Landscapers Cassy and Kirk Aoyagi create a lovely sanctuary with “A Place in the Sun” at the Boddy House in Descanso Gardens.
text Teena Apeles photo Evans Vestal Ward
Descanso Gardens has long been a favorite spot in Southern California for couples to say “I do.” With that in mind, when Cassy and Kirk Aoyagi of C & K Landscape Design, Inc., were selected to make over the once plain back lawn of the Boddy House for this year’s Pasadena Showcase House of Design, they envisioned a garden meeting three criteria: It would be wedding-friendly with a distinctively modern feel, could act as an open-air art gallery and would be sustainable — something any owner and environmentalist would appreciate. The name of their whimsical masterpiece is “A Place in the Sun,” and it is in every way a work of love that could charm any bride.
The Boddy House was built in 1938 for Los Angeles Daily News publisher E. Manchester Boddy, and in recent years has been used as an art gallery. With the arrival of the Showcase House, this building will be transformed back into an actual living space, and the garage area on the grounds will become the art gallery. The Aoyagis, who celebrate a decade in business this year, took the art concept and expanded on it, literally. “We thought we could create an exterior gallery where people from Descanso could pick sculptures and show them off monthly,” says Kirk, pointing to the eclectic pieces placed throughout the garden.
All the artwork is from local artists, ranging from a large Calderesque sculpture and vertical pieces made of found objects by Robert Moore to an elegant female silhouette by James Hill. These unique sculptures, which will only be on display for the Showcase House through May 20, give the garden a very hip touch, far from the traditional decorative hedges or animal sculptures one often sees at such estates. Each work has a designated circle — specialized plantings for optimal viewing — in “A Place in the Sun,” which is laid out much like a botanical garden for visitors to navigate and explore each facet. And there’s certainly much to take in: contrasting foliage and almost 40 different plant varieties, ranging from weeping junipers and snow-and-summer to the crowd-stopping Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick and living succulent trees. “I think bringing in unique plant materials to present during the show will make people stop and really enjoy the space a bit more than rushing right through,” says Cassy.
Of course, the customary bridal walk was factored into the garden’s layout. “We were envisioning a real wedding taking place,” notes Cassy. It is after all, one of the most dramatic and unforgettable moments in any wedding ceremony. They designed an arbor at the edge of the lawn area for such occasions. The bride would exit from the back door of the home and wind around the flagstone pathway, down the center of the lawn to the arbor. While it may be just a short trip — the lawn can only hold about 120 guests — wedding guests would be charmed by the intimacy and simplicity of the surroundings, most notably the all-white flower theme that the Aoyagis have incorporated.
“I’ve never done a garden before where I used just one flower color,” says Cassy, who claims she’s “not romantic.” But it’s hard to believe her, considering exquisite choices she’s made such as the sophisticated white-flower scheme and placing African jasmine for fragrance around the arbor area.
This is C & K Landscape Design’s third year at Pasadena Showcase, but this one is especially exciting for the company because the Aoyagis’ creation has, for a change, a long lifespan. “In previous years with Showcase, everything gets taken out if the owner doesn’t purchase it,” says Kirk.
“It’s usually a teardown as soon as you’re done,” adds Cassy.
Fortunately, Descanso will keep the Aoyagis’ garden of serenity intact and purchase all the plants used, so that “A Place in the Sun” can continue to enchant visitors — and hopefully blushing brides — for years to come.
Bask in “A Place in the Sun” at the Boddy House as part of the 2007 Pasadena Showcase House of Design through May 20 at Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays; closed Mondays. Proceeds from the event support the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts charitable causes. (Please note infants and children under 12 are not permitted in the Showcase House.) Tickets are $30 to $40. Call (714) 442-3872, or visit www.pasadenashowcase.org.