Planting seeds of romance
To help balance the traditional architecture of the Brecht house with its modern counterpart, garden designer Mimi Kahn created a romantic landscape using mass plantings of droughttolerant shrubs and grasses. “I always push my clients to get rid of their lawn if they are willing,” Kahn says. She also installed repeating plantings of Mexican sage, low-growing lavender, sagebrush, ceanothus, flax and the colorful Australian native kangaroo paw. “A lot of people don’t think of drought-tolerant landscapes as romantic,” Kahn says. “But these plants have f lair.” Here she shares some of her lowwater choices for the property.
Festuca rubra (Creeping red fescue): Because the family wanted to avoid unnecessary watering and noisy lawn mowers, Kahn planted low-mow fescue in the front and backyard. “It is a little clumpy and fun,” Kahn says of the grass. “You really only need to mow it a few times a year.”
Pennisetum orientale (Oriental fountain grass): Kahn cre- ated a soft meadow feel by planting bunches of 2-by-2-foot Oriental fountain grass. “A lot of people often get grasses that are way too big,” Kahn says. “I did not want to hide the house.”
Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer grass): Large clumping grasses planted along the path to the front of the house were inspired by similar plantings Kahn spotted at the Getty Center.
Nassella tenuissima (Mexican feather grass). California na- tives on either end of the pool add to the casual sensibility of the outdoor space. “I didn’t use it in the front because it self-sows and can show up somewhere you don’t want it,” Kahn says. “The back is more about sloppy elegance, and that’s OK with me.”
Dymondia margaretae: “After its first year it will become a tight mat and will look stunning,” Kahn says of the ground cover she planted between the stepping stones to the house.
Pittosporum (‘Silver Magic’ and ‘Silver Sheen’): Kahn chose different kinds of the New Zealand native evergreen in the same family to add elegance and privacy. In the back, Kahn planted ‘Silver Sheen’ against the white walls of the garage and ‘Marjorie Channon’ near the living area by the pool. At the front of the house, ‘Silver Magic’ softens the home’s facade.
Ficus repens (Climbing fig): The evergreen vine will eventually completely cover the modern addition. “In about seven to 10 years, it’s going to be a great green structure,” Kahn says.