Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1463863
62 SPRING 2022 cultivate to convince customers to install a garden. That said, she does not back any specific style for growing in proximity to the ocean. "Tying the garden to the house is the most important basic principle," she suggests. "Informal gardens look great connected to summer cottages. A formal garden is also apropos, especially if a home has deep roots in the past. But then, modern gardens with clean, spare lines look equally beautiful in the right setting." When considering design, Lambert is a major advocate for hardworking landscapes that serve as allies to shield a home against wind. In her opinion, foundation plantings are unsung heroes in that realm. "A good foundation planting can protect a home against loss of heat," she explains. Although gusts can be mighty by the beautiful sea, she prefers to frame views rather than screening them off entirely. "You northshoremag.com/nshorehome/ don't want to block the vista," she says of preserving the panorama that her customers bought into when they purchased coastal properties. Instead, Lambert suggests framing spectacular views with well-placed, wind-resistant shrubs. Low fences are also an option. Which shrubs work by the deep blue sea? First, assess your property for options, considering relative exposure. For the most exposed situations, the plants Lambert suggests share certain physical characteristics protect them from wind and salt spray. Her enlistees tend to have overlapping scales on their branches— like junipers and Eastern red cedar. When working in an exposed space, the evergreen shrubs she prefers feature tough needles—like pines (except white pine) such as Japanese black pine and mugo pines. For spaces that might be protected by a building or other feature against the direct onslaught of winds, she positions Perennials with furry leaves such as rudbeckia and borage love the seaside and produce flowers throughout summer.