Frederico Azevedo has always been enamored with nature, flowers in particular. “As a child I would rearrange the plants for fun and plant the ingredients for my favorite foods,” he said. “The exciting thing about this medium is how it can make people happy and open up new parts of your life.”
His business, Unlimited Earth Care in Bridgehampton, is celebrating a milestone this year — 30 years in the business of working with clients to design joyful, healthy outdoor spaces at their homes.
“I love color and design, but my clients are a large part of what I do,” Mr. Azevedo, who is originally from Brazil and studied the art in England and in the U.S., told The Star. “I learn their lifestyles and how they like to live, and I design a way to enhance that and bring parts of their lives outdoors into the flowers. So it’s very fulfilling to maintain these relationships and hear about all of the recipes they’re trying with their new vegetable garden or see pictures of their new cherry tree in peak bloom. It’s a very personal, living side of design.”
As soon as he saw the farmlands, woods, shorelines, and fields of the East End, Mr. Azevedo knew he wanted to settle here and raise his family. “There’s really nowhere like the East End. That incredible light is real, but it’s more than that,” he said, pointing out that the excellent soils and the diverse ecologies “present many different design opportunities.”
Over the years, Mr. Azevedo has won awards for his designs while incorporating sustainable concepts to create “year-round landscapes that are specific to the conditions of their environment and the surrounding architecture.” His 2019 photography and philosophy book “Bloom: The Luminous Gardens of Frederico Azevedo,” published by Pointed Leaf Press, is nearly sold out. Last year, the designer expanded his store and design business with a garden market featuring modern furniture, sculptures, garden accessories, and a “curated selection of native and well-adapted plants and flowers that thrive in the Hamptons.”
On June 17 from 4 to 7 p.m., there will be a celebration of his 30-year milestone at his shop and studio, 2249 Scuttlehole Road in Bridgehampton, featuring music, food, drinks, and dancing among the flowers.
Mr. Azevedo draws a meaningful sense of gratification from his work.
“When a design is finished, that’s really only the beginning,” he said. “Everything has to grow and become accustomed to the environment I’ve set out for it, and then usually Unlimited Earth Care will go on to maintain and care for the landscape, so it’s very satisfying to see the design flourish and also to see how the clients have come to live new lives with their garden.”