Overhead View of the Backyard of Historic Orient
Garden Dialogues

Garden Dialogues 2026: Orient, NY

Orient, NY

The exact address is only shared with ticket purchasers for reasons of privacy. Please reach out to lily@tclf.org if you have any questions.

In a sea of estates on Long Island鈥檚 North Fork hamlet that boast pools, tennis courts, and formal courtyards, Historic Orient stands out. Built around a restored nineteenth-century sea captain鈥檚 house, Marshall Paetzel Landscape Architecture challenged the status quo of typical summer retreats for New Yorkers with an elegant and refined design solution that effortlessly harmonizes the landscape with the surrounding rural area, truly creating a gardener鈥檚 paradise. 

In this exclusive tour led by Stacy and Jonathan Paetzel, explore this charming homestead and learn how they brought order and vision to this sprawling 2.5-acre, historic property when they took on the project in 2020.

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Front Gate of Historic Orient, Orient, NY
Front gate of Historic Orient, Orient, NY - Photo by Anthony Crisafulli

Born and raised in rural Virginia, Stacy Paetzel was inspired by the agrarian landscape鈥攖he opposite of bustling New York, where her firm and her husband鈥檚 is now based. Instead of reflecting the city in landscapes of Long Island鈥檚 summer homes, Paetzel seeks to find balance between the urban and the agrarian, allowing the humanmade and the natural to harmoniously coexist. 

At Historic Orient, the Paetzel鈥檚 aesthetic influence shines. Understanding their clients鈥 desire for a respite for gardening and communing with nature, the designers created a landscape for the estate that was simple and elegant: they minimized human intervention within the existing landscape. The main house is bordered by a dry-laid, English stone wall; towering hawthorn trees; and a formal lawn. Sprawling native grasses were planted across the property to gradually form connections to rehabilitated outbuildings.

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Backyard of Historic Orient, Orient, NY
Backyard of Historic Orient, Orient, NY - Photo by Anthony Crisafulli

Both trained architects, the clients sought the Paetzels鈥 vision and guidance on how to incorporate these outbuildings, scattered across the landscape at opposing angles, into the landscape design. The footprints of two of the structures that no longer stand were repurposed as outdoor garden rooms, including a bountiful vegetable garden, an intimate dining space, and a cutting garden edged with reclaimed cobblestone.

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Outbuildings in the backyard of Historic Orient, Orient, NY
Outbuildings in the backyard of Historic Orient, Orient, NY - Photo by Anthony Crisafulli

Homage to the clients鈥 heritage and family history is woven throughout the property, such as the ancient highbush blueberry grove that is reminiscent of a grandmother鈥檚 Maryland roots. A monogrammed threshold stone鈥攔eclaimed from a former family estate in Pennsylvania鈥攚as inserted into the cobblestone walkway that leads to the home鈥檚 main entrance. 

Marshall Paetzel鈥檚 work at Historic Orient is ongoing: upcoming projects include the conversion of some of the property鈥檚 plantings to regional, native species. The Paetzels鈥 continued commitment to the property is a testament to how this landscape鈥檚 story is far from over. Their passion for this project has also resulted in a close friendship with the clients, one built on great trust, demonstrating a level of dedication that goes beyond the landscape.

1.5 LA CES鈩 professional development hours will be available to attendees, pending approval.

Refund Policy - No refunds will be made for Garden Dialogues