Closely mirroring nature produces very clear, meaningful benefits when it comes to landscape design. In the wild, plants tend to locate themselves where they can do the greatest good. As if they have read a little Steven Covey, those that recover well from fire dwell in fire prone locations, while those with the will to retain slopes head for the hills. Left to their own devices, plants will also find their ideal companions.
Nature’s design expertise was on full display during our most recent Hike and Learn for Theodore Payne Foundation. Together, we observed the foliage combinations, spacing and textures that fill us with a sense of beauty. The two FormLA Landscaping gardens featured on the 11th annual Theodore Payne Foundation Garden Tour mimic nature’s savvy tapestry.
The Rosen garden in Brentwood sits along the ridgeline of Mandeville Canyon and the Santa Monica Mountains. This very delicate interface between wild and human spaces presents extraordinary run-off, fire, and erosion related challenges as well as the opportunity for amazing views.
Foliage happy retaining the delicate south-facing slope includes: Artemisia californica (Wormwort), Aster chilensis, and Baccharis ‘Pigeon point’ (Coyote Bush). This combination echoes a coastal scrub community while providing striking silvery fernlike foliage, combined with deep greens and purple flowers.
To com
plement a north-facing slope deeply shaded by oak, we mimicked a mixed evergreen and dry riparian plant community. Our plant palate includes a combination of Carpenteria californicas (Bush Anemones), Calycanthus occidentalis (Spice Bush), Artemisia douglasiana (Mugwort), Ribes indecorum (Chapparal Current). This lush combination provides visual interest while protecting the oak canopy from overwatering.
Next month, we’ll look at the natural combinations used in Weiss garden to create retreat within mid-town Santa Monica’s much more urban space.
Quiz: Win tickets to the most extensive native garden tour in the nation! Catch up with the FormLA Landscaping team at the Rosen and Weiss gardens Saturday, April 5th.
Tips: Taking design tips from nature yields more sustainable, heartier gardens. Pairing the California natives that enjoy one another’s company in wild space is a surefire way to get the party started in a garden as well. To ensure everyone stays at their best as long as possible, we position them where they might like to be in nature, considering the soil, sun and topography. See examples of how we designed from nature at this year’s Theodore Payne Foundation Native Garden Tour homes. 
Dwell on Design Blog: Sarah Amandolare questions Cassy Aoyagi about the joys and challenges of crafting water wise landscapes in California… and her “favorite” California native plants. 
Wet-to-Dry: Nothing shy of intoxicating, the dulcet scent of lilac accompanied along the trail during our March Theodore Payne Foundation Hike and Learn. While roses, hydrangas and birds of paradise gained a serious foothold in the Los Angeles foothills, California native Ceanothus is gaining ground against “traditional” lilac varieties. Learn more about the trade-offs between California and Eastern Lilacs. 
