Plants +
People
A study of the symbiotic relationship between
humans and the gardens they tend to.
Shaina Mote’s world is one of quiet refinement. Known for her namesake line of enduring wardrobe staples, Shaina has built a brand rooted in intentional design and regenerative practices. In her Hudson Valley home, that ethos extends into the garden.
Here, the approach is minimal yet abundant, with every plant chosen with care. Hydrangeas lend their painterly blooms to the landscape, while rows of vegetables and herbs weave utility into beauty.
With a father as an arborist and artist, Shaina grew up around plants and beauty. It is no wonder her garden reflects that. Here’s a look inside her garden.
shaina mote
016 shaina mote
region: hudson, new york
plant community: hydrangeaceae, asteraceae, solanaceae, scrophulariaceae
photography: sean walker
"My father always planted the Japanese Maple variety that carries my name 'Shaina' – a dwarf maple with tender scarlet leaves.
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Describe how your garden: feels, smells, sounds, tastes.
Alive, tomato vine, birdsong, vibrant.
Where did your gardening sensibility and connection to plants come from?
My father is an arborist, landscape designer, drummer and painter. He weaves color, rhythm, texture and shape into the gardens that surrounded me as a child and today at our family home. He has an eye for color and an interest in unusual species of plants that I share.
What is your first or earliest memory of being in a garden?
I recall climbing through the dwarf Japanese maples in our front yard trying to find fairies. My father always planted the Japanese Maple variety that carries my name “Shaina” – a dwarf maple with tender scarlet leaves.
Can you share more about your relationship to planning and preparing your garden throughout the year? What are some seasonal steps you consider or take?
Now that I live in the Northeast a lot of my planning occurs in the wintertime for my vegetable garden. My young son and I choose seeds from catalogs or determine the seeds we have saved to use. We do a mix of starting seeds indoors, planting directly in the soil and using seedlings for our vegetable gardens. For rose gardens and flowering shrubs, we follow a typical cycle of care for the northeast.
What is one of your favorite plants in your garden?
I am a romantic at heart and love roses and hydrangeas.
hydrangea arborescens
(annabelle)
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Hydrangea arborescens, commonly known as smooth hydrangea or sevenbark, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae. It is a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with rounded flower heads of creamy white blooms that appear early to mid-summer. Native to eastern United States.
echinacea purpurea
(green jewel)
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Echinacea purpurea, commonly known as ‘Green Jewel’ is an herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family. With fragrant, lime-green petals surrounding a deep emerald-green cone, they make for excellent cuttings. The upright sturdy stems work well in meadow-style gardens and perennial beds.
What plants are currently in your garden? What’s thriving?
I have echinacea, nepeta, hydrangea, pear, apple, nectarine, crab apple, lilies and weeping cherry to name a few. Hydrangeas are taking off now. In the garden, tomatoes and melons are abundant.
What plants do you use for cooking or healing?
I have just started to experiment growing Elderberry - it is not only native to this area and beautiful but has many uses and healing properties.
Do you have any garden traditions that you’ve inherited or learned and plan to pass on?
My stepmother and I both grow English roses. Wherever we call home, we always bring English roses along. My favorite varieties are those that smell like Myrrh or Tea or those with many cupped petals.
hydrangea panicle
(limelight)
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Hydrangea Panicle, commonly known as 'Limelight', belongs to the Hydrangeaceae family. The large cone-shaped chartreuse flowers bloom midsummer and gradually soften to creamy white, then aging to pink and rose tones in fall. This deciduous shrub can be trained as a small tree and makes an excellent hedge or focal point in the garden.
helianthus annuus
(taiyo)
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Helianthus annuus, commonly known as "Taiyo", is a classic Japanese sunflower belonging to the Asteraceae family. With single golden-yellow blooms, “Taiyo” blooms in summer and prefers full sun.
solanum lycopersicum
(martha washington)
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Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as ‘Martha Washington’, is an heirloom-type cultivar of the common tomato. Belonging to the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, the ‘Martha Washington’ tomato is a warm-season annual vegetable grown as a perennial in frost-free climates. Enjoyed for its large, beefsteak-style tomatoes, pink-red in color.
