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Stephen Gabor always bring his work home with him . But do n’t palpate bad for Stephen : Office and residence are just a court aside , separated by the most recent result of his task — a gorgeous garden bursting with cannas and foxtail grass fern , and the calming ambient noise of a koi pool .
silverish madam ferns , a black - stemmed shape of taro and intercrossed red coral - blossom cannas railway line a path of exposed aggregate concrete steppingstones that leads from Stephen Gabor ’s home plate , past a tranquil puddle , to his federal agency , which he shares with Patrick Allen of design - build business firm Gabor + Allen . Photo by : David Young - Wolff .
Trained as an designer at thin - edge SCI - ARC ( Southern California Institute of Architecture ) in Los Angeles ( as was business enterprise mate Patrick Allen ) , Gabor purchase this attribute in Venice , California , back in 2004 , which he shares with his wife and their untested girl . In an act of near blasphemy for car - hook Los Angeles , he prefer to rupture down the home base ’s two - automobile garage and convert it into an office for his new imprint aim - anatomy and landscape painting drill , Gabor + Allen . The yard settle between plate and billet does double duty as family space and a display case for prospective clients . It ’s also , literally , fertile soil for the partners ’ excogitation idea : Gabor and Allen enthusiastically refer to it as their research laboratory .
Gabor knew he want a pliant blank for open-air dining , an outdoor living room with a fire pit , and a water component . He also hoped to find a room to better link the home ’s master sleeping room to the garden ( a goal achieve through the design of a unique outer space - saving organization , incorporate one half - Gallic / one half - pocket door ) as well as a overbold elbow room to direct visitant from the street to the office .
California garden mythology might propose stately palms or verdant lawns , but the truth is that most of those quintessential palms are n’t autochthonal , and the earned run average of the high - sustainment blanket of smoke has passed . “ The modern California garden is a empire , ” sound out Gabor , a claim he proves in his own — a vivacious mix of colours , texture , cultures , metal money and shapes , not to observe comestible .
The dining mesa , made by Gabor from old wooden fencing planks , does double duty for working lunches and category gathering . Photo by : David Young - Wolff .
Since he was designing for himself , Gabor was able to sidestep some of the typical guest constraints , but whether he and Allen are go for client or for themselves , he explains that “ it ’s not our way or the highway . Architects have a reputation for being unbending , but we have no trouble intersperse our modern aesthetic with a Tudor theatre . You do n’t have to commit to just a cactus garden or just a rose garden . ” And the firm ’s work illustrates just how well an eclectic blend of styles and ism can blend .
Gabor ’s personal task not only expatiate the definition of the California garden , it also offer a primer into much of the current thinking on green landscapes . Most of Gabor + Allen ’s guest are on the west side of Los Angeles , particularly Santa Monica and Venice , where sustainable , drought - tolerant landscaping is no longer just an eco - trend . Santa Monica in particular has adopted more and more rigorous restriction on water exercise and works survival . The metropolis has a no - water - permissive waste ordinance that nix runoff and overspray onto impermeable hardscapes , and to approve any new grammatical construction , the city reviews and then requires an on - internet site review of works , irrigation systems and grading . But far from deter the pair ’s creativity , Gabor and Allen are both of the opinion that these initially challenging constraint stop up enrich their projects .
Bold cluster ofColocasia esculenta‘Fontanesii ’ ( black taro ) help part the small garden into separate blank . Photo by : David Young - Wolff .
Perhaps the most dramatic change to come from these new rigorous requirements is the move out from the said pleasant-tasting lawn , a choice that , as Gabor explains , “ has been such an built-in part of the everyday landscape . Very few client have ever stopped to think twice about option , but as before long as Patrick and I introduce the wide variety of options along with the pros and cons , their involvement increases and they begin to reconsider . And now that the state is emphasise current water supply shortages and implement new charge rate , clients are express more flexibility . They have come to recognize the extra blank space the deficiency of lawn will make , increasing the livability of their backyard . ”
In place of the expected — and water- and plant food - guzzling — blanket of pasture , Gabor + Allen typically proposes more - permeable hardscape , for example concrete , integrating it with works to satisfy the “ organic pauperism , ” incorporating planters to specify a space and set pavers to create a course . “ multitude do n’t realize the potential of concrete , ” explains Gabor , “ its unlike finishes and uses . But we ’re able-bodied to show what customer can get for $ 8 to $ 12 a square human foot versus the more typical $ 20 to $ 25 for flagstone . ”
In the outdoor keep way , Gabor + Allen ’s distinctive fire board made from innate stone go forth from a groundcover ofSedum anglicum . pic by : David Young - Wolff .
Concrete divides Gabor ’s own space into different quadrants , while grass strips determine the circulation from street to garage and garage to theatre . fan - destination concrete extends from the office ; steppingstones were made of a rougher - texture let on aggregate concrete . bench and planters were also form from the oft under - appreciated stuff .
Hardscape of path , helps to reduce water use , perhaps the most pressing challenge for gardeners . Gabor opted for the unexpected option of hand watering , argue that he is able to water sure parts of his garden less frequently and can saturate the territory in other parts . There are also design to comprise rain barrels , one of several storm - water management system increasingly being encourage through local and state incentives , grants and educational programs .
In the front garden ( which used to be a lawn ) , curvilinear planting beds put the perimeter of the permeable hardscaped terrace with a promising palette of linden light-green , yellowness and orangeness . The chairs were a Santa Monica Airport flea grocery store breakthrough , reupholstered with new coral Sunbrella fabric cushions . Plants includeAcorus gramineus‘Ogon ’ ( Japanese scented flag),Agave desmetianaandFarfugium japonicum‘Aureomaculatum’(leopard plant ) . Photo by : David Young - Wolff .
Another move toward a more sustainable garden can be see in the consolidation of edibles . “ Robert Smaus , the former garden editor program for theLos Angeles Times , once write that every garden in southerly California should have a lemon yellow tree diagram , ” says Gabor . “ We love to incorporate citrus tree . ” Though Gabor is less concerned in creating a designated veg garden than in interspersing eatable throughout the garden , whether herbs like thyme , chive and oregano , or veg like tomato , peas and green noggin . And for client with kids and for his own menage , Gabor likes to implant strawberry near footpaths to allow for flower , abundant yield and easy picking .
Such minor - well-disposed ideas figure prominently into Gabor + Allen ’s designing . “ Children have been a major participant in the employment we do , ” explain Allen . “ The space we plan is never just for adults ; we ’ll always admit arena of discovery for children , some little surprise to slip up upon . Kids love it . ” And arguably , they lead to some of the most “ dark-green ” intervention ; instilling an former appreciation for the landscape — and the planet — is fundamental to a greener future .
DITCH YOUR LAWN
Mowing Woes : Want to exchange your lawn for a more sustainable alternative ? First , verify you may : Many cities and towns have lawn - cut down ordinances to deter citizenry from go to maintain their green blank space . Violators often face stiff mulct . But as H2O shortage and growth in water price are here to stay , this will start to change . Let this empower you to take up the take with your homeowners association or local politics .
City Water : Changes are afoot nationwide : In Southern California , where water shortages are becoming a path of living , critical action at law has been taken by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to involve waterwise irrigation and exclusive drouth - liberal plantings . Even if your city or township lacks this rigorous program , consider following its mandatory for the good of the planet .
Grass is preceding : school yourself . A novel 2nd edition of Fritz Haeg’sEdible Estates : Attack on the Front Lawnhas been put out by Metropolis Books ( Spring 2010 ) . Be instigate by the eight edible garden feature in the book as well as the Good Food Revolution manifesto from Growing Power ’s Will Allen . Look for opportunities like garden expert Nan Sterman ’s “ Bye Bye Grass ! ” form which teach attendees how to get rid of their pot and what to plant instead .
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