We design gardens and terraces for seaside homes that are made for summer and still look cared for all year round. Full sun, wind, salt air and sand are the conditions we work with every day from our studio in Lignano Sabbiadoro: we choose plants that can take them, design shade and spaces to live in, and organize the care of the garden even while the house is closed.
Book a site visitA seaside garden works in conditions found nowhere else: sunlight reflected off sand and water, constant wind, salt-laden air, and sandy soils that hold little water and few nutrients. Plants chosen for a city garden suffer here, turn yellow or don’t make it through their first summer.
That is why we start from the species that grow naturally along the coast and combine them with the hardiest Mediterranean plants, arranged in bands: the toughest facing the sea, the more delicate ones in the shelter behind. Shade, privacy and drainage are part of the design from the very beginning.
Then there is the question of second homes, lived in for only a few months a year. We design gardens that need little water and little attention, plan irrigation where it is needed and, if you wish, look after everything ourselves with a scheduled maintenance service.
Roberto Landello is a garden designer based in Lignano Sabbiadoro. From here we design and build gardens and terraces for seaside homes along the entire northern Adriatic coast, following every project in person: from the first site visit and the choice of plants to construction and maintenance.
Our work starts with plants. Roberto grew up in his family’s nursery in Lignano Sabbiadoro and trained at the Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza; Luca, our technical lead, combines a background in construction with training in agronomy and arboriculture.
We know coastal gardens from the inside: almost all of our projects were born here, from sea-view terraces to pine wood gardens and holiday homes. In 2017 our installation “Ciclicità lunare” won the Foglia d’Oro del Lago di Como award at Orticolario, and our projects have been featured in Gardenia, Casa in Fiore and Terrazzi e balconi.
In a seaside apartment the terrace is the real living room of the summer. We work with made-to-measure planters, planted screens against wind and prying eyes, shaded areas for the hottest hours, and container plants that tolerate salty air and full exposure.
Where the garden looks straight onto the sea, you need species that truly withstand wind and salt, and a structure that shelters the more delicate areas. We start from the plants of the coast and build green screens that make the garden livable.
Under pine trees the soil is sandy, acidic and dry, and the light shifts through the day. We choose plants suited to dappled shade and to competing with tree roots, and we lay out paths and seating areas that respect the existing trees.
Shaded dining areas, places to relax, pool surrounds and outdoor showers: we design each space around how you live in the house during the warm months, with materials that stand up to sun and salt and plants that don’t drop litter where people walk barefoot.
What clients ask us most often before starting a project.
The ones used to the coast: many Mediterranean species, some ornamental grasses, and shrubs with small or leathery leaves that limit water loss.
The choice, though, depends on the exposure of each part of the garden. The toughest plants act as a screen on the seaward side and protect the more delicate ones, so even a beachfront garden can have color and flowers.
We design a garden that needs little water and little attention, with an irrigation system where it is needed.
For the rest of the year we can look after it ourselves with scheduled maintenance: pruning, irrigation checks and replacements, so when summer comes you find the garden in good order.
You can, but a traditional lawn by the sea needs a lot of water and maintenance, and it often suffers from salt and summer foot traffic.
In many cases we suggest alternatives: drought-tolerant ground cover, ornamental grasses, permeable paving alternating with planting. The result suits the place better and is easier to look after.
With planted screens built in layers: hedges and sturdy shrubs on the exposed side, more delicate plants in their shelter. Where space is tight we use planters and light structures that break the wind without blocking the view.
Yes. From our Lignano studio we look after seaside homes along the Friuli and Veneto coast, from Grado and Trieste down to Bibione, Caorle and Jesolo, and we also consider projects on the Romagna Riviera.
With a site visit: we look at the garden or terrace and its exposure to sun and wind, and we talk about what you need and when you spend time in the house. This leads to the preliminary design, with the concept and the first choices of plants and materials.
Have a seaside home and want a garden that can take sun, wind and salt? Tell us about it: we start with a site visit.
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