This late 1920s classic Mediterranean Wallace Neff house was calling for a classic Mediterranean garden to go with it. First, that meant a visual axis, and so the long reflecting pool was created as the main axis of the garden. The axis draws people into the garden, like an adventure. Olive and fruit trees, a vegetable garden, Cyprus trees and the circular driveway all enhance the iconic Mediterranean feel. As does symmetry, as seen in the boxwood parterres and the pairs of Cyprus trees and urns.

“I started thinking about Pasadena and Bel Air gardens from that time, and how Italian gardens were the thing then,” says Luna. “But we never lost sight of the fact that this house is in Alta Dena.” The traditional California elements, such as the Canary Island Palms and the concrete next to the Moroccan tiles give the garden a sense of place.

“I imagined how the garden would have been used in the ‘20s, I pictured an effortless lawn party with people drinking martinis,” says Luna. “And I wanted to recreate that vision, as well as do the architecture justice.”