Frederico Azevedo is an award-winning landscape designer and the founder of Unlimited Earth Care. He profoundly understands the region’s diverse and delicate environments and creates elegant landscapes across the East End. He is renowned for his ability to blend natural design elements with color, texture, and form to create stunning outdoor spaces. We had the opportunity to speak with Azevedo to learn more about his approach.
Tell us about your training and how you got your start in landscape design.
I became interested in gardening at a very young age. I was always rearranging the planters at home and planting the ingredients to my favorite dishes — I never bored of the joy of growing things. Then I was inspired by the public gardens and parks in Brazil, which were incredible collaborations between exceptional Brazilian designers, like Roberto Burle Marx and Lota de Macedo Soares. I saw what landscape design could do and how the right plants and flowers, designed with careful consideration of space and color, could affect people’s moods and inspire them. I went on to study garden and landscape design in England and the US, where I went on to found my own firm.
You founded Unlimited Earth Care in 1993. Can you talk about this time and what inspired you to start your business on the East End?
When I began spending time in the Hamptons, I saw its beautiful, diverse environments and what a strong interest in gardens there was. I knew it was the perfect place to establish my firm and develop my ideas. In the ’90s, everyone was doing these all-white gardens. It was very trendy, but I took a risk and followed my own sense of color, and luckily, people loved it! Color is very powerful, and people were really trusting me to defy that austere aesthetic of the time and plant curving beds of flowers in bold colors. I’m still guided by color, and each property usually calls for several palettes that range from soft to bright hues.
Your work focuses on native and well-adapted plants and flowers — local pollinators. Can you explain why this is so important?
Yes, my designs all use native and well-adapted plants and flowers, and Unlimited Earth Care has been focused on sustainability since the beginning. It’s simple — plants and flowers that are growing in environments where they’re supposed to be, where they are well-suited to the soil and climate, are healthier and, therefore, more beautiful. I’ve always designed to invite pollinators, like butterflies, honeybees, and birds, to my gardens because they are all very important collaborators in the environment, and having a thriving garden should mean participating in the project of your local environment. That is the one trend that I’m all for: sustainability. I love speaking with my clients about native plants and how to support the Monarchs in their migration when they pass through the Hamptons.
Can you tell us about receiving the Blue Ribbon from Martha Stewart?
Receiving an award from Martha Stewart at the LongHouse was an honor. I’m very proud of that.
Do you have any projects you’re currently working on or have worked on recently that stand out to you?
All of my projects are the center of my world when I’m designing them or even when I’m thinking about them, but I’ll mention an element of one garden that I’m very pleased with: I designed a low, slim bed of soft-textured blooms alongside a very modern pool using flowers, like golden Rudbeckia, Shasta daisies, and purple Lythrum. At the front of the pool, a sleek stone patio is sheltered by a pergola made of natural wood forms full of lush vines. The balance of modern design and soft blooms creates a lovely mood, elegant and lighthearted.
Your designs use textured beds and expressive color palettes, creating a heightened experience of nature. Can you describe how your landscapes move with the seasons?
Recently, I transitioned many projects into spring, which is always exciting. When that final frost thaws and the bulbs we planted in the fall bring those early flecks of color into view, it makes everyone happy. I design gardens that elevate the experience of changing seasons and bring experiences of nature into people’s homes. Even winter gardens are beautiful. There have been many studies supporting the idea that looking at trees can be beneficial for mental health, and I always build a strong foundation of evergreens in different hues and textures that can stand as gardens on their own in winter.
What inspires you most about the landscape of the East End?
The diversity of environments — the East End has farm fields, oceanfront, bayfront, woods, and ponds — it’s always a challenge to design gardens that are suited to their exact location, and that keeps me inspired because I’m always thinking of new solutions, aesthetic and practical.
Tell us about your book, “Bloom.”
My book “Bloom: the Luminous Gardens of Frederico Azevedo” published by Pointed Leaf Press was a very fulfilling project for me, it allowed me to really consider why I did what I did, why I thought certain design choices and approaches worked better than others, and how I used elements, like stone and water in my designs. I’m proud to say that it was also a success. The publisher has completely sold out of copies, although we still have books available for sale in the Garden Market in Bridgehampton. It has hundreds of photographs, so it’s wonderful to have this record. My clients were excited to be included, and a few of these projects were even over ten years ago, but their gardens were still beautiful and thriving.
Please discuss the guest experience at your garden market and concept store. What are some of the items that you are most excited about this season?
Finding new and unique items for the Concept Store is something I really enjoy. Often, we’ll have one-of-a-kind sculptures and art objects, but we also sell many garden accessories and planters that are beautiful and practical, ideally made of new sustainable materials. This year, we have Poldina lights, these tall lamps from Italy that turn on with a tap. They’re rechargeable and very elegant outdoors because they’re a sort of modern play on the classic floor lamp, so they look very interesting in the grass or beside the pool — and they’re perfect for entertaining because they’re easy to move around.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
On Saturday, June 22, I’m hosting “The Balance of Colors,” an event for socializing and shopping with cocktails and music at the Unlimited Earth Care headquarters to celebrate the Summer. It’s going to be a great time, and your readers are most welcome! Saturday, June 22, from 4 to 7 PM at 2249 Scuttle Hole Rd, Bridgehampton. RSVP by emailing info@unlimitedearthcare.com.
