Bel Air Secret Garden

The property occupies over an acre in Bel Air. The overall garden was in disrepair when we started and had virtually no hardscape for circulation. The client wanted to do a complete garden remodel and to add new hardscape to better link the house with the pool and guest house at one side of the garden. She also wanted to make the large, secluded natural bowl at the other side of the house an appealing destination without disturbing the visual appeal of the its grassy expanse and wooded slopes. 

At the bowl, we added curved retaining walls and a flight of lawn steps to emphasize the curve of the bowl and to make the slope easier to negotiate. Additionally, we supplemented the existing treescape with a new grouping of Burr Oaks on the south facing slope and additional Oak varieties in an Oak grove. A combination of California natives and drought tolerant Mediterranean plants replaced errant patches of grass on previously denuded slopes and native grasses were planted to bleed into the lawn at the base of the bowl. The client now loves to set up for tea or picnics in this bucolic setting. 

A curved grassy corridor along a side of the house links the bowl with the open slope leading to the pool area below the house. To enhance the sense of mystery along the path, we lined the passage with trees and dense lush planting to narrow it. There is now a dramatic sense of reveal to expansive views as one rounds the corner at either end of the corridor. 

The home, a lovely residence by noted California architect, Gordon Kaufman, references English Arts and Crafts style, so we took a cue from Edward Lutyens in styling the limestone stairs at the grassy slope leading from the house to the pool and guesthouse. The circular form helped to pull together the disparate elements arrayed around the expansive slope. 

The existing pool and spa were remodeled and graced with an exquisite carved glass custom tile. All planting areas were remodeled with plants that are appropriate companions for the lovely native California Sycamores gracing the back slope and pool area.