For the LongHouse Reserve’s 10th annual gardening competition last month, East Hampton gardeners, designers, landscapers, artists and horticulturists gathered around Judges Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper of interior design firm Ingrao Inc (whose own stunning gardens recently for Guild Hall’s Garden were shown as an art event).
The only requirement for participants in the competition, which is now in its 10th year, was that their painterly creations should not exceed 25 square meters. In keeping with the theme of the year – planters: ON + OFF the Ground – the designers were able to limit their creations to the ground level or build them in the air.
The resulting submissions spanned the full range in terms of style, shape and materials: the creations included a succulent plant enclosed in a cage-like device made of tree bark, a shimmering mirror cube planted with glowing lavender flowers, and miniature living room furnishings with a diameter of only a few centimeters, the situation of which is apparent in the cordoned off 25 square meters, should resemble the translation of personal space into the public world after the pandemic.
Each of the creations stands in front of the lush landscape of the Longhouse Reserve’s 16 hectare wooded area, making for a very unique viewing experience.
On the day of the competition, June 19th, guests cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award and later that evening Ingrao and Kemper gave a ceremonial presentation for the winners. Led by Alex Feleppa, chairman of the gardening committee, and Holger Winenga, LongHouse Reserve horticulturist, this year’s competition named Joshua Werber from Brooklyn as the first winner thanks to his Cornus Cocoon creation. Second place went to Geoffrey Nimmer Landscapes, honorable mentions went to Dennis Schrader of Landcraft Environments, Ltd. and Madeline Piro from Serene Scapes.
The good news for gardening enthusiasts: The plantings for this year’s competition can be seen by the public until July 31 as part of the Planters: ON + OFF the Ground exhibition in the squash court of the reserve. Would you like to see these lush plants for yourself? Watch the video above or purchase tickets through the LongHouse Reserve website, which can be found here.
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