A Visit to Palm Springs for The Cultural Landscape Foundation Board Meeting

James Burnett leading the tour of the Sunnylands Annenberg Center

On October 28th and 29th, OvS Principal Eric D. Groft attended The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) Board Meeting in Palm Springs, California. The meeting was held at the new Sunnylands Annenberg Center. Sunnylands is the 200-acre estate that was the West Coast home of Ambassador and Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg. Prior to her death in 2009, Mrs. Annenberg identified 15 additional acres adjacent to Sunnylands on which to construct a center and gardens for public programs. She commissioned Frederick Fisher and Partners to design the center and the Office of James Burnett to design the gardens. The nine-acre gardens now feature more than 50,000 low-water-use plants and include walking paths, a labyrinth, green lawn, and a natural wildflower area. Sunnylands Center and Gardens and the renovated historic estate are scheduled to open in early 2012, but the TCLF Board got a sneak peak during a walking tour led by landscape architect James Burnett.

The events of the weekend began on Friday evening, when Eric attended a book signing for Charlotte Freize’s new book Private Paradise: Contemporary American Gardens. Amongst the gardens featured in the book is Casa Luna, a garden designed by OvS on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Cocktails and the book signing were held at the home of Marc Ware, a Palm Springs resident featured in the book, followed by dinner at Johannes.

Saturday started off early with a tour of the Kaufmann Desert House designed by Richard Neutra in 1946. The home was later restored by Marmol and Radziner, with material input and consulting by Albert Frey. The home’s original gardens were designed by Patricia and Chester “Cactus Slim” Moorten around 1949-1950 and have been updated a number of times over the years.

Elrod House

Later that day, the group enjoyed a tour of Elrod House, a John Lautner-designed five bedroom, five and a half bathroom residence commissioned by designer Arthur Elrod in 1968 and featured in the classic James Bond movie, “Diamonds Are Forever”, in 1971. The home’s 60 foot-wide circular living is surmounted by a conical dome that fans out in nine petals between nine clerestories angled up to bring in light. Retractable curved glass curtain walls open the entire living room and pool terrace to panoramic views of Mount San Jacinto, Mount San Gorgonio and the full sweep of the valley below and mountain ranges beyond. The very rock of the ridge is incorporated into the design throughout the home.

Saturday evening, Eric drove to San Diego for the ASLA Annual Meeting and Expo with Mario Nievera, Keith Leblanc and Dennis McGlade. The drive over the mountains at sunset was an inspiration! And as anyone could imagine, so was the company and conversation!

Fountain/reflecting pool at the Sunnylands Annenberg Center

 

Detail of Fountain

 

A pomegranite tree grown by Jack Benny's mother!

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Contrast in the Garden at Cornerstone Sonoma

Oehme, van Sweden was again praised in the blog-o-sphere for our work at Conerstone Sonoma in California, a self-described “collection of shops, wineries and a gourmet cafe set amidst nine acres of garden installations created by the world’s leading landscape architects.”

The Garden of Contrasts at Cornerstone Sonoma

Designed by Founding Principal James van Sweden and Partner Sheila Brady, The Garden of Contrasts at Cornerstone Sonoma is a study in contrasts and ephemeral impressions. The geometric framework of the garden is a circle bisected with a diagonal hedge of rosemary that divides the garden into fields of contrasting textures, form, color and scent. A sunny ground plane of low, textural grasses is interplanted with the sculptural form of agaves and highlighted with colorful poppies. A grove of olive trees provide shade and opacity as the seasons advance, and the sculptural sphere by Grace Knowlton provides an alluring and dramatic effect. Ephemeral natural patterns of sunlight, shadow and plant texture reinforce the garden’s dynamic qualities. Seasonal change is marked as plants emerge in the spring, blossom in summer, change color in autumn and fade into dry foliage in winter.

Alice’s Garden Travel Buzz recently visited Cornerstone Sonoma, commending the OvS garden as that which ‘achieves a lovely clarity in its division of space.’ To continue reading what Alice had to say, click here.

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