Looking for a refreshing spot of rosemary lemonade to revive
you? This garden is your oasis.
Shortly after beginning a new position at the Electric Lodge
in 2008, a performing arts and environmental community center, these homeowners started to rethink their lifestyle. It became a personal mission to find
practical ways of reducing their impact on the environment.
On walks to work, they saw traditional gardens that were
being transformed into eco-friendly oases. After attending the Mar Vista Green Garden
Tour, they were convinced of the necessity to replace their under-utilized,
water thirsty lawn with a more sustainable landscape that reflected the
contemporary aesthetic their home and their commitment to the environment.
In August 2011, with the help of local landscape architect Duane Border, design ideas, plant
selection, budget and the like were fleshed out. Two weeks after the initial meeting the
project was complete!
Duane Border created a landscape design composed of a rich
variety of plant forms, textures and colors to highlight the modern style of
the architecture. The new design is comprised of rosemary, Pride of Maderia and agaves, with vibrant, deep red highlights of Paddle Plant, Safari Conebush and relocated dracenas set in graphic
patterns of decorative aggregate.
The existing irrigation system was left in place with a
significantly reduced watering schedule. The removal of the lawn not only saves
on water use and costs, but also eliminates the dependence upon fertilizers,
fossil fuels and labor associated with traditional maintenance. The new plant
materials offer year round interest and a beneficial return to the environment
that turf grass could only dream of providing.
The revived garden provides an environmentally responsible,
uniquely Southern California landscape that is enjoyed by not only the
residents, but also many of the
neighbors. And then there’s the added pleasure of no longer being a de facto
hotel for the local crow population!
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| Before - a thirsty lawn |
