Gardens at Getty Villa let you travel back in time: Part Two

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Gardens at Getty Villa let you travel back in time: Part Two

September 19, 2008

At the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, CA., you can get in touch with your inner aristocrat. These lovely surroundings, modeled after a 1st century Roman house, remind us of how a wealthy, well established family of that time would have escaped the hustle and bustle of the city.

Manicured and formal, the gardens were almost like outdoor rooms, echoing the symmetry and elegance of the house, says Professor Frank McDonough, botanical information consultant at the L.A. County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia, arboretum.org.

Also key to their design: areas for private, even secretive, conversations. These spots would be walled off or separated from other areas with plants.

Romans loved flowers just as we do, though, of course, much has changed since then. For example, roses were grown not for ornament, but because their petals were used in ceremonies and cooking. And when mixed with water, they provided an early form of deodorant. "

Roses back then were ugly plants," explains McDonough, adding that the flowers were flat, wide open and bloomed infrequently. Still, petals were used so much that huge quantities of roses were imported from Bulgaria and Egypt.

So, if you have the chance, visit the Getty and its gardens. After all, carpe diem!

Getty Villa Gardens

Outer Peristyle
Photo: Richard Ross

The Outer Peristyle is the largest garden at the Getty Villa and offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. Plants favored by the ancient Romans, such as bay laurel, boxwood, myrtle, ivy and oleander, are planted around a spectacular 220-foot-long reflecting pool.

Note the bronze sculptures and replicas of statues found at the Villa dei Papiri.

Getty Villa Gardens

East Garden
Photo: Ellen Rosenbery

This walled sanctuary, with two sculptural fountains, is shaded by sycamore and laurel trees. Theatrical masks adorn the mosaic-and-shell fountain on the east wall, while sculpted bronze civet heads spout streams from the center fountain.

Peach-leaf bellflower, Serbian bellflower, blue chimney bellflower, bay laurel, mulberry and butcher’s broom grow here.

Flower Fact of the Day: Another must-see is the Getty’s Brentwood campus where renowned artist Robert Irwin created the central garden. The 134,000-square-foot design features a natural ravine, tree-lined walkway, bougainvillea arbors, a waterfall and a pool with a floating maze of azaleas.

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