0 Sue Efron made a wry admission Thursday evening at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, where she spoke on behalf of her drought-tolerant garden after it won the sixth annual Lesly S. Smith Landscape Award.
“I was not an easy client,” she acknowledged during her remarks.
“Keith, I was a difficult client.
I hope this award compensates you for everything I put you through,” Efron said, prompting a smile from Williams and laughter from the audience.
The house was designed in the British West Indies style by architect Peter Papadopoulos of Smith and Moore Architects and built by contractor Paul Wittmann of Wittmann Building Corp. Cory Meyer of Nievera Williams was the project manager for the gardens.
Williams detailed how Sue Efron, an avid gardener with “a great design sense,” had directed him to create a stylish landscape using mostly drought-tolerant plants.
“Our main focus was sustainability,” Williams said.
Thursday’s honor was the second Smith Award for Williams and the third for the firm he runs with its founder, landscape architect Mario Nievera.
Williams also noted that the gardens had received accolades and extensive media coverage since they were completed a few years ago, which he found surprising and gratifying.
The latter was presented last week to architect Tom Kirchhoff in recognition of a new Bermudan-style house he designed at 320 Island Road in collaboration with owner James Berwind, who shares the home with Kevin Clark.