Back when they were working on the grounds of the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside, Miami landscape architect Fernando Wong’s team had to cut down a 90-foot kapok tree and transport it several miles to its new location. “We move a lot of big trees, but this was the largest we had done so far, and it was a very involved process,” recalls Wong. “When we replanted it, it did not look so good, so many people accused us of tree abuse. But what they didn’t realize was that had we not moved the tree, it would have been cut down and discarded. Today that tree is very much alive and thriving.”
Memorable anecdotes like this one are an integral part of The Young Man and the Tree (The Vendome Press), a new book set for release in October that highlights Wong’s much-lauded work in South Florida and the Bahamas. “Our twentieth anniversary is next year, so the book covers two decades of work,” says Wong. “We wanted to showcase our civilized jungle approach to tropical landscape using classical architectural principles.”
The volume does just that through nearly 400 pages and 300 color illustrations of the lushly layered landscapes, elaborate garden follies, pool pavilions, and hardscapes that have prompted national shelter magazines to describe Wong as “one of the most influential landscape designers in America,” a “genius with the soul of a poet” and a “landscape legend.”
Penned by TIm Johnson (Wong’s longtime business and life partner), and including a foreword by Martha Stewart and commentary from noted designers such as David Netto, Miles Redd, and Amanda Lindroth, the tome serves as an impressive record of a professional who’s at the top of his game and who remains as inspired as ever.
“I get up every morning and meet the most successful, creative, and interesting people in the world, and then I get to create magnificent gardens for them,” says Wong. “I have to pinch myself most days because I cannot believe how blessed I am.” fernandowonggold.com; vendomepress.com
Story Credits:
Text by Luis R. Rigual
Photos courtesy of Fernando Wong Outdoor Living Design
Facebook Comments