Los Angeles Canyon Garden Retreat
October 26, 2010 by Robin Plaskoff Horton
Once inside this LA canyon urban garden, you become almost unaware of the sound of traffic whizzing by right outside the gate. Only a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of big city streets and the elegant storefronts of Rodeo Drive, this bucolic enclave offers a bit of solitude and a place to hide away from it all.
The Spanish style house is surrounded by ferns, ivy, and all variety of plant life overflowing from every corner. The tiled patios beckon to the home’s stylistic origins, chosen by the owner in part as a nod to her own small bit of Spanish heritage.
This garden’s designer works hard keeping up the plantings and often changes things up as she does in the house’s interior. She gets tired of things. I know this as the gardener is my stepmother. My father enjoys the fruits of his wife’s labors, but he does not water, prune, or otherwise lift a finger in the space, for which my stepmom is grateful. Dad admits he is as good in the garden as he is in the kitchen where he can boil water and sometimes make coffee, but that’s pretty much it.
I like to wander around and enjoy the various “rooms.” Â Every time I visit, it’s different.
My stepmom combs tag sales and flea markets picking up things to accent the garden. When her stash gets too big, she has her own tag sale. And the cycle continues.
The garden’s upper level features a small blue tiled hot tub that came with the house. The brick surround was added later.
Even the birds are welcome to stay awhile.
The red tiled front patio is so full, I had to walk sideways to get around the center part. Anywhere something will grow, there is something planted.
A spot for feathered friends and a glass door to the feathered nest…
Category: Container Gardening, Experiencing, Garden Design
Tags: Los Angeles, urban gardens
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What a great life your parents have composed. Thank them for sharing from me!
— October 27, 2010 @ 01:22
Such beauty and peaceful tranquility in L.A.!
Your parents sure have accomplished this with their fabulous yard 🙂
Thank you and your parents for sharing with us!
— October 27, 2010 @ 01:53
Robin, It’s enough to make me want to move to Los Angeles right now. What a beautiful garden.
— October 27, 2010 @ 07:07
They say like mother like daughter, but this is an aberration. Like step-mother like step-daughter! Both of you in love with small versions of Eden. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous little oasis (gorgeous pictures too!)
— October 27, 2010 @ 14:49
Wow, simply beautiful! It’s a bit shabby chic with a warm and inviting feeling…lovely garden retreat…Lucky YOU!
— November 20, 2010 @ 15:31
Great post! I would love to have a garden like that someday. I am hoping this spring I can start doing some fencing around my yard. After that I can pick out my flowers and start on the garden. I am very excited, I hope to have the best garden in Fort Collins some day!
http://bonnellfencing.com
— October 26, 2011 @ 16:20
That’s in LA? No way! It’s stunning! I’ve never seen anything like it in the city. You’ve also managed to keep it so green and safe from bugs. Every time I plant a bulb of anything, it’s ravaged by pests before anything can bloom. How do you protect your plants from bugs? Any hints? I can call a Denton pest control company, but I’d like to try a few homemade remedies before then.
— July 30, 2012 @ 11:20