global takes on a theme with elite designers from around the world working in luxury properties. This week we discuss tips for choosing hardy plants for your patio or balcony.
Outdoor cultivation is more than just eye candy. They set the tone for a place, create an ambiance and often provide privacy from the prying eyes of neighbors. Neither is a large staging area a prerequisite for creating a beautiful outdoor oasis, nor is it a green thumb: hardy plants that thrive in less-than-ideal conditions can add life and dimension to any small outdoor retreat, city rooftop, or country patio.
What types of plants are available and which will thrive, of course, depends on the location. Take advice from these interior designers about the green spaces they enjoy working with and how they elevate the style and function of their outdoor spaces.
more: Introducing sustainability at home without sacrificing style
Create a sanctuary where you feel transported
‘When considering what kind of hardy plants to work with, I think, ‘Do I want this to be a private sanctuary, where I can hide and read a book in peace or is this patio or balcony going to be a place of entertainment?’ Likewise, “Am I located in a city or in the country?”
‘I have a house in the English countryside, and for my patio area I wanted to use it as a place to host slow lunches and lively dinner parties. I also wanted the planting to be complete and very ‘English’. So, I planted hundreds of bright lily bulbs For spring and then summer I have joyful dahlias, planting softer, frothy pots in a variety of pots and pans.It has a rustic feel that perfectly mimics the surrounding landscape.
“However, being in London, I would probably introduce planting that helps create a sense of privacy – taller shrubs and trees with lavender and Mediterranean herbs that produce the scent of serenity. In London you are especially looking for privacy because it is often your garden Or your patio is on a balcony and your neighbors are right next to you.So it’s important to create a sanctuary where you feel transported.
more: Serenity Now: Glory of the Zen Garden
“If you have the space, I think it’s a good idea to include a seating area where you can entertain guests. I also like to approach the patio area in a similar way to the inside. I want to be taken on a trip. Even if your space is small, you can still create “rooms” inside the balcony .
‘A friend in London has a small garden in a typical row of terraces, but his garden feels spacious and sprawling due to clever planting, cobbled walks and tree placement. For small spaces, I think it’s especially important to make the most of your vertical space, so consider Climbing plants and inserting structures such as thrones and obelisks.”
– Martin Brudnizki, founder of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio based in London and New York
Low maintenance, high style
“It’s important to think about what kind of maintenance you want to do to maintain an outdoor space. Do you love gardening and want to prune high maintenance plants and flowers all the time? Or do you want something very low maintenance?”
“For low-maintenance gardens, consider ferns. You can use ferns just about anywhere. I’ve seen them in Europe, in Mexico, in Miami—everywhere. There are many types of ferns, and they are a type of luscious plant.”
“You can have a tree fern, which is something you can use in a pot on the porch or in the yard, and can provide some height, or you can use a smaller fern that is very full. Ferns grow in the shade, unlike a lot of other plants. They are good to look at. in an outside area that is not hospitable to other species.”
Working with landscaper, Stephanie Barba Mendoza created a luscious planting area using native tropical plantings that bring softness and privacy to the Miami space.
Claudia Uribe
– Stephanie Barba Mendoza, London-based interior designer
moreWindow decoration in non-traditional rooms
Texture is not only for the inside
“Start thinking about playing with textures and patterns the same way you play indoors. In order to have a pattern in the garden, you have to treat the garden just as you treat the layers inside the house. Not everything can be the same.
“Think of texture, something with more greenery like a banana leaf plant compared to fine-leafed sweet peas that come in different colors and shades of green. In warmer climates, like here in Los Angeles, sunset safari grows by leaps and bounds.” It provides a pop of color without sticking to a flower for a different shot.”
Texture is as key in outdoor spaces as it is indoors, according to Colette Shelton. In order to have a pattern in the garden, you have to treat the garden just as you treat the layers inside the house.
Patrick Klein
– Colette Shelton, Los Angeles-based founder of COCOCOZY
more: Add a character with a colorful sofa
Privacy is the key
‘A little green can go a long way when it comes to transforming patios and terraces into private outdoor lounges. When we recommend plants, in addition to ease of maintenance, we also keep privacy and ambiance in mind, so that a place feels welcoming and calm, especially in urban environments.’
“To achieve this, it is important to consider plant height and color. At 200 East 59th St., for example, we took into account a variety of plant heights to create a sense of privacy as well as dimension. For ground cover we used bachisandra plants, then for height we added Short and tall plants such as tulips and Hollywood junipers, respectively.
Then we thought about color and how the plants would appear over the seasons. A balcony that looks so lush and private in the summer, can look barren and sad during the winter. We used a perennial plant called arborvitae to combat this often overlooked problem, and supplemented the green with Japanese maples, which offer a stunning red color and mix things up.”
In Manhattan, Ximena Rodriguez has incorporated a variety of plant heights at 200 East 59th St. Plus greenery to keep spaces looking lush throughout the seasons.
200 East 59th Street
– Ximena Rodriguez, Director and Director of Interior Design at CetraRuddy
Click to read more news and stories about luxury home design
