The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Q&A with outdoor living architect Fernando Wong
He made his HGTV debut on the series ‘Clipped’ last month.
Fernando Wong, of Fernando Wong Outdoor Living Design in Miami Beach, designs residential and commercial garden and landscape projects worldwide. Wong started the company with Tim
Johnson in 2005. The firm is known for moving very large trees (the largest so far is a 90-foot tall Kapok) and creating garden follies, pools and pool pavilions, outdoor kitchens and sculpture gardens. Wong made his HGTV debut Aug. 14 alongside Martha Stewart as a judge on “Clipped,” a competition series featuring topiary art.
Wong joined a recent Washington Post Home Front online chat. Here is an edited excerpt.
Q: What’s a good online source for wellpriced planters?
A: We love the ones from Crescent Garden (crescentgarden.com). They’re great because many of them are self-watering. I also like authentic terra cotta from Italy and Anduze glazed pots from France; they’re a bit more expensive, but they’re worth it because they add so much charm. I’ve used some planters from Authentic Provence (authenticprovence.com). My home country of Panama is another great source for well-priced pots; try Artisan Concrete
Design Studio (artisanconcretedesignstudio.com).
Q: Why is outdoor furniture so costly?
A: McKinnon and Harris (mckinnonharris. com) is a favorite of mine that is extremely expensive. When my clients ask me to justify the price, I explain that it is all handcrafted out of aluminum in Virginia and is guaranteed to last for life. Buying outdoor furniture at this level is not only a gift to yourself but also to your children and grandchildren. David Sutherland (sutherlandfurniture.com) has some incredible teak pieces. Other more affordable, high-quality options are Summit (summitfurniture.com) and Country Casual (countrycasualteak.com). Q: Which pool shape do you prefer?
A: I love a good rectangle; the purity of the clean lines is the perfect solution for creating really beautiful landscapes. That shape also works well with all types of architecture.
Q: What is the best way to clean and store outdoor cushions?
A: The most important thing is ensuring they are covered in a high-quality outdoor fabric. We like Perennials Fabrics (perennialsfabrics.com). Cushions age poorly when they are not cleaned regularly or are not allowed to completely dry out. Store them in a dry place during the winter if you live in a Northern climate.
Q: What measures do you suggest I take to keep pollen from covering everything on my screened porch?
A: Pollen is very difficult to keep out. You could
install canvas roller shades that you can lower when you’re not outside. Blindster (blindster.com) and Blinds.com (blinds.com) have some attractive and economical solutions.
Q: What do you think of incorporating a firepit in a backyard? I want one, but I don’t want to deal with maintenance, and I find a lot of the designs unattractive.
A: I love firepits; they are so much fun to sit around — and don’t get me started on my s’mores addiction. Home Depot (homedepot.com) has some simple ones, and there are some affordable, super stylish ones at Breeo (breeo.co).
Q: Do you have recommendations for outdoor umbrellas and shades for a large deck with a pool?
A: I really like the umbrellas from Tuuci (tuuci.com), which has options in all sizes. For more magical designs, I recommend the umbrellas from Santa Barbara Designs (santabarbaradesigns.com).
Q: I hate outdoor rugs because they always look dirty. Are there other ways to define an outdoor room?
A: I like to use synthetic sea grass, because it lasts forever and does not show dirt. It also gives a nice neutral, natural look; Sisalcarpet.com (sisalcarpet.com) is a good source. If you really want something with no maintenance, you can do a stone infield with a brick border, so the infield looks like a rug; we did something similar in a project with a coral stone infield and an inlaid border of black Mexican beach stones.