Re: Getty landscape

Title: Re: Getty landscape
So Bracey, are we opening Pandora's box on the Getty?

Shall we take the chance?

Okay, here goes...

I thought that the overall design of the garden was very interesting with its very intentionally human-made stream and the structure of the pool at the bottom surrounded by its amphitheater of garden beds.  At eye level, however, it looked to me more like a very bad home garden where nothing made any sense and everything was thrown together.  Is that artwork?  If the intent is to create something that is disturbing, then it is successful.  If it is to to create something harmonious, then it is a failure.  If there is some other message, it is not clear.

The bougainvillea trees were fascinating though they are something of a gimmick.    The azalea islands were foolish but not as foolish as planting dozens of sycamores and then plucking every other leaf off each tree in order to let enough light onto the sun loving plants below.  That is simply a colossal waste of money and the result of very bad planning.

I did like the cactus garden very much.

That's my take... any other comments?

Nan,

Sorry to miss you at the annual general meeting (AGM).  We also enjoyed the
Gardening under Mediterranean Skies at Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco.
Walking Strybing's California/Medit garden with Dave Fross and Olivier Fillipi
was very enlightening and entertaining.  We're saving our dimes and quarters for
Sienna next year.

The AGM included a tour of the Getty as well and I find the gardens both
intriguing and unsettling.  We visited it two years ago when the plantings were
much smaller.  The views have changed dramatically due to tree growth.  I am not
a garden designer by profession, just working in our garden and interested in
what others are doing.

Our Getty guide, the horticulturist, pointed out that the installation was an
artwork, not landscaping.  I would be very interested in other people's response
to the plantings such as the sky hedges of trees, the bougainvillea 'trees', the
azalea islands that are half surrounded by a very crowded wildly assorted
collection of plants.

Comments?

Cheers,
Bracey
San Jose


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Nan Sterman                     Plant Soup (TM)
205 Cole Ranch Road            
Encinitas, CA 92024             760.634.2902 (voice)   
NSterman@PlantSoup.Com          760.634.2957 (fax)

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