Monthly Archives: September 2015
2011 Pasadena Showcase House
The path to the pool delivers a subtle “crunch” sound to reward each step.
A slope is made enchanting and safe with shallow, long steps bordered by evergreen sentinels.
The checkerboard path of pavers and gravel calls to mind a game of croquet played by mushrooms or chess with human pawns.
Touches of whimsey dot the landscape.
The Wanderland Tea Garden designed by FormLA sits on a once grassy slope between the home and the pool.
While pools have a habit of transfixing, the view toward the home is every bit as breathtaking.
A quirky, gnarled wood bench and low rock retaining wall offer restful seats with views of the pool amidst the dancing foliage.
Toward the pool, the colors of blue and green are vibrant yet serene.
Within the garden, a variety of bright colored blooms dance vivaciously.
At the end of the day, there is a perfect place for tea with the mad hatter… Or friends and family, if you prefer.
From the living room’s bay window, the garden entices a stroll and relaxed enjoyment of the shade, views, and verdure surrounding a grand Pasadena oak tree.
The La Canada English Manor selected for the 2011 Pasadena Showcase House of Design was designed by Paul Williams, the same LA-architect responsible for the theme restaurant building at the center of LAX, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the homes of Carry Grant and Frank Sinatra, among other celebrities.
Visit the Showcase Wanderland Tea Garden
While the Showcase House enjoyed its busiest weekend and final hurrah, you can still get lost in the mimsy of The FormLA Wanderland Tea Garden! We transformed the expansive but unremarkable lawn at this historically-significant English Manor style home into a delightful entreaty to a stroll.
Ficus vs. Harvestable Hedge
Native Shrubs Bring Blooms, Berries and Habitat as well as privacy
October 8, 2018. By Cassy Aoyagi: LA’s ubiquitous, oh-so-conventional ficus hedge rows are second only to lawns on the ho-hum scale. While almost any mix of three hedge materials will be more appealing than ficus mundanity, a mix of three California native hedges is particularly powerful… and delicious!
My own hedge includes a mix of Coffeeberry, Lemonade Berry and Catalina Cherry. They are favorites for their deep, lush, drought-tolerant green foliage. We’re continually delighted by the subtle differences in their leaves and shades of green. Yet, unlike ficus, they offer so much more than simple greenery! Along with the strength that comes with biodiversity, they bring birds and a bountiful autumn harvest.
Coffeeberry (Rhamnus Californica)
There is a reason for the name of this hedge! It’s beautiful, hard little berries can be roasted to create a robust yet caffeine-free coffee. The process takes a little time, but we are fans of the result!
As a hedge material, Coffeeberry brings dense foliage for a full privacy screen. Established growth is a deeper, darker green than ficus. Its leaves are thick and leathery, qualities that help them resist drought and high-heat.
Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia)
Lemonade Berry is a wise choice of hedge for the foothill community in which I live. It’s thumb-sized leaves are leathery and leave little flammable litter, something that also translates into exceptionally low maintenance. Its berries have become one of my great delights.
Lemonade berries start off as you see here, a cloudy, almost fuzzy-looking white. Before long they become a glossy, candy-coated red. They are tart and a bit sour and make the most delightful lemonade!
Catalina Cherry
Catalina Cherries are delightful! Twice the size of a typical store-bought cherry, their flesh is intensely sweet and flavorful. You will have to fight off the birds for your fair share!
While you’ll likely want to pick the cherries before you eat them, the birds tend to eat the flesh, leaving the large seeds clinging to the branches like ornaments. That is a gift, as the seeds are also edible when dried and ground.
If you’d like to see them live and in-person, visit the Edibles Garden in the Authentic Foothill Gardens at Sierra Madre City Hall.
More Information
Follow FormLA Landscaping’s board California Edible-Medicinal Plant Palette on Pinterest.
Follow FormLA Landscaping’s board California Edible-Medicinal Plant Palette on Pinterest.
