THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED guide “Madoo: The Making of an American Backyard,” jogged my memory of the facility of sure key design methods that may make all of the distinction—ones that proved to be formative components within the extremely distinctive backyard that’s Madoo, in Sagaponack, Lengthy Island, which guests usually use phrases like “magical” to explain.
Madoo was created beginning within the Nineteen Sixties by the late painter and poet Bob Sprint, and the guide’s authors be part of me in the present day to speak about a few of these garden-making ways he used and that the backyard group there retains utilizing—like how necessary it’s to contemplate inside-out views from key home windows, and the way prospers of colourful paint (together with on the welcoming ingredient of rigorously positioned backyard seating) can unite a panorama’s many components.
My company in the present day are Alejandro Saralegui, government director of the Madoo Conservancy since 2009, and Kendell Cronstrom, a longtime journal editor (left to proper, within the photograph under), who’ve co-authored the guide, “Madoo: The Making of an American Backyard” (affiliate hyperlink).
Plus: Remark within the field close to the underside of the web page for an opportunity to win their new guide, “Madoo.”
Learn alongside as you take heed to the June 22, 2026 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant under. You’ll be able to subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
design classes from the gardens at madoo
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Margaret Roach: It’s good to speak to you each. And Alejandro, you and I labored not too long ago on a “New York Instances” backyard column collectively and that was enjoyable. I hadn’t been to Madoo in a very long time, and it was enjoyable to kind of go to it within the guide and in speaking to you.
So I ought to say earlier than we get began, that Madoo is open freed from cost on sure days. I believe it’s weekend afternoons within the spring and fall and Thursday by means of Sunday afternoons in summer time. And I’ll give all the data with the transcript additionally on the right way to discover out about visiting this very distinctive backyard.
Anyway, I beloved the origin story of the backyard, how Bob Sprint spied a property with a historic barn, I believe, on it that the actual property agent kind of dismissed as not one thing to contemplate, however how he knew it was the place.
And I ponder who desires to inform us about that kind of unconventional starting of this place?
Alejandro Saralegui: Yeah. Bob Sprint had been out with a realtor seeing properties. And as you mentioned, he’s like, “What about that? ” And the realtor was like, “No, you’re not serious about that. ” And Bob was like, “Sure, I’m.” And he mentioned he acquired there and that “It winked at me,” was his expression, which is simply super-charming.
And that was 1965 and there was nonetheless a cow within the barn, which dated again to 1740. And it was actually simply kind of the start of Madoo. And inside two years, between one factor and one other, it took him about most likely a yr and a half to buy the property and transfer in. And he moved in for the summer time of 1967 and that’s when Madoo began, and he began his little backyard within the courtyard, which he kind of created by transferring some sheds and such, however dwelling with a Sterno and tomatoes the native farmer had given him.
Margaret: Not a nasty starting. Apparently it labored. These have been good components, I assume; a recipe for fulfillment. So then I bear in mind additionally that how he started the garden-making, truly, was mowing pathways right into a meadow. So not like drawing a design on a bit of paper [laughter] and following that, not Panorama Structure 101 or no matter. In order that’s a enjoyable starting story, too. And I ponder if one in every of you desires to inform us that half.
Kendell Cronstrom: Yeah, I don’t suppose there have been … I imply, there may’ve been little sketches on cocktail napkins or one thing like that, however yeah, it was all about simply mowing the paths and really merely attending to know the land. And he additionally began planting across the perimeter commonplace issues like pine timber and that kind of factor earlier than he actually acquired into the busy work of gardening. Kind of like when individuals transfer right into a home and possibly wish to change the kitchen, however they dwell with it for some time to verify precisely what their wants are and the way they need it to operate.
Margaret: Yeah. The concept of him mowing after which stopping [laughter] at a spot that was, “Hmm, it is a great place” or one thing. It’s sort of pleasant, proper?
Alejandro: It completely is. And it’s a must to keep in mind that it wasn’t farmland. It was known as tractor turnaround land. So it was actually meadows. So everybody’s so accustomed out right here to both potato fields or cornfields, particularly again then. However on this case, it wasn’t farmed. So he’s actually slicing by means of Solidago and Queen Anne’s lace after which actually placing these French strapwork benches in the midst of the sector, and having a drink and studying a guide. [Above, Bob Dash on one of the strapwork benches.]
Margaret: Proper. A number of the benches you’re referring to which can be nonetheless within the backyard in the present day, these steel benches. Yeah. Lovely. So simply once more, as just a little little bit of background and to assist us visualize, as a result of not everybody who’s listening has had the privilege of seeing the guide, which I’ve been having fun with going again to and looking out on the footage many times, kind of to assist us by portray a visible image of a number of the options of the place, as a result of it has a variety of completely different areas. Nevertheless it’s not like a proper English backyard of rooms. It’s not that means and but it does have completely different areas to it. It’s not only one massive backyard space.
Alejandro: Precisely. And it’s a 2-acre natural backyard and it has someplace between 15 and 20 backyard areas or backyard rooms, relying on the way you outline that. And that’s actually a part of the magic of Madoo, the place it appears a lot, a lot bigger than the two acres.
So I had a tour yesterday with a gaggle of women from East Hampton, and so they have been like midway by means of, they have been like, “That is solely 2 acres.” I used to be like, “You’ve solely seen half.” And that’s the place Bob actually was very cautious. And a variety of it within the entrance of the backyard specifically are these paths that he ended up paving and utilizing. He used these little concrete setts [paving blocks] in pink or yellow. And people have been the pathways that ended up that began as little moon paths after which they turned paved or mulched or no matter. So that you get a variety of completely different areas and they’re both traditionally influenced or geographically influenced. So, as an illustration, there’s a rill [photo below] that hearkens again to the Islamic world.
Margaret: And that’s only a very slim channel of water. It’s very-
Alejandro: Precisely.
Margaret: …geometric, very exact. It’s not a stream. And I’ve solely seen them in just a few gardens elsewhere. There’s a few English gardens that I’ve seen them in, however it’s a really dramatic function.
Alejandro: It’s. And in Bob’s case, he had modified it through the years. First, it was only a brick walkway with an object on the finish, like a backyard sculpture on the finish and he known as it a view-swiper, and it sort of drove your eye means out into the farm fields, which have been solely a mile from the ocean and again then you might even see the ocean. After which it modified.
Then he added the Rill, then he added gardens on both aspect. It was kind of falling aside about 5 years in the past and we had the chance to take away it and rebuild it just a little tighter and nearer to the best way it was initially. In order you mentioned, it’s a slim canal and it has just a little brick walkway on both aspect. So it reads way more minimalist than it did 5 years in the past, however a lot nearer to what it regarded like 20 years in the past.
After which there’s the Gazebo, there’s a Renaissance little knot backyard. There’s a protracted border, which actually goes again to English borders, even if it’s wonky as hell. Our roses are largely climbing roses, and so they’re walkway roses anciennes [old roses], so influenced by very French formal gardens. There’s a pond with an Asian bridge over it [photo, top of page]. So that you get all of those completely different influences.
Kendell: The best way you’re speaking about that, I imply, I do consider it as kind of rooms, however not in that very formal means. I imply, though you’ve simply described all of them very clearly, however I really feel like there’s areas you kind of tumble into, you by accident uncover them when you’re strolling by means of the backyard. It’s not a proper expertise.
Margaret: And that phrase expertise, I believe that phrase that you just simply mentioned, Kendell, that’s the phrase that once we did the Instances story collectively, Alejandro, you mentioned versus formal rooms, there are experiences. Such as you get into one and also you’re drawn in and then you definately’re taken in by it. Kendell, do you could have a favourite house of all of the areas?
Kendell: I assume I’d say the Gazebo [photo below] as a result of it’s such a spot of contemplation, but oddly it’s proper on the heart of the backyard. It’s kind of like, what would you say? It’s I consider a pinwheel form or one thing. The whole lot, it radiates off of the Gazebo. So it’s like a gathering level, however in case you sit inside it, it’s fantastically contemplative, and you’ll look in any path and be dazzled by the view.
Margaret: And it’s painted lilac coloration, I believe, or one thing, it’s like a lavender or lilac coloration. It’s very lovely.
So talking of coloration, that was one thing else that basically stands out. And I believe a variety of us, possibly we take into consideration, “Oh, my home is painted such and such a coloration” once we’re occupied with making our backyard, or including issues to our backyard like furnishings or no matter it’s going to be. However he had just a little little bit of a distinct means of going about it, I believe [laughter].
And I believe I learn within the guide that Bob Sprint by no means minimize flowers for a vase, and but despite the fact that he’s undoubtedly very a lot aware about methods of connecting the within and the skin, the indoors and the outside, it wasn’t by slicing flowers and carrying them indoors. And his means of including coloration, it looks like in addition to crops, there was this factor with paint. They usually have been very completely different colours from what’s in his paintings, on his canvases, sure?
Alejandro: Very a lot so. And it was verboten to chop flowers for the home [laughter]. If anybody ever remembers flowers in the home—as a result of anyone will invariably say, ‘Oh, I’ve seen flowers with Bob’—it’s that they fell or they snapped off, or it’s a department. Oftentimes he had asparagus on this actually nice pewter chalice. It might be that kind of factor. Or Colchicum within the fall; he would go to Marders, our native nursery, and purchase Colchicum and simply depart them on the bookshelves. And abruptly there’d be like pink blossoms simply sprouting on the bookshelves.
Margaret: Oh, out of the bulbs.
Alejandro: Out of the bulbs. Yeah. By no means planted.
Margaret: Nice. Yeah.
Alejandro: And yeah, the colour started as a distinction to no matter flower was there. So there was a gate and he painted a coloration to distinction with no matter flower, and the gate and every part was once quintessentially Hamptons brown shingle and white trim and the within was all white. After which little by little he began with this gate and he simply went at it.
And as you identified very neatly, it has nothing to do together with his portray. His portray has a really smooth … I all the time consider it as a World Conflict II post-war muted palette. There’s a variety of coloration, however it’s all grayed out as in case you nearly didn’t find the money for to get the actual brilliant coloration.
Kendell: Yeah, it’s not vibrant coloration. And he additionally not often painted flowers. Hardly ever. That was actually fascinating.
Margaret: Oh, fascinating. Yeah. And so these splashes of paint, these bits of use of paint exterior, I imply, they could possibly be on, I believe, wasn’t there one which was simply kind of a finial. And there’s one, I don’t know which constructing exterior ,there’s a ladder that I believe is painted brilliant yellow or one thing that’s leaning up in opposition to the constructing. So a number of the issues are kind of eccentric, however they tie to one thing else after which that helps the entire place tie collectively, proper, these components.
Alejandro: At one level he mentioned, “We don’t want a lot coloration.” And to be trustworthy, I’ve truly introduced again extra coloration than he had, however I’ve seen it with much more coloration than what we’ve got now, and much more combined up. He was very intelligent with how he combined paints. Half the time he’s simply mixing buckets of home paint and creating colours, or simply shopping for actually Crayola yellow from Benjamin Moore for a railing, or as you mentioned, these pineapple finials.
I imply, a variety of issues have been changed through the years, however in case you scratch one thing, you’ll oftentimes see three completely different colours beneath it [laughter]. He might simply change the colour on a whim. We don’t have the finances for that. So we sort of have set colours, however they’ll change. We could be portray the home once more this fall. It’s most likely been 10 years. So inside the subsequent yr we’ll most likely paint and that coloring may change.
Kendell: When he was doing his artwork, I truly don’t know this, did he ever give you colours for the outside hardscaping and that kind of factor, furnishings, that kind of factor whereas he was portray?
Alejandro: In all probability as a result of it was half the time … I imply, it wasn’t correctly painted. So it could be a mixture of oil and acrylic paints, and he’d most likely scrape a few of his pastel paint into the paint, who is aware of, however he actually was very … It wasn’t very valuable, and that’s actually fascinating to me, too. And it wasn’t like this coloration goes to remain right here for the subsequent 20 years. He considered it, however it was extra: What’s it going to do to the plant subsequent to it in the present day?
Margaret: So how is it going to both spotlight that or distinction once more that kind of communicate to it and …
Alejandro: Precisely.
Margaret: So in regards to the crops, are there some signature crops or qualities of crops that with out which it wouldn’t be Madoo, do you suppose? Are there …
Alejandro: Yeah, I believe we’ve got a set of about 21 beeches on the property. There are a variety of magnolias, each Southern Magnolias, Magnolia grandiflora, and many soulangeana in several colours and kinds. After which clearly there’s the Ginkgo Grove, that are fastigiate ginkgos, which the gardeners prune to about 40 inches in width. In order that’s actually dramatic trying as a result of they’re 30 toes tall, possibly.
Kendell: Yeah, and so they’re limbed up yearly.
Alejandro: In order that they get trimmed and so they appear like … They’re flagpoles. They’re inexperienced flagpoles in the midst of the backyard.
Kendell: With a smattering of field balls on the very backside, which may be very Alice in Wonderland-like.
Alejandro: After which there’s actually particular timber. So there’s a quartet of dwarf Kousa dogwoods which can be in bloom proper now and simply look nice over by the Rill. There’s a Davidia involucrata, the handkerchief tree. We now have a very beautiful Franklinia. So there’s some nice issues. It’s an fascinating combine. It’s humorous as a result of it’s each a plantsman’s backyard and a backyard designer’s backyard, and also you don’t see that too usually.
Margaret: Proper. One normally has the higher hand, proper?
Alejandro: Yeah.
Kendell: It’s an incredible query as a result of I don’t actually know if individuals say that they arrive to Madoo for the “X.” Even there are such a lot of particular plantings, however it’s actually fascinating.
Margaret: As a result of some locations it’s colourful foliage, or giant foliage, or tropicals utilized in a specific means, or issues in containers, or you recognize what I imply? There’s so many … that you just comment, “Oh, that backyard has essentially the most fantastic show of” fill within the clean.
So then I wished to speak just a bit bit in regards to the inside-out factor. Effectively, additionally earlier than we get away from crops and coloration, I imply the colour, the within of the home, the colours on the partitions and so forth are fairly astonishing, so a number of the inside coloration. After which he appears to have sited issues exterior to take fullest benefit, to have that kind of inside-out connection to the backyard from key issues like a eating desk or a workbench or issues like that.
Alejandro: Yeah. I believe the views are very thought-about from inside, particularly as he grew older and was exterior much less, to be trustworthy. And so you’d get that there’s that humorous low window within the pink front room, and it seems out on this very dense backyard, which we’ve made just a little extra tropical, however it’s just about all the time been very dense. So to my thoughts, it seems like a Rousseau portray. In August, the leaves are simply pushing up in opposition to the home windows.
Kendell: Straight up in opposition to the window. I believe all the home windows are very low truly [above] and so they actually pull you into the backyard. It’s fairly extraordinary.
Margaret: Attention-grabbing. Yeah, the extra glass you could have, yeah. And other people have all the time informed me—a lot of folks that I respect who’re kind of design specialists or no matter—have additionally mentioned, “Don’t make your window trim too loud within the inside as a result of it can distract you from searching the window.” However I don’t know if he adopted that rule: make it one thing impartial. [Laughter.]
Alejandro: He wasn’t massive on guidelines. Yeah, I don’t suppose so. So yeah, there’s that nice pink within the library is sort of like-
Kendell: Effectively, it’s a coral.
Alejandro: After which they’ve acquired these loopy watermelon-coral window frames inside, which actually truly do act as frames to the views out. Whereas within the studio, they’re a really, very, very darkish teal. In order that they nearly disappeared, and it’s acquired plenty of mullions on that massive window and it’s an previous farm—on the skin it has barn doorways. It was a working entrance to this barn and that’s the place he sited the pond. So he’s inside and he’s searching on this lovely pond that he then began with a flat bridge however then later changed into that kind of Asian-inspired bridge.
Margaret: I wish to end up by speaking about seating, as a result of one of many issues that simply struck me a lot within the guide, which I discussed the introduction, and which you and I targeted on loads once we labored on the “New York Instances” story collectively, Alejandro, in regards to the backyard: When sited rigorously, various kinds of seating can actually provide the customer in addition to only a place to sit down and relaxation a second, an entire completely different view of issues. And it looks like Madoo, it looks like you could have some unimaginable spots that folks can uncover and be welcomed by. So can we speak just a little bit about a number of the vary? I do know you talked about a number of the issues earlier.
Alejandro: Effectively, I might most likely begin with my favourite story of a buddy who says she sneaks into Madoo and he or she goes to the best way, means, means again, and he or she sits in that farm-view backyard. So it’s just a little mound actually. And we put this nice bench by French panorama architect Louis Benech there [photo below], and it’s truly very snug regardless of what a few of our readers mentioned in “The New York Instances.”
Kendell: Oh, did they within the feedback? [Laughter.]
Alejandro: Yeah, within the feedback, very skeptical in regards to the consolation at Madoo. And also you look out at one of many final nice farm views in Sagaponack. It’s owned by the Foster household, and there’s an airstrip there. I imply, it’s massive and south of that’s the ocean, however as I mentioned, you don’t see it, however you continue to get the ocean breeze proper there. It’s this excellent, fantastic, secret little spot. And this buddy of ours says, “Oh yeah, I sneak over there and that’s the place I do my writing.” And she or he lives in Shelter Island, so she truly makes us fairly the schlep to get to that particular spot. After which the opposite one which all the time surprises me are the yellow Adirondack chairs, which do have a variety of [Gerrit] Rietveld in them and a variety of Wave Hill in them and a lot-
Margaret: And so Rietveld, we’re speaking a few outstanding designer from, I overlook what yr—early within the twentieth century, the 19-teens. Is that what it was?
Alejandro: And it seems like a really uncomfortable chair, however it places you at a humorous pitch the place you actually have this nice view upward and also you see every part from the tulip tree to the Gazebo to the ginkgos to a very giant Southern magnolia and the remainder of the summer time home garden.
Kendell: They differ barely in that they’ve enormous arms, which I believe Bob used to joke that you might sit there and have a drink. There was loads of room to have a drink. They usually’re very deep, too, in order that they’re very troublesome to get out of [laughter].
Margaret: Proper. The pitch is just a little bit-
Kendell: The pitch is extremely steep, however then you definately’re more than pleased to sit down there and take within the backyard, and it nearly forces you to only sit again and chill out within the truest sense.
Margaret: And once we’re strolling by means of a backyard, which is often the best way that we expertise gardens, we’re probably not trying up, apart from often. We’re ceaselessly very aware of our toes and decrease down within the beds and the borders. Have you learnt what I imply? And so it truly is particular, what you simply described, Alejandro. It’s a distinct view actually, and the expertise is sort of completely different.
Alejandro: Very completely different. And in addition Madoo doesn’t have grand views. I believe that that’s one factor that guests actually like. It’s a really kind of approachable place. So I might say the one grand view, true grand view, is the Rill on the again cowl of the guide. And so that you don’t actually discover and also you’re not trying up an excessive amount of.
There’s a variety of what I name foot really feel, which is all of the completely different toes textures on the bottom, whether or not it’s grass, whether or not it’s crushed stone, whether or not it’s pebbles, whether or not it’s the phone pole paths [paths inlaid with circular wood pavers cross-cut from telephone poles; photo above]. So that you’re kind of concentrating on that and also you’re trying down extra. However with this seating, you actually are compelled to search for and take on this actually fairly unimaginable breadth of the backyard that you don’t discover whenever you’re standing.
Margaret: Sure, we should always all be extra aware of which seating and the place we place it and so forth. Effectively, we’re principally out of time. I’m so glad to talk to each of you, Alejandro and Kendel,l and congratulations on the guide “Madoo: The Making of an American Backyard.” And in addition congratulations on the enduring factor that’s Madoo, that’s nice that the Conservancy is doing it and retaining it open. And despite the fact that I believe Bob mentioned he didn’t need it…what did he say?
Kendell: “Preserved in amber.”
Margaret: Proper, “preserved in amber.” However he did need it preserved [laughter]. And so good job, effectively finished, and thanks for making time in the present day to speak about it. And as I mentioned, I’ll give details about visiting and all of the goings-on there as effectively. So thanks. Thanks.
(Images by Tria Giovan from the guide “Madoo: The Making of an American Backyard,” besides classic black and white portrait of Bob Sprint by John Reed.)
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MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 backyard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its seventeenth yr in March 2026. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Pay attention regionally within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Japanese, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the June 22, 2026 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You’ll be able to subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
