Garden Visit: The Getty Center

The third and final garden that I visited during my recent trip to California was the Central Garden at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Designed by artist Robert Irwin, the garden plays on the natural topography of the site. A path of switchbacks descends from the hill-top museum through a ravine, crisscrossing a conceptualized stream that pays homage to California's many canals. This "journey garden" (my term) is immediately engaging; the path is carved into the hillside bringing the plants up closer to the viewer. The craftsmanship of the sandstone paths and cor-ten steel walls is impeccable.

The path terminates at a plaza dominated by large, tree-like sculptures that serve as plant supports for brightly colored bougainvillea vines. The stream continues through the plaza before plunging down a  wall into a parterre filled pool. The pool itself is framed by paths and raised gardens that are both calming and intriguing to explore.

What did I like the most about this garden? Visitors from all over the world were engaged in moving through the garden, looking at the plants, oohing and aahing over the water features and enjoying the — spectacular! — vistas. (My daughter and I were sucked in, too. We only had 1 1/2 hours to visit the museum, and spent all but about 20 minutes outdoors.)

What didn't work? The planting design. With the exception of the excellent tree placement (and selections), the plant selection looked like an afterthought and did not contribute to a sense of place for the site. The plants were an odd hodgepodge of familiar (i.e. my zone 5 plant palette) and exotic. Mass plantings of single species were a more successful than cottage style plantings in complimenting the strong architectural features of the garden.

Would I return? Absolutely!

Design Decoded 3.21.2014

public garden/plaza via Pintrest

Today's featured design from Pintrest is one of those awkward urban spaces that serves as both a busy pedestrian corridor and a "pocket park". It has a narrow, wedge shape defined by commercial buildings on two sides and a street on the third.

Why it works: fantastic use of  contrast and repetition.

• Three key sidewalks run strongly perpendicular to the street (on left) and base of the water feature. This makes for easy and efficient access to and through the space. The fact that the walkways are also bridges make the pedestrian experience a bit more fun and exciting.
• The curved line of the "through-way"  that runs the length of the landscape softens the space and slows the pace.  It sets up a wonderful contrast with all of the straight lines in a very crisp, contemporary way.
• The circular planters, though set in rigid lines, seem to dance and play through the space.
• The proportions of this design are so perfect that it could be expanded or contracted to suit any size of space.
• My only critique: the plant material could be softer and more colorful.

Design Decoded 2.24.2014

sarah price landscapes via Pintrest

Why it works:
This modern take on a prairie or meadow garden is a brilliant combination of structure and softness.  The formal, clipped hedges of evergreen boxwood (Buxus spp.) add just the right amount of contrast and stability to a very loose and organic perennial planting.  Although shown flanking stairs on a moderate slope, this design style would be equally effective on a flat ground plane.  Many of these native plants would work well here but, for our dry, sunny climate I'd switch out the boxwood with green lavender-cotton (Santolina rosemarinifolia) or English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

Design Decoded 2.04.2014

Vertical flower garden via Pinterest.

This image features a vertical garden of nasturtiums from the Chicago Botanic Garden that I find very appealing. What makes this design work?

In a word: Simplicity.

• The simple mass planting of one flower species creates a restful, yet intriguing, color-play of closely related hues reminiscent of the color field paintings of Mark Rothko.
• And they're edible! Any trailing trailing plant, but particularly annuals with a long flowering period and multi-colored blooms, would be suitable.  Think Calibrachoa, Verbena, Petunia, etc.
• The simple, bookshelf-style frame is extremely well crafted, but is designed without frills to serve as a background to the planting.
• The deep shelving permits the use of common flower pots rather than specialty inserts, as with some of the new-fangled vertical gardening systems.

The downside? This baby would be extremely heavy, especially with wet soil.

A vertical garden can be a practical space saver and a work of art. Are you ready to include one in your landscape?