Designed for a repeat client, this private estate (rare during this period of Halprin’s practice) sits on 18.5 acres to the west of Palo Alto. The garden is divided into two areas: the portion immediately surrounding the residence is organized into formal gardens, featuring hedgerows and topiary, a tennis court, and two swimming pools; the other end of the garden is accessed by descending a grand stair to a picturesque lawn with curvilinear paths, a lake with a small island, and a waterfall. Evergreens, willows, and oak trees are planted along the periphery of the property, providing a natural-feeling screen from neighboring residences.
The property is still owned by the private client who commissioned Halprin, and his design intent remains intact. The garden is maintained by a full time professional staff, with a head gardener who is a certified horticulturalist and previously worked at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.
Condition:
N/A- Private residence
Visibility:
N/A- Private residence
National Register of Historic Places
Marion Brenner
Brenner’s garden and landscape photographs have been published in many notable books and magazines, including Landscape Architecture Magazine, Dwell, and Sunset. In 1992, she collaborated on a series of cards featuring plants used to treat cancer. In 2002, she was the subject of a one-person show, entitled The Subtle Life of Plants and People, at the Berkeley Art Museum. Her photographs are in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Berkeley Art Museum.
