Your patio is an extension of your indoor living space. Or, at least, it should be. Whether you have a small but satisfying corner-size spot for al fresco entertaining or a yard ample enough to create a multitude of “moods” (what all the cool designers are dubbing it these days), the time is nigh to get your outdoor space in oasis shape.
While you may have taken all the care in the world to safely store your table, pots and other outdoor accoutrements for the winter, you might be feeling like you need a little more than a swipe of spray cleaner to spiff things up. These five South Fork outdoor-living specialty spots will get you there!
Thayer’s Hardware and Patio, Bridgehampton
If you’re looking for one-stop shopping to create the ultimate outdoor space, Thayer’s has you covered. Open and family run since 1946, they’ve perfected the art of open-air living with stock that covers everything from furniture and fire pits to citronella candles and the coolest solar lanterns you’ve ever seen (we’re digging the sleek, handle-clad Cocoon from their Gloster collection), along with your other work-a-day hardware store fare. When it comes to dining and lounging, Thayer’s has their own line of furniture that you can only find here, like the Dune extension table and side chairs paired with their Safari umbrella, seen here from their Bridgehampton Collection. Stop in for a consult with Lauren or Erin Thayer, and tell them southforker sent you! (2434 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton, 631-537-0077)
Sag Harbor Garden Center, Sag Harbor
Unfortunately, the winter can be unkind to ceramic pots. If you didn’t take yours in for the cold season and find them full of cracks and chips, it’s time to replace them. But pots aren’t just a lovely little receptacle for plants; they’re a way to designate areas and create a vibe in your outdoor space. “Gardening is not garbage-fill; it’s art! Your patio area should feel like a hug,” said Linnette Roe, owner of Sag Harbor Garden Center. When placed together, large pots can create a unique vignette on a patio and provide a feeling of envelopment. Roe is a big fan of Michael Carr AquaPots — they’re sleek and minimalist, creating both style and structure in your outdoor area and come in large sizes. Best of all, AquaPots are designed hold and mete out water over time, so if you’re not around to refresh your plants for a few days, you won’t come home to a greenery graveyard. (11 Spring St., Sag Harbor, 631-725-3345)
White Oak Farm & Garden, Shelter Island
Finding the right plants to put in large pots to create a layered, textural “wall” around your sitting area is key to setting the al fresco mood. There are many wonderful places on the East End to find just the right mix of plants for space, but a garden center attached to an outdoor wine bar with its own namesake wines? Yes, please! White Oak’s vino is made by talented Lenz winemaker Tom Spotteck. Open on the weekends, grab a glass and wander over to talk with prolific plant expert, Phoebe Clark: “My favorite year-round planter option for an evergreen is an upright juniper. Go with dogwood or cherry for flowering trees, which bloom in early spring, and for summer, I love pairing a potted dwarf Japanese maple with a low-growing Japanese grass. Its angular leaves mimic that of the maple’s.” If you want to get garden-trendy underfoot, Clark recommends drought-tolerant, edible ground cover like creeping thyme. “Lots of people are into the eat-your-landscape concept right now!” (74 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-5814)
Marders, Bridgehampton
There is a lot to look at both outside and in at this storybook-esque garden center owned by Kathleen and Charlie Marder. But when you wander inside the 19th-century barn that houses their enchanting garden shop, don’t forget to look up. It’s there you will discover the most soothing wind chimes ever to grace a garden. Made from sleek, sturdy aluminum, Grace Note Chimes’ “Himalayan Echo” chimes sound so beautiful because they are actually musician-tuned to specific notes in a particular key. (120 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton, 631-537-3700)
Westhampton Beach True Value Hardware
What’s an outdoor space without a grill? Westhampton Beach’s awesome True Value not only sells and stocks popular Weber grills and parts, but they’ll fix them, too. But while grilling is great, why not turn your backyard into the best pizza place in town? WHB True Value stocks a couple of compact pizza-oven options, like the 22-pound, portable and pellet-fueled Ooni Karu 12, that fits a full 12” pie and can get up to temperatures of 950 degrees. For a more compact option, try the dual-fuel Pi Pizza Oven, an unobtrusive addition to your outdoor area. Comes with a pizza stone and cooks up to 12” size pies lickety-split. (223 Montauk Highway, Westhampton Beach, 631-288-1544)
