Monthly Archives: February 2023

A Rosy Future for Rose Gardens

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3 Design Strategies for Sustainable Rose Gardens

 
Many non-native species from roses to Birds of Paradise hold romanticized positions within California landscapes. The current drought will press these plants harder than it does our hearty natives.  Concerns for sustainability tend to be paired with aesthetic considerations.  By today’s aesthetic standards, a traditional rose garden can feel overwhelming.  With so many roses in one place, the appreciation for each bloom diminishes.  Even the delicious scent of a rose may be lost in the crowd.  We have strong strategies that address both aesthetic and sustainability concerns, allowing each rose to generate wonder while leaving the land no worse off for the delight it brings.
 
 

1)  Isolate traditional foliage beds and add state of the art hardscapes and irrigation.

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In the Andalusian Courtyard of the 2012 Pasadena Showcase House of Design, there were several dozen Roses of sentimental value to the owners. We embraced the opportunity to incorporate them into the design, and reinstated them as a focal point at the edge of the courtyard opposite the house. Because they were placed in an isolated bed where their soil, nutrients and water needs could be customized, the landscape beyond the roses could be optimized for sustainability.  Beyond the rose bed, climate friendly California and Mediterranean foliage allowed the rosy riot of color to take center stage, drawing the eye to the astounding view of the Angeles Forest beyond.
 
 

2) Integrate roses as accents in cut-flower gardens.

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We used an entirely different but equally compelling strategy at the most recent Pasadena Showcase House of Design.  Again, several dozen roses were of sentimental value to the owners.  This time instead of sectioning them off, we allowed them to serve as the main foliage alongside a meandering path.  We incorporated our more sustainable California and Mediterranean plant material in the foreground and back ground and surrounded the roses with an edible forest and cut garden. Visitors delighted in the discovery of each bloom, truly stopping to smell and enjoy the roses. Selectively integrating roses into sustainable landscapes can enhance appreciation for their charms.
 
 

3)  Create a seasonal focal point.

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This La Canada Valley Beautiful winning garden was featured on the USGBC San Gabriel sustainable garden tour for its water-wise hardscapes and plant palate.   Three rose bushes ensconced with permeable gravel and flagstone patios and climate compatible Mediterranean foliage connect to the community’s more traditional aesthetic.  When the roses are cut back or out of bloom, the always-vibrant Mediterranean foliage ensures the garden aesthetic maintains vibrance year round.  When they are in their glory, the roses welcome the residents home with an opportunity to stop and smell the roses.

Gardens in Transition

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Transitional Landscapes Mix Styles for a Personalized Form and Function

 
You don’t like to be put in a box, and you may like to experiment and evolve your spaces. Not a problem! Some of the most compelling landscapes come from mixing styles. When done well, a transitional style garden will feel unified and distinctively delightful – even as it evolves.
 

 
 

A Lawn or Not a Lawn

That is the question. It’s unlikely you have a strong attachment to the traditional turf grass lawn. Still, picturing what else might work may feel like a chore. Swapping a turf grass for an IdealMow grass that will form a meadow when unmowed offers room for experimentation. Another alternative is to shrink the lawn, making room for outdoor living spaces, foliage beds, or edible gardens. In either direction, you can expect to save water, energy, time and money while enhancing your lifestyle.
 

 
 

Mix and Match

Planted areas can easily evolve. Patios, walks, and drives take more effort. This can make commitment to a particular aesthetic or definitive function more difficult. So, why not mix it up a bit?
 

 
This space unifies multiple walk and patio materials ideal to particular functions. Concrete patios allow furnishings to flow form space to space, while pavers with foliage and gravel joints facilitate the flow of both traffic and water.
 

 
Here, a brick drive and paths in sync with the architecture offer direct routes from the street to the home. They intermingle with meandering walks of decomposed granite hidden from the street by boisterous year round blooms.
 
 

Keep Current

While matching a landscape’s style to the architecture is one way to go, the landscape can also be used to update the aesthetic of a property or simply marry it to your personal style. For example, this Spanish-style home in Holmby Hills features clean, modern outdoor living spaces.
 

 
In another direction, the Aoyagi’s complement their streamlined mid-century architecture and outdoor living spaces with a satisfying maximalist riot of blooms and lush, leafy foliage.
 
Large concrete slabs with gravel joints sit under an abundant tree canopy.
 
 

Easy Evolution

Not too long ago, we fielded a lot of requests for streamlined landscapes to update more traditional architecture. Now we hear more requests to soften modern architecture with naturalistic forms. One of the easiest ways to evolve the aesthetic of a landscape and keep curb appeal current involves evolving the choice and arrangement of foliage. The more unbuilt planted spaces left on a property, the more flexibility you’ll have moving forward.
 
 

More Information

Houzz: See More of These Gardens
Houzz: See California Native Foliage
Houzz: See IdealMow Lawns and Meadows
Pinterest: Get Example Plant Palettes

Traditional Garden Trends

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Support Your Life and LA with a New Take on the Traditional Landscape

 
You look for aesthetics that have stood the test of time – meaning centuries. Classic and elegant fashions appeal to you, and you revel in a space where all the details feel warm, welcoming and in tune with one another. Your architecture may have historic relevance – and your homeowners association or historic preservation overlay zone (HPOZ) may require a certain aesthetic.
 

 
 

Low-Water Lawn

You may experience more resistance than most when you think of losing your lawn. Maybe you like how lawns unify the community aesthetic, feel nostalgia for games played on backyard turf, or simply enjoy having an expanse of open greenery. A traditional turf grass aesthetic can be kept when installing a water and time saving IdealMow lawn.
 

 
 

Refer Back to the Architecture

If your walls, walks and drives reflect the developer’s standard concrete, you may experience a greater sense of harmony if they repeat architectural themes. Here, the brick seating mirrors the brick siding of the home. If possible, reclaiming materials from the home creates optimal consistency.

Rock Wall Seating

 
 

Exchange Blooms

You may have strong attachments to certain foliage. Is it the roses? The camellias? We created our plant exchange to help! With more than 6000 plants native to California, there is almost always a bloom aesthetically similar to one that holds your heart.
 

 
 

Look Back to Move Forward

Another way to envision a landscape that will feel just right is to take inspiration from the landscapes historically associated with your architectural style. The landscape is an opportunity to unify an imported architectural style into its new environment. For example, this low water landscape keeps time with the home’s French Provincial architecture.
 

 
When the landscape that complements LA’s climate also amplifies your life and your architecture’s curb appeal, it won’t feel like a sacrifice. It will feel like you’ve achieved what was always meant to be.
 

More Information

For examples of California native foliage evocative of classic European landscape styles, see the New (Classic) Look of LA plant palette.