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Last Updated 06.24.10

   Core Shot
 

Desert Garden

The Office of James Burnett has designed a nine-acre garden inspired by the Annenbergs’ Post-Impressionist painting collection. More than 50,000 desert plants will create a lush oasis that reflects a 21st-century sensitivity to water usage. Using a limited number of desert plant species, the design juxtaposes areas of different colors, textures and shapes to immerse the visitor in a sensuous outdoor experience. The gardens form a vision of today's desert oasis providing contrast to the cultural landscape of the adjacent estate.

 

Photo Credits
Images supplied by the Office of James Burnettt
 
MONDAY, MAY 17, 2010
Texas Ebonies line the Center perimeter.


A Green Wall: Pithecellobium flexicaule, Texas Ebony
 
The Center's perimeter is continuously lined by Texas Ebonies, which serve to provide a wind buffer to the site. Primarily native to Texas and Mexico, this 15 to 30-foot-tall evergreen tree is ideal for arid landscapes. The Center's design utilizes this specimen to act as a vegetative buffer to combat the prevalent desert winds and traveling sand. The highly spined and zig-zag branching habit forms a superb naturally grown dense screen. The clusters of striking shiny dark green leaves make a vivid back drop for any garden. From spring through summer months, clusters of fragrant yellow or white blossoms appear which then mature into 4 to 6 inch dark brown seed pods.
 
Dillon Diers
Associate ASLA, Senior Associate, the Office of James Burnett
MONDAY, MAY 3, 2010
Labyrinth at the Desert Garden, Sunnylands.


The Garden Labyrinth

The Gardens at the Center have been designed to offer a variety of guest experiences. Among them is the invitation to walk the labyrinth. With over a thousand-year history and a modern resurgence, current research finds that walking a labyrinth can promote both mental and physical well-being. Concentrating on the path provides opportunities for meditation. Our labyrinth is 450 feet in length and, when walked slowly, takes about five minutes. Its simple beauty is enhanced by the Angelita Daisy (Hymenoxy acaulis) planted along the path. This section in the Desert Garden offers a unique opportunity for personal introspection.