a day at the Getty Villa

The highlight of our short stay in Malibu was a visit to the Getty Villa, which rises high above the coast. The home, and now museum, is modeled after an ancient villa in Herculaneum, outside of Pompeii. The landscape draws links to ancient Mediterranean garden traditions, through terracing, an herb garden, and plants (like Acanthus) that played an important role in ancient art and architecture (the Acanthus leaf, a symbol of everlasting life, adorns the Corinthian column).

Terraces along the entry walk, planted in olive and Italian Cypress:

Gorgeous plantings of prostrate rosemary trailing over concrete walls:

This fountain is designed so that the water falling over wet stones creates a striking pattern:

I love these planters of lavender at the edge of the amphitheater:

The herb garden was not fussy-- simple rectangles were filled with large areas or lines of one plant, creating large brushes of color and texture:

Finally, the sun peaked out-- what an amazing view of the Pacific!