Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

New Glamor for Old Hollywood: A Visit to Howard Hughes’ Garden

Search

Start typing to search...

Search
EcheveriasIssue 10 — California Cool

New Glamor for Old Hollywood: A Visit to Howard Hughes’ Garden

September 23, 2019

Molten gold planters are fitting for a garden Howard Hughes once owned, don’t you think? Garden designer Kathleen Ferguson added glamor and just the right amount of glitz to the Old Hollywood hacienda (and created play spaces for her clients’ four children).

Built in 1926 for wealthy Hollywood widow Eva Fudger, the Spanish Colonial estate sprawls over nearly three-quarters of an acre. Its location next door to the Wilshire Country Club attracted avid golfer Hughes, who rented the house for an exorbitant sum–$1,000 a month–before buying it for $115,000 in 1929, on the eve of his 24th birthday and shortly after his wife filed for divorce.

Hughes vacated in 1942. By the time current owners Ash and Niroupa Shah bought the Hancock Park property in 2011 for $6.3 million, the house needed updating–and the garden needed more. “It needed a complete overhaul,” says Ferguson. “We moved hedges from the back area to the front. We put in new lawn. An existing eugenia hedge was planted next to ficus. So we pulled out the ficus and used it in another area.”

Let’s stroll around the grounds:

Photography by Lana Von Haught courtesy of Kathleen Ferguson.

Architect Ronald Coate put the kitchen door (L) on the front facade. On the second-floor balcony are aqua pots with dwarf olive trees. To reach the main entryway, you pass through wooden gates beneath the house (R) to arrive in a cobblestone courtyard. &#8\2\20;We needed something strong and bold to guide people to the front door and down the driveway,&#8\2\2\1; says Ferguson.
Above: Architect Ronald Coate put the kitchen door (L) on the front facade. On the second-floor balcony are aqua pots with dwarf olive trees. To reach the main entryway, you pass through wooden gates beneath the house (R) to arrive in a cobblestone courtyard. “We needed something strong and bold to guide people to the front door and down the driveway,” says Ferguson.
A cluster of metallic gold planters sits at the base of the entryway stairs. Tall Euphorbia variegate &#8\2\16;Ammak&#8\2\17; (handpicked by Ferguson at a local nursery) look like cacti.
Above: A cluster of metallic gold planters sits at the base of the entryway stairs. Tall Euphorbia variegate ‘Ammak’ (handpicked by Ferguson at a local nursery) look like cacti.
Ferguson bought three sizes of Tall Flared Cone Metallic Gold Pots from Asian Ceramics (which sells to the trade only). A retail source is Potted, where owner Annette Gutierrez carries the Asian Ceramics line.
Above: Ferguson bought three sizes of Tall Flared Cone Metallic Gold Pots from Asian Ceramics (which sells to the trade only). A retail source is Potted, where owner Annette Gutierrez carries the Asian Ceramics line.
&#8\2\20;The homeowner is very fond of gold fixtures,&#8\2\2\1; says Ferguson, who repeated the gold planters throughout the garden to tie the design together. &#8\2\20;The pots are an added detail to connect the inside color with the outside of the house.&#8\2\2\1;
Above: “The homeowner is very fond of gold fixtures,” says Ferguson, who repeated the gold planters throughout the garden to tie the design together. “The pots are an added detail to connect the inside color with the outside of the house.”
The hardscape is new; the homeowners chose to repeat cobblestone throughout the garden. &#8\2\20;Pretty much all the landscape had to be redone, but we were able to keep the magnolia tree on the patio,&#8\2\2\1; Ferguson says. The saucer magnolia (Magnolia x Soulangeana) has large pink flowers in early spring.
Above: The hardscape is new; the homeowners chose to repeat cobblestone throughout the garden. “Pretty much all the landscape had to be redone, but we were able to keep the magnolia tree on the patio,” Ferguson says. The saucer magnolia (Magnolia x Soulangeana) has large pink flowers in early spring.
Succulents dot the slope at the back of the house.
Above: Succulents dot the slope at the back of the house.
A closeup view of Echeveria &#8\2\16;Afterglow&#8\2\17; in bloom.
Above: A closeup view of Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ in bloom.
An Agave sisilana variegata likes well-drained, sandy soil and a hot climate (it thrives in growing zones 9-\1\1).
Above: An Agave sisilana variegata likes well-drained, sandy soil and a hot climate (it thrives in growing zones 9-11).
The clients replaced a kidney-shaped pool with a rectangular one that is easier to cover. On the other side of the eugenia hedge is the country club.
Above: The clients replaced a kidney-shaped pool with a rectangular one that is easier to cover. On the other side of the eugenia hedge is the country club.
In all, there are 80 planters, most with succulents. &#8\2\20;They give another layer to areas where there are patio areas or terraces, to tie everything together,&#8\2\2\1; Ferguson says.
Above: In all, there are 80 planters, most with succulents. “They give another layer to areas where there are patio areas or terraces, to tie everything together,” Ferguson says.
The aqua glazed pots are also available from Potted.
Above: The aqua glazed pots are also available from Potted.
Salvia and citrus trees line the driveway.
Above: Salvia and citrus trees line the driveway.
Salvia l. &#8\2\16;Santa Barbara&#8\2\17; is a hardy, drought tolerant plant that thrives in full sun.
Above: Salvia l. ‘Santa Barbara’ is a hardy, drought tolerant plant that thrives in full sun.

For more Hollywood glamor, see:

(Visited 1,774 times, 2 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection

Product summary  

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

Trending on Remodelista: The Essentials, Back-to-School Edition

September 20, 2019
Next Post

Gardening 101: Iris

September 24, 2019

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

Related Stories

Read all recent posts

join us on Instagram Logo

gardenista_sourcebook

Sourcebook for Cultivated Living, sister site to @remodelista
Tag us using #gardenista 🌿🌱

Gardens & Outdoor Living

v5.0

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack