The building where Beloved works got a remodeled garden recently.
A vertical wall, finished in white satin tile, was added to a open plaza. The wall instantly created a sheltered sitting area. Before, the plaza sat exposed to parking lot traffic and an unavoidable view of the adjacent Taco Bell. Big improvement.
The Taco Bell side of the wall:
The other side of the wall:
A large vertical garden runs the length of the wall.
The vertical garden, facing roughly north east, is planted with: sword ferns (a Polystichum of some sort?), Senecio mandraliscae, Vinca minor (or maybe it's major), Heuchera, and Carex flacca 'Blue Zinger'(???).
Oopsie. This single Heuchera is likely getting the most sun, and/or the least water.
The planting structure for the vertical garden is first-rate, offering plenty of depth for the roots of small plants. It appears to be modular such that an entire section can be lifted out and a new one easily slid into place. The structures for vertical gardens have significantly improved, and they now seem truly functional. Progress: that's exciting!
There is a fountain surrounding the wall on the vertical garden side. It adds sparkle and movement.
Contemporary cantilevered and patio umbrellas offer sturdy shade and bright color.
The bench cushions are apparently taken in for the weekend.
A number of potted Furcraea macdougallii, survivors from the previous garden remodel, still look marvelous.
Must. Get. Furcraea macdougallii!
Around the corner at the back of the building, facing east-ish, is a mass planting of variegated Dianella. The building is in Sunset Zone 24--very coastal, quite mild, but the Dianella may toast a bit in sun adjacent to concrete.
Around at the front of the building is a simple low water feature. The area was not yet finished, so I took a few detail photos only.
Unfortunately, fasteners marred the sleek steel walls of the fountain.
It all looked fairly well done. Time will tell how well the plants are maintained. The building exterior was previously redone just a couple or three years ago with grasses and Aloes, and looked good still. The big success this time is the now very appealing sitting area with vertical garden. Masking out the fast food place next door was an excellent idea. Without the wall and the umbrellas, the area had a barren feel.
And so glad they kept the potted Furcraeas.
Nicely done all around. And I'm glad you mentioned the cushions, those looked like very uncomfortable lounge chairs.
ReplyDeleteVery uncomfortable indeed!
DeleteVery very nice! Sophisticated and love the splash of colour from the umbrellas. The succulents in pots looks great. I thought they were aloes at first and a bit surprised that they were Furcraeas which I'm used to seeing in larger sizes.
ReplyDeleteThey seem pretty slow in those narrow pots. Those are only around 4' tall.
DeleteEspecially that vertical garden is wonderful. Love the design by the building.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty cool for an office building!
DeleteStunning!!! This is crisp, but liveable (a bonus for we who sometimes live at work)...the vertical garden here looks well-thought-out. I hope it does well and gets taken care of. Great screening and privacy too.
ReplyDeleteThe crew knows enough not to shear Phormiums into cubes, so I'm hopeful.
DeleteHeartening to see such well done public spaces.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was impressed. Some designer had her thinking cap on and a pretty good budget to work with.
DeleteLove that vertical garden - I hope we'll be seeing more and more of those in large cities. Have you heard of the CaixaForum vertical garden in Madrid? (http://www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com/node/1414) There are lots of photos online if you do a Google search, and it's amazing how it looks like it's contantly changing.
ReplyDeleteAs for the outdoor furniture, what I cannot understand is why, as we humans get taller and taller, our lawn chairs are getting lower and lower. I mean, at 5'10", I'd have a hard time getting my butt up off those benches, cushions or not. And if I just happened to be wearing heels and a pencil skirt to the office that day? Ha, ha! Forget it.
Thanks for the link. I've seen some patrick blanc stuff--he's the master. Yes, those benches are LOW. The cushions add 4" (10 cm) but that's still low. Guess the designer is either short or doesn't expect anyone to actually sit down.
DeleteA great job as commercial landscaping goes. The vertical wall is wonderful (aside from the sad Heuchera). My 1st thought when you mentioned that someone removed the seat cushions was "are they anticipating rain?" but then that would be silly...
ReplyDeleteAnticipating rain, yes that would be silly. Sigh.
DeleteWhat a fabulous building and the gardens, vertical wall, water features and seating area with umbrellas is a great idea for a cool, shaded and relaxing area in a commercial space. Love the colour of the umbrellas.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
The quality of the design was quite unexpected. I love that style, even though it is completely incompatible with the style of our house, so I must enjoy it when I see it. Yes the umbrella color looked great in the bright sun, and with all the grey concrete. The missing cushions I am told are a dark grey.
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