The Guru Of The English Garden, Michael Giannelli

After decades of working in fashion, Michael Giannelli embarked on a new journey by taking over an iconic East End oasis of a garden center where his high-end aesthetic was put to work on landscapes with a nod to the English garden. Not to be confused with the cottagecore style, his guiding principles are for the classic garden that will thrive for generations. We caught up with Giannelli to find out why he decided to revamp and relaunch East Hampton Gardens on Gingerbread Lane and what his work offers his East End clients.

Michael, you were a customer of East Hampton Gardens for a long time before taking over when the owners retired. Can you tell us about how it all came to be and why this was what you wanted to do?

After spending 30 years in fashion design at Gap, Loft, and Victoria’s Secret I decided for my 50th birthday I would purchase East Hampton Gardens and move out to East Hampton full time. I was a client of Carol and Brian’s, the previous owners, for 20 years and always joked that I would buy the store one day. They decided to retire and I decided to move east and the rest is history.

What was the renovation of the space like and what did you add or remove?

We did a complete overhaul of the shop and the grounds. The first step was the rebranding of the store and changing the logo, etc. Our signature is a navy and white stripe with a Kelly green ribbon. My partner, Greg Shano, did the interior design of the shop and added beautiful wallpapers and details to the interior. I’ve always loved Palm Beach so we took some inspiration from different interiors and used white bamboo etageres, brass tables, and stone garden tables as the fixtures for the shop.

You are a multi-talented designer/landscaper/retailer … Can you explain all of your services?

I’ve learned so much growing up in retail and how to merchandise a shop or a line of clothing. It is a real passion of mine to bring the story to life within the shop and the grounds of the nursery. We incorporate water features, gravel pathways, and a small barn, and are constantly merchandising the grounds to make it fresh all season long. For the interiors, we partner with Greg Shano Interiors, and he takes the lead. For the landscape design and retail that is all me.

Which is your favorite service and why?

I love to take a very personal approach to the garden design and partner with the clients to ensure their vision is achieved. I bring a ton of ideas and inspiration and walk the grounds with the client and find out how they use the property. Do they want an herb garden, perennial garden, shade/woodland garden, outdoor ping pong table, whatever they can dream up. It really is fun when you click with the client and they give you the freedom to create a beautiful space. I also love floral design and we offer weekly styling services and arrangements for small lunches or dinners. And we always have an assortment of fresh and faux florals to choose from.

Your background was in fashion. How do you think this helps with your work?

I was always using color and print to tell the story of a collection. Now I use color and flowers to create the vision. It was a very easy transition going from fashion to gardening. I will admit there was a bit of a learning curve as far as running a nursery versus going to a corporate job every day!

How did the pandemic affect your work – were landscaping jobs stopped or did it grow because of the onslaught of new year-rounders?

I’m very lucky to say that our business has grown each and every year we have been open. This being our sixth summer I have big expectations for the shop! We did see a major shift to outdoor entertaining and outdoor living. Plenty of people moved out here year-round but I can now say that many have returned back to the city. My clients’ children were eager to return to in-person schooling once it was allowed.

How would you describe your landscape design style? We get the English cottage vibe, like a careful study of Gertrude Jekyll, but with a twist.

Exactly! I love the perfectly imperfect English garden style but I must give it structure. I love boxwood, hydrangea, peony, roses, lilac, camellias, and topiary. I have an old fashion take on gardening. I love a formal parterre, a knot garden, and love to establish garden rooms. Even if you have a small space it is really fun to design different destinations one for dining, one for lounging, a small pool, etc.

Can you share any trends you see in landscape design that you’re loving?

Unfortunately, the low-maintenance garden seems to always come up. I am a believer that really doesn’t exist. Any garden needs tending. What I love is not designing into a “trend” but designing a classic, beautiful space. Classics last forever, trends come and go.

Your shop has a nostalgic aura to it, with pieces made for homes to give them an approachable luxury element. What products are you seeing for spring that our readers would love?

I love entertaining whether in the garden or in the home, so we have a lot to offer in that category. Great new napkins, and tablecloths, placemats, napkins rings, glasses, and bamboo flatware. We also have great barware, Christofle silver pieces, and William Yeoward crystal. For outdoor entertaining, we have a beautiful line of melamine dishes and serving pieces and Italian acrylic glassware that looks and feels like glass but won’t shatter and destroy your pool.

Your partner, Greg, is an interior designer. How would you describe his interior design style?

Both my partner and I made life changes at around 50 years old. Greg went back to school for interior design and worked with Steven Gambrel until he went out on his own. I have a passion for gardening and translate my passion into my brand, East Hampton Gardens.

Literally, when I celebrated my 50th birthday I said to myself, “Michael it’s time for a change,” and the first thing I did was to stop listening to people. There was so many “what about this? What about that? How much is it going to cost? etc.”

Too much negativity kills a dream. I had a dream and a vision plus the support of my partner, Greg, and made it happen.

What trends do you see for this sector that you are loving for spring and beyond?

What I’m seeing is people really love neutrals in a coastal way. Adding rattan, seagrass carpets, Sunbrella fabrics that don’t fade into their interiors. We have some really great pieces that can add a coastal feel to your home but we love to mix it up with some more color and prints.

Why the East End – what do you love about it?

I use to love the bucolic feeling of the East End — the open fields, the relaxed way of life, long weekends shopping at small mom and pop stores — but I think that has really started to wain. I opened my shop with the intention of bringing back personal attention, the bespoke shopping experience, with the unique assortment of gifts and home accessories. I think what will never leave the East End is the beautiful light, the sunsets, the beaches. Once I see the water I instantly relax.

What do you do for fun when you’re not working on beautiful homes and gardens?

Now what I love is going to the beach early in the morning with Harper, my dog, and walking with my friends. I love meals at home with friends, game nights, and movie nights. I try and avoid the crowds, especially after a long day at the shop.

To learn more about Michael, visit East Hampton Gardens, click here.

Ty Wenzel

Co-Publisher & Contributor

Ty Wenzel started her career as a fashion coordinator for Bloomingdale’s followed by fashion editor for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She was also a writer for countless publications, including having published a memoir and written features for The New York Times. She is an award-winning writer and designer who covers lifestyle, real estate, architecture and interiors for James Lane Post. Wenzel is also a co-founder of the meditation app for kids, DreamyKid, and the social media agency, TWM Hamptons Social Media.