Cultured magazine's Hamptons issue features an interview between designer Robin Standefer and Charlie Marder, the East End horticulturalist known as the 'tree whisperer.' Marder, who co-founded an eponymous Bridgehampton nursery with his wife Kathleen—dubbed 'a horticultural MoMA' by the New York Times—has assembled a sprawling field of massive geological specimens across from the nursery. The rocks, some weighing 10 tons, are salvaged from development sites and quarries. Standefer, who purchased one of Marder's boulders for her birthday, discusses with Marder the ethics of placement, the personalities of stones, and the human urge to give new life to ancient matter.
This article matters because it highlights a growing intersection between landscape design, art collecting, and the natural world in the Hamptons art community. Marder's clientele includes prominent artists and architects like Peter Marino, Maya Lin, Julian Schnabel, and Helmut Lang, positioning his work at the nexus of horticulture, sculpture, and environmental stewardship. The piece also reflects a broader cultural shift toward heavier, more permanent materials in design, as articulated by Standefer, and elevates the practice of rock collecting into a form of artistic curation.