“One of my favorite designed properties is Wethersfield in Amenia, New York. The estate includes three acres of dramatic, richly textured garden rooms, lawn terraces, reflecting pools and borrowed views. Layers of lush green architectural hedges create and connect spaces that invite you to explore on multiple levels of a hillside. Each garden room connects to another; surprising and delighting you with amazing vistas or intimate secret places to relax and enjoy the beauty of the landscape. Wethersfield inspires me to understand the capability of the land, the importance of designing with nature and the strength of design to create beautiful spaces.”—Nancy King, Seventy Acres Landscape Architecture & Design
“Travel always inspires me. I just returned from a national park trip to Utah and these places are so inspirational. I found myself contemplating light, color and the resiliency and fragility of plant material and how it all pertains to my profession.”—James Doyle, Doyle Herman Design Associates
“The outdoor space I find inspiring is Storm King Art Center. Not only is it filled with great art that is inspiring in its own right, it is a beautiful setting where they practice horticultural methods to enhance the acres of meadows that surround the art. The landscape there is ever changing and is beautiful no matter the time of year.”—Kathryn Herman, Doyle Herman Design Associates
“My favorite public space is Wave Hill. I was always drawn to the natural world, although I grew up in New York City, and have always thought of the public gardens there as a perfect refuge. To this day, my favorite landscapes are along the Hudson River—I love the upland forest Hudson River Valley archetype, and the culture and history of the land surrounding the Palisades. Wave Hill has 28 acres of expertly maintained gardens containing innovative plantings, all overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades. Every season the plant beds and planters are expertly refreshed and I make sure to schedule regular offsite field trips with my entire design studio for inspiration and education. We end every trip to the gardens with a renewed enthusiasm and appreciation for the natural world and understanding of the importance of maintaining our cultural landscapes. Can there be anything better than a western view of the Hudson River, overlooking the Palisades into a gorgeous sunset?”—Janice Parker, Janice Parker Landscape Architects
“Central Park still remains one of the public realms I revere most. The foresight Olmsted had in creating a functional site plan complementary to the multi-modes of circulation typologies present, while delivering a naturalized and soul-renewing environment amongst the urban chaos never ceases to astound the senses. As a landscape architect in kind, nothing could be more gratifying than having such a profound positive influence on the daily lives of human beings.”—Kevney Moses, Wesley Stout Associates
“One of my very favorite outdoor public spaces that continues to inspire me is the Chicago Botanic Garden. As a plant lover, I seek out botanic gardens whereverI travel. I have dragged my kids to many farflung gardens throughout the world, always on a mission to learn more about the indigenous plants of the region. A few years back, I enrolled in a professional development course at the CBG that spanned two seasons, and fell in love with the place immediately. Spread across nearly 400 acres, it includes more than 25 varied gardens that delight, inspire and encourage exploration as well as education. There are gardens within that are designed by some of the world’s premier garden designers and landscape architects. My all-time favorites are the Great Basin and Evening Island. Collectively an example of ‘The New American Garden,’ pioneered and designed by Oehme van Sweden, it incorporates sweeping expanses of ornamental grasses and perennials in a meadow-like fashion that seamlessly blends native and cultivated plantings. It’s a feast for the eyes and the soul!”—Tara Vincenta, Artemis Landscape Architects
