A successful rustic landscape design should appear natural and effortless – as if it occurred without man’s intervention. In creating a setting for “Pointer Perch”, a newly designed house on Fishers Island, NY, we sought to seamlessly blend the three-acre site with the surrounding protected woodlands and to capitalize on panoramic water views. In doing so, we followed a few simple principles:

Start with a Strong, Clear Concept

The site is within a residential park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. in the 1920s. At the time Olmsted laid out the park’s meandering lanes and hilltop homesites the island featured unobstructed views across native grasslands sprinkled with boulders. A century later, the property had become overgrown with dense brush and invasive vines, completely obscuring the views. The design concept was to restore Olmsted’s original vision, creating a meadow of native grasses as a setting for a new tower house, perched upon the site’s highest point.

Accept Mother Nature’s Gifts

The landscape is conceived of as a natural extension of the surrounding protected woodlands, ponds, and meadows. The hardscape is kept to a minimum and the drive, planting beds, and pathways all echo the flowing curves of nature. The gently rolling topography of the site was celebrated, with regrading kept to a minimum. Massive boulders which distinguish the property were retained and become features within the planting beds surrounding the house.

Edit the Existing

The woodlands bordering the meadow were edited to reveal a wealth of mature oak, hickory, maple, and sculptural cherry trees. Occasional crabapples and shadblows provide spring blossoms. Invasive underbrush was carefully removed below the trees while preserving and supplementing native inkberry, winterberry, bayberry, and blueberry shrubs. A mature sweetgum tree was strategically planted to shield the house from the summer western sun and a grove of native cedars was created to announce the entrance to the property.

Choose Your Moments

Site enhancements are clustered near the house, where they will be most appreciated. Decorative plantings, selected to complement the native grasses, surround the house in undulating beds of beach stones, punctuated by massive boulders, which also conceal an underground roof drainage system. A terrace of jumbo bluestone pavers provides a vantage point to enjoy the rustic landscape and a strategically placed outdoor shower features ocean views.

Strive for Sustainability

Recognition of the island’s limited access to fresh water for irrigation and the goal of a sustainable, low-maintenance property were driving forces in the design. Selecting drought resistant plantings was crucial given the windy site’s sandy soil and southern exposure. The meadow is predominantly planted with little bluestem grasses, which appear naturally in the island’s maritime grasslands and thrive in the dry, sunny conditions. Mowed grass on the property is limited to a series of undulating paths through the meadow and surrounding the house and drive. Decorative plantings near the house were selected for both beauty and drought resistance.

Vary the Viewpoint

A variety of viewpoints were created to enjoy the landscape. The terrace offers a close-up appreciation of the meadow grasses which flow with the ocean breezes. Pathways carved through the tall grasses provide an opportunity to view the hilltop house from a distance. The balcony of the home’s top floor provides an expansive view of the landscape and ocean beyond.

Creating a Natural Landscape