FEATURES

GORGEOUS GARDENS GRACE JACK PEARSON'S POOL AND POOL HOUSE

It was the garden that bewitched Jack Pearson when he first saw Huntington Cottage more than 14 years ago. Citing a favorite Merchant/Ivory film, he describes his initial impression of the flower-filled estate, which sits on the border of Water Mill and Bridgehampton, as very Howard's End. "It was extremely English, vastly overgrown, yet gorgeous to its bones," he says.

Today, that circular half-acre of "incredibly fertile farmland" is a park-like enclave of visual delights, thanks to the skill of landscape artist Joseph Cornetta and Pearson's own happy toil. In addition to the original "rhodes," as Pearson calls them, and ancient wisteria, the property showcases 13 varieties of roses, 17 species of hydrangea and nine varieties each of clematis and peony, as well as a plethora of other plantings. All are tiered one against the other to create an atmosphere of airy opulence. Citing Solomon's Seal against ligularia as a favorite juxtaposition, Pearson credits Cornetta with teaching him how to use nonflowering plants to their best effect, exploiting them for their richness of leaf color and texture. (He also credits his mother for instilling in him a love of flora; she took him to botanical gardens in St. Louis when he was a boy.) Together, the landscape designer and homeowner retrained the tangle and redesigned the plantings to complement the garden's meandering paths. "The beds are rounded in helixes or shaped like S's, so there is an underlying sensuality to the structure of it all," Pearson says.

The appearance of the pool and pool house presented a special challenge, as Pearson sought a design that wouldn't look "recreational." Rather, he wanted a reflecting pool that would mirror the garden's many glories—and it took him years to decide how to do it right.