A Mystery at the Getty

 During Spring Break, my family and I decided to head to Southern California. We braved the LA traffic to spend a day at the Getty Center. Tim and I spent one of our very first dates at the MoMA in LA about 23 years ago, and it was time for a little reprisal of sorts.

The day was beautiful, and we were happy for a break from the Laguna Beach fog. I was very interested in the controversial gardens designed by artist Robert Irwin. We had never seen the museum and we went to every single gallery to take in the Van Gogh, Degas, Titian, Monet, as well as the current exhibits which included a fantastic display of Chinese Photography. 

 By now, everyone is familiar with the breathtaking architecture of the Center by Richard Meier, but seeing it in person is another thing altogether. The combination of structure and landscape was stunning. As much as I admired and appreciated all the glorious art inside, the exterior spaces were just spectacular.

There was a little mystery we had great fun with along the way. We came upon what appeared to be an umbrella that was left behind by a careless visitor to the museum (see above). We had stopped for a coffee at a stand in the courtyard, and found it hanging from a tree. Best to leave it there so when the visitor remembered it, they would find it again. We continued on our way.

 But it seemed that this forlorn umbrella had picked us as its new family. We found it hanging from a railing as we overlooked the city. How did it get here?

 We moved on to see the gardens that were part of the design by Richard Meier's team...

 We felt like we were in a village clinging to the side of a mountain....

 ....as we made our way down to the Central Garden, the area designed by Robert Irwin. We traversed the cobbled stream bed......

 ....and wound our way down to the story book bougainvillea arbors....

....which overlooked the pool with a maze of azaleas which seemingly floated on top...

 ....and on around the pool we strolled, taking in the garden sights and the beautiful day...

 ...when we came across our little friend. It seems that it had seen the Red Balloon and was playing the same game...

 Well....we played along. New friends are not to be taken for granted.

We saw each other again....

 ...but it was getting late. We walked back to the tram to go back to our car....

 Our friend decided to wave goodbye as we boarded the tram and left.....

I hope you have a chance to visit the Getty Center the next time you are in Southern California. Plan to make a day of it....there is so much to see, ...... and shade is provided for free whenever you need it.

Land Park Garden Tour - Highlights

 The Land Park Garden Tour was full of beautiful gardens besides the one that I staged . I captured some of the highlights for you!

I had no idea that this Moroccan inspired oasis could be found mere blocks from my own home. I felt like I had a mini vacation without even leaving my own neck of the woods. The owner of this garden collected all of the furnishings from ebay, antique fairs and discount locations around the city. He built much of the garden elements himself, like the bar,  sofa platform and wall niches.

Honestly, I could have spent the rest of the day right here.

I loved the covered patio seating area with all of the exotic pillows

In the back corner of the garden was this lounge area, perfect for dreaming about the Arabian Knights

The outdoor kitchen had beautiful tile work, and there were beer taps built right in!

If you look closely, you can see there is a little stream that starts at the end of the bar and runs around the edge into little fountain at the other end. This would help keep anyone cool during our hot Sacramento Summer evenings. 

Every possible area in this garden was thought out and utilized for art or a place to sit a spell. Perfect for parties, and I bet the home owners enjoy many of them!

 Another garden on the tour was enhanced by Event Planner and designer, Cara Crowley. She imagined a birthday celebration with a Mary Poppins theme complete with chalk to draw those imaginary lands on the sidewalk, umbrellas for flying through the air, and of course, a spoon full of sugar! 

 Beautiful flowers, and perfect table settings! I think having a party planned by Cara would be "practically perfect in every way!"

 This next garden was a multi-layered beauty with a pool area with pergola.....

 terraced planting beds.....

 which led down to a shady lawn area where Cara Crowley staged another space. This time, Cara conjured up a wedding theme all about George Eliot. The lilacs and the strawberry pots were on my mind for the rest of the day!

The last house on the tour featured an art installation by Danny Scheible. Danny is known for his tape art....objects and sculptures made out of various kinds of tape, a technique known as "Tapigami". In this installation, Danny took wire coat hangers and covered them in a rainbow of fabrics and hanging them throughout the yard in a riotous display.

At the table in this garden, Danny created tape flowers and a cherry blossom chandelier to compliment the Japanese theme. 

This hanging installation  reminded me of huge flowering wisteria hanging from this arbor.

In the front yard, turquoise, sky blue, and royal blue banners blow in the breeze....

The tour is over for this year, but perhaps I will see you next year?

Upcoming...more from the Curtis Park Home Tour

 and the San Francisco Decorator Showcase!

Land Park Garden Tour - Garden Staging

 Last Saturday, I had the great pleasure of staging a beautiful garden for the Land Park Garden Tour here in Sacramento. It was so much fun to bring together all of the finishing touches to an already gorgeous garden. And it doesn't hurt when the home owners are a gracious and fun loving young family.

In my previous post, I described the process of how I decided on the elements used. As promised, here is the end result! I hope you enjoy....

Seating area under the pergola

The sheers added a romantic feeling and also help create a more intimate setting.

White lilies, light and dark blue delphinium, and olive branches make up the main elements in the floral arrangement

The table settings included turquoise glazed plates that remind me of watercolor paint.  I added bundles of paint brushes as a nod to the Crocker Art Museum's upcoming American Impressionist exhibit opening May 15th. One of the paintings to be shown in the exhibit  is Woman Sewing in a Garden by artist Louis Ritman. I made multiple bouquets  in different size glass vases in shades of blue, white and green that were inspired by the painting's garden of flowers and vegetables. 

Upcoming.....Highlights from the Land Park Garden Tour and the Curtis Park Home Tour!