A Pasadena Garden by Heather Lenkin

An over 200-year-old coast live oak provides the setting for Hindu god Ganesha, protector of entrances. Vegetation was cleared, drought tolerant and deer resistant planting materials established, and boulders placed strategically to provide seating for weary travelers.

Detail of Ganesha’s headdress, which inspired the necklace-shaped planting bed in which he now stands.

Lenkin created a textural planting bed below Ganesha based on his headdress. Flagstone was split and round marble rocks were placed to echo the texture in Ganesha’s headdress. Drought tolerant blue grey senecio, variegated oregano, and golden sedum complete the textural pattern.

The carved doors create a sense of anticipation in the entrance sequence to the home. Large scale boulders were moved to create help create a sense of place at this entry. Black bamboo (Phylostachys nigra) and nandina bamboo edge the side of the motor court, while pines, maples and a gingko tree frame the extraordinary view.

These richly textured teak doors from the Gujarat region of India impart a ceremonial entrance to the home and solidly mark the transition from interior to exterior.

Gingko, bamboo, maple and pines surround this ancient copper cooking vessel.

A carved figure guards the entrance to the home.

The living room’s floor-to-ceiling moving glass walls were installed to frame the approach to the water terrace. A Japanese black pine is silhouetted against the distant mountains.

Water runoff is thwarted by fragrant and drought tolerant chamomile.

Carved detail from the Rajasthani palace balcony that has taken on a new life as a bar and barbeque on the Water Terrace.

‘Teague’s Blue’ bamboo frames the view to the sunset over an ipe wood deck which extends the indoor-outdoor feel of the home. Refabricated vintage lights seem to float over the space.

A Japanese black pine is silhouetted against the backdrop of the distant mountains. A wood deck continues the flooring material from inside to out. Japanese architecture inspired the intersection of man-made with natural. Concrete tiles were laid on end and black slate was hand cut in a diagonal pattern to articulate the edge between the wood deck and the fragrant chamomile groundcover.

The keystone of this composition — a polished piece of Lapis lazuli stone from the local mountains — creates a beautiful intersection between the wood deck and and hand cut slate stone banded with smooth finished concrete. The pebbled concrete texture begins the walkway to the pool. Chamomile nestles its way into the composition.

Lenkin created a fish scale pattern with smooth black stones under a Japanese black pine.

Smooth black stones create a river inspired path through fragrant chamomile and herbs. Chopsticks were used to dissuade the owner’s dog from entering the planting bed. An antique carved marble lotus bowl marks the edge of the stair.

The Japanese herb garden creates a still life composition — the serpentine quality of a Cortylus contorta in stark contrast to the Japanese rakes above it. Chopsticks border herb beds — the better to dissuade the owner’s dog, Sage, from walking there.

A traditional Japanese stone water basin (tsukubai) is fed by a bamboo water spout (kakei). The ladle (hishaku) is traditionally used for ritual cleansing in Buddhist temples. Aromatic herbs and musa acuminata sway in the afternoon breezes.

Cookes Purple (Wisteria sinensis) has begun to grow in on beams over the pathway to Inspiration Point. Lining the path are ceramic planters in shades of pale green and deep brown and burgundy, planted with Nandina bamboo, black and lime green ipomea, and black euphorbia.

Visual interest was created by using the same plants and planters, but with different colors and finishes, setting up an interplay of contrasting and complementary textures and hues. From left to right: Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet Caroline Bronze’ in a dusty ochre planter; Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’ in a copper red planter; Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’ in an espresso brown planter.

Two 19th century ten-foot carved Indian doors rest on a gigantic lotus shaped concrete pad, serving as both herald and passage to ‘Inspiration Point.’ A hedge of Prunus caroliniana and and stately liquidambar flank the sides. Variegated flax and festuca soften the ground.

The shape of the entryway pays homage to the lotus blossoms carved into the doors’ hardware. Indian cooking pots were used to create depressions in each of the concrete petals.The pots are filled with blossoms to mark festive occasions.

To break down the scale of the area and frame views, Lenkin had five sets of walls built to break down the scale of the area — each painted with a different color.

Low walls in graduated green tones serve as windbreaks and also frame the views.

Ipe wood pavers lead a path through this area. Variegated flax, agapanthus and kangaroos paws contrast with the deep terracotta colored walls that serve as a wind break and also frame the views.

A 19th century nomadic gypsy cart is tucked into the branches of a native toyon and covered with a hand beaded antique Indian sari.

Kalanchoe thyrsifolia and orange flowering lantana surround an ancient copper cooking vessel in which daisies are floated to celebrate a special occasion.

The gypsy cart is lit by a rusted tin fixture hanging from a native toyon.