New Trees for Transition Garden

This week we have been planting trees in the Transition Garden.

Before I launch into an animated discussion on the individual plants we've chosen for the space, let me give you a basic primer on what the Transition Garden is all about. Firstly, this is the space that ramps you up from the lower level of our new Car Park to the Entrance Plaza where you'll get your tickets. It is a nice gentle slope, so it will be easy for people of all abilities to make their way into the North Campus. It is also a stepped garden on a fairly severe slope. With these points in mind Mia Lehrer + Associates (ML+A) had to design a garden that would function physically, biologically, and thematically (we wanted more than just a random selection of plants). Thanks to ML+A this garden tells a great story.

The Story of Plant  Introductions in Los Angeles 

The plants that exist in L.A. today are a mixed and varied bunch, a real representation of our altered nature. They have been brought here purposefully and sometimes accidentally. As one enters the ramp from the lower deck of  the Car Park you'll encounter plants introduced to L.A. over the last 200 years. So far we have California Pepper Trees, Schinus molle, from Peru; iconic Los Angeles palms, Washingtonia robusta, from northwestern Mexico; Olive trees, Olea europaea, from the Mediterranean basin; Citrus species from Asia including Eureka lemon and oranges; and finally Red Ironbark Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus sideroxylon, from Down Under. Check out this picture to see the progress!

     Photo by Cordell Corporation