Photo courtesy of Rizzoli
When working with any site, Ed Hollander and his team first evaluate the existing landscape to determine flora and views worth saving and enhancing. This New England property boasted rows of ancient black cherry trees surrounded by a meadow of little bluestem. The designers connected the trees and field with a new stepping stone path and then further highlighted the scene with landscape lighting.
FLOWER: YOU GREW UP IN MANHATTAN AND RECEIVED A DEGREE IN HISTORY AND BOTANY FROM VASSAR COLLEGE. HOW DID THAT LEAD YOU TO A CAREER IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE?
Ed Hollander: If you are lucky, you find that one college professor who helps direct your path. I was the luckiest person ever because I found more than one. At Vassar, I signed up for horticulture as an elective on a whim. That decision introduced me to Sven Sward, a devoted horticulturist and former superintendent of grounds at Vassar. He is the one who truly led me to the trees, and my interest only grew. From there, I attended the New York Botanical Garden School of Professional Horticulture, but it wasn’t until I went to the University of Pennsylvania to study landscape architecture that I really learned how to read the land. At that time, my teacher and department chair, Ian McHarg, was at the forefront of ecology as it relates to design. He was a chain-smoking, Bible-thumping, Scottish apostle for the planet. He was a leader of a movement, and his holistic teachings were life-changing for me.
Photo by Charles Mayer
Ed Hollander relaxes in his garden.
HOW DID THOSE HOLISTIC TEACHINGS IMPACT YOUR DESIGNS?
Landscape design requires a three-part understanding to be successful: the natural ecology, the architectural ecology, and the human ecology. You have to be able to listen and respond to the earth, understand the impact of building upon it, and consider how someone wants to live on it. From the onset, collaboration between the landscape architect, architect, builder, interior designer, environmental consultants, and engineers is critical. All of the components have to work together. Only then can you have a healthy landscape and a truly cohesive design.
YOUR NEW BOOK FOCUSES ON YOUR FIRM’S RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS, BUT YOUR PORTFOLIO AND TEAM’S EXPERTISE ARE SO VARIED. TELL US ABOUT SOME OF YOUR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
Our firm did the design for The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and Hudson Yards in New York. Currently, we are working on nine commercial towers with parks and gardens in Taiwan. For any project, public or residential, it’s essential to understand the ecologies of each place. When working on international projects, we turn to local experts for help. My ego isn’t so big that I think I can just step into a place and know everything. As long as you have the ability to ask questions and listen, you can take your skills anywhere.
Photo courtesy of Rizzoli
Winding turf paths surrounded by black-eyed Susans, echinaceas, bee balms, butterfly bushes, and native maritime grasses lead guests to an oceanfront golf course at this New England estate. Here, human visitors are just as mesmerized as the pollinators by the volume of textures and colors.
YOUR BOOK IS TITLED THE LANDSCAPE OF HOME. WHAT DOES THE WORD “HOME” MEAN TO YOU?
A home is more than just a house. It’s a sense of well-being. Home is a place where we create joy, find respite, and feel secure. It’s my job to figure out what that means to each individual client and make those connections. Some people want places that will grow with them through their stages of life. For instance, they may want a pool or outdoor entertaining area now, but they also want a place where they can celebrate future events such as weddings.
YOU COMPARE LANDSCAPE DESIGN TO THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF MUSIC. HOW DO YOU BRING THAT ANALOGY TO YOUR DESIGNS?
In a symphony, music rises and falls. It creates a sense of anticipation and longing. We use those same concepts in landscape design. The cover of my book is a great example. The path you see is an invitation to come inside, while the stepping stones draw the eye to another space which brings about a sense of crescendo and mystery. Shade trees cool you down while sunny spaces beyond bring warmth—and then the landscape lighting creates a transition to the evening. Just like the range of sensations that comes from listening to a well orchestrated performance, a garden should evoke moods and carry you through all of your senses. You shouldn’t just look at a garden—you should be emotionally participating.
Photo courtesy of Rizzoli
This contemporary Hamptons home merges seamlessly with the outdoors. A bank of glass windows opens onto a covered seating area with access to the pool beyond. Deer-resistant, long-blooming pollinator plantings such as butterfly bush, salvia, and coneflower soften the angular architecture and bring nature close to home.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF PRESERVATION IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN?
When you are presented with something wonderful—whether it’s an ocean view, a historic structure, or 100-year-old trees— you work to enhance it. The things that were here before us offer a timelessness you cannot re-create. Old-growth trees can serve as a framework for an entire design. We will go to great lengths to preserve views and plants. In one instance, we actually concocted an elaborate feat of engineering to move a house in a way that would allow us to preserve century-old rhododendrons.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO REVISIT A PROPERTY YEARS AFTER INSTALL?
I love returning to properties to see what they have become and how they have grown. When houses are built, they are done, but when you install a garden, it’s just beginning. Trees grow taller and things fill in. Seeing your vision fulfilled is the reward for patience. A landscape is a measure of time, and it’s very humbling.
Photo courtesy of Rizzoli
This farm in Connecticut enjoys a pedigree that goes back to the 1700s. The new homeowners wanted to save the best parts of the fields while introducing a home and landscape for modern living. To unify the new guest house and agricultural area beyond, Ed created a pea gravel path framed by crepe myrtles underplanted with geranium Rozanne, astilbes, and hydrangeas.
By Cathy Still McGowin | Photography courtesy of Rizzoli
The Landscape of Home (Rizzoli, 2024) is the latest of three books authored by Ed Hollander, president of Hollander Design Landscape Architects. It features 18 projects focused on residential environments that are both healthy and beautiful for all inhabitants.
Buy the book and enjoy more beautiful landscapes!
