Location: Culver City, Calif.
Company: LandCare
This property is home to a historic film studio in Southern California, adding a unique twist for LandCare as it works to maintain the landscape.
LandCare has two full-time employees on the property performing maintenance in the early morning. Because of the nature of the property, crews utilize battery-powered equipment to keep noise at a minimum.
The property also houses another movie studio, which requires a different aesthetic approach. LandCare worked with both studios to transition from a traditional look to a more modern landscape design. The studios also have different irrigation systems, with the modern landscape featuring drip irrigation and the traditional landscape utilizing sprinklers.
Plant material selection on site was limited because of an underground parking garage directly beneath the property. As a consequence, LandCare needed to use plants with shallow roots — like jasmine, azaleas and iceberg roses.
LandCare won a gold award from the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Awards of Excellence Program for their work on this project.
A lush lawn frames the entrance to the Culver Studios, which shares its lot with Amazon Studios. LandCare is responsible for maintenance of both landscapes.
To maintain the original design, the team uses dark green plants to contrast with the white buildings.
Some of the sycamore trees in front of the mansion are over a century old.
The smaller office buildings are restored historical buildings. LandCare incorporated the same color palette of green and fuchsia as the front of the mansion.
Transitioning from a historical landscape to a boxed xeriscape was a design challenge. LandCare used varying bushes and tall plants to help add cohesion between the two.
The modern architecture and boxed landscapes are all irrigated with a drip system.
Oak and sycamore trees add height and depth to the otherwise majority-succulent gardens.
Newly installed advanced security systems mean crews must monitor and maintain ivy walls to prevent plants from setting off or blocking alarms.
