2 California Gardens And Their Modernist And Mediterranean Roots

A pair of Golden State landscapes start with the built environment.

California is known for seamless indoor-outdoor living, so it’s fitting that when looking to create a harmonious, integrated experience between house and garden, a landscape designer would consider a dwelling’s architecture. Such was the case for these two projects, and although one was sparked by a midcentury gem and the other by classic Mediterranean style, both are studies in serenity.

SoCal Sanctuary

Los Angeles is a hothouse of midcentury abodes, often with striking landscaping to match. So, after Patricia Benner’s client purchased a 1963 Buff, Straub and Hensman dwelling, the landscape architect immediately envisioned aligning the garden spaces with its modernist roots. The owner, committed to preserving the home’s architectural integrity, “was all about cozy, beautiful and restful gardens, and had a definite idea about the mood she wanted,” notes Benner. A meditative interior courtyard—shaded by a partial roof—became the serene centerpiece of the project. Linear wood slats play off the home’s interior details and warm up the space; Boston ivy traces the walls, and a boulder was fashioned into a water element. Fluffy tufts of Irish moss billow around pavers and bonsai-like juniper trees nod to a Japanese garden design aesthetic. “We focused on layering different textures of plant material to create a sense of perspective within each space,” she muses, pointing out the kinetic nature of her choices. “This is a richly textured but also very simple sanctuary—a word we used again and again while creating it.”

Refuge In Napa

When landscape designer Tim O’Shea began crafting this St. Helena garden, he looked to his clients’ love of travel and their classic Mediterranean-style home for inspiration. “The residence is like an Italian villa in wine country,” he notes. O’Shea gave the project formal structure and symmetry—hallmark characteristics of Mediterranean gardens—using the column-like forms of sycamore trees to create allées and rows of boxwood to define spaces—important concepts for the couple who enjoy entertaining and dining outside. “When you create a beautiful garden, people enjoy looking at it,” the designer says. “But when you define rooms within the landscape, they can immediately understand how to use it. It creates an instant intimacy with the land.” Thus, there are clearly designated spots for small daily rituals like morning coffee as well as larger spaces for alfresco dinner parties. Amidst this order, there is also a profound sense of peace. “Elements such as low stone walls and bold but simple plant combinations create a restful environment,” notes O’Shea. “It becomes a place of refuge.”