Dombeya cayeuxii
Adamson House gardens - Malibu, California.
On a recent City of Angels sojourn, I encountered the extravagant, dangling blooms of a mature, pink snowball tree.
Colorful tiles from the Malibu Potteries
adorn historic Adamson House and an expansive landscape 0f venerable trees.
A post in two parts:
On this trip I revisited the gardens of the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu.
They'll soon be featured here.
A serendipitous meeting - one that would not have taken place one minute later or earlier,
resulted in an opportunity to tour the gardens of the Adamson House:
a lovely property overlooking the Pacific Ocean that had somehow escaped my travel writer's radar.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places,
and a showcase for colorful tilework, Adamson House is adjacent to the Malibu Lagoon Museum,
situated in the house's attached 5-car garage.
Although part of the California State Parks,
the Adamson House and surrounding gardens receive loving support from the
Friends of the Historic Adamson House & Malibu Lagoon Museum.
Link to the Adamson House on Bay Area Tendrils Garden Travel Buzz
- Column on the Right -
More to follow!
An old color chart for drawing inks ... one of my favorite things.
I pooh-poohed the West Coast for decades, taking my very first flight east to Boston at age 18.
My plan included a visit to Cape Cod, but it was April - the off-season,
a time of year when driving was the only option. Instead, I took a train to Cape Ann on the North Shore,
where I returned a couple months later to live and work.
On my next flight, I traveled north to Montreal, followed by an, 'if it's Tuesday this must be Belgium' trip to Europe.
Never would I have imagined living in Northern California, or looking forward to sojourns
to sun-drenched Los Angeles, the City of Angels.
And that brings up the subject of color.
When I lived in Chicago I preferred black clothing, and earth tones for decor.
Since identifying a visceral need for blue skies and warmer temperatures,
...hence the move West, I've embraced vivid hues.
Be it personal adornment, garden ornament, or a planting scheme that juxtaposes brilliantly saturated 'hot' tones,
I now find bold colors uplifting.
Your comments on color are invited!
I am excited to see more of your travels in Los Angeles. I was born and raised there :)
ReplyDeleteI'm wild about color in the garden, vivid color. In a hot climate, a garden of all pastels tend to look faded in the bright sun.
ReplyDeleteRemember when we used to have our colors 'done'? I was a Winter.
hey plant lady,
ReplyDeleteStay tuned for more of the L.A. story!
I'd love to hear about your experiences, growing up in Southern California.
Nell Jean,
A woman wild about color in the garden ... after my own heart!
It's fascinating to observe how washed-out pastels appear under clear, brilliant sunshine.
Do tell, what did your 'winter' reading say about you ;~D
Funny you mention the dark clothing choice in Chicago. When I moved to Seattle from Phoenix I stuck out like a sore thumb because everything I owned was in neutrals and pastels. Everything in the PNW was dark and jewel toned. I have adjusted my wardrobe but in the garden it is a riot of color. When it comes to fashion I think it may be an instinctive reaction to mimic your surroundings. I know I am a color hound however and simply must have a lot of it in the garden.
ReplyDeleteAlice~~ I love vivid color too, as long as it's pink. Not really. I like maroon and burgundy too. LOL I admire you for your globe trekking. You obviously aren't afraid of flying. I've got a serious phobia so I enjoy vacarious trips through you. Thank you for the sweet comments on my blog.
ReplyDeleteBold colors are a must for me. I am one who painted the rooms of my antique store 'hot pink', sage green, mustard, and Patriot (navy) blue. It was so much fun to go to work!
ReplyDeleteIn my garden, I am drawn to RED, purple, lime green, royal blue, and bold golden yellow! Not many pastels here.
I am looking forward to your next post. I enjoyed so much the last LA excursion, can't wait for the next.
Oh, I wish I had that pink snowball tree! I have a lot of red in my garden. I like a lot of primary colors... Enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteA want a snowball tree too, though I want that garden in that location too! N. Ireland is so grey a lot of the time that I do love to add bright splashes of colour to my house and clothes, it diffinatley lifts the spirits and god if we can't all do with that!! Looking around I do seem to have a good amount of red throughout the ground floor of my house, it's a cosy shade but with some bright accents. Funny, I don't wear red much, I just have 1 dress in that colour. I'm rambling, sorry.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, look forward to hearing more about Adamson house and gardens x