Painted flower house in Venice Beach
We’ve just returned from a trip to Los Angeles with our two graduating high school senior granddaughters. We covered a lot of territory, from Santa Monica to Camarillo. Inevitably, there were flowers everywhere although many of them a completely different flora since the climate is so different. Although Venice Beach was somewhat barren, I loved a house that was painted with multi-colored flowers.
Hillside of Nasturtium
Hillside of Centranthus
Driving through one of the canyons from StudioCity (valley side) to Beverly Hills, I was struck by the use of flora that is familiar to us but grows wild there. There were several hillsides full of Nasturtium and others that were full of Centranthus ruber. Having grown Centranthus in my garden, I know that it prefers lean dry soil to rich soil where it tends to rot out.
Jacaranda blossoms
Street lined with Jacaranda
In Beverly Hills, there are several streets lined with Jacaranda trees. We’ve seen them in bloom in Mexico in March but this is the first time we’ve been in LA in June which is evidently when they bloom there. The most gorgeous shade of purple.
Bougainvillea grown as arbor
Bougainvillea is everywhere and in every imaginable color. While riding the tourist double-decker bus, I saw two bougainvillea on either side of a front door that had grown into an arbor. The only problem was that it hadn’t been trained high enough and thus obscured the front door.
Wall pattern on outdoor patio
Wall pattern
Flooring pattern
Across from Olvera Street, the touristy Mexican section of town, is Union Station. Built in the late 1930’s, it combines Dutch Colonial Revival architecture with Mission Revival Style and Streamline Moderne. There are enclosed garden patios on both sides of the waiting room. The walls that are part of the fountain structure have colorful tiles that echo the diagonal theme seen in the interior of tile and marble walls and floor of terra cotta with inlaid travertine marble.
Fence design
On the other side of Olvera Street was a beautifully crafted fence that enclosed the garden of the Iglesia (Church) de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles.
“Floating” concrete planters
We also visited Bunker Hill, featured in the movie “500 Days of Summer”. A plaza on the middle level has a café and pool that contains several “floating” concrete flowerbeds that were filled with purple and orange Impatiens and yellow Lantana.
Tree grate with ginkgo pattern
Most tree grates are practical but ugly. I loved the ones in LA that featured Ginkgo leaves.
A great trip filled with sightseeing and shopping. Best of all was the opportunity to be with our granddaughters who are heading off to college in August.
