Olivia Turner is a globetrotting journalist who has spent the last few months residing in her elegant Tuscan style home in the residential community of Los Angeles. Three months ago, she returned home after having spent six months in Northern Thailand, visiting temples and schools, reporting on culture and philosophy. She came back from her trip with an appreciation and desire for a quieter and more peaceful life. Inspired by the aesthetics of Asian prayer gardens, Olivia decided to revamp her backyard.
“I love my job as a traveling reporter, but it is very physically exhausting. That said, I learn so much from seeing the world. I leave every city as a brand new person. And I’ve returned home to Los Angeles wanting to create a space in my own home that allows me to recall and remember what I learned from my experience in Thailand.”
The typical stages of revamping a backyard involve design, measurement, build, and installation. Olivia enlisted the services of a landscape design firm based in Point Loma to bring her dream into reality. “I wanted to elevate my garden to give it an energy that is both invigorating and soothing. I wanted zen but I also wanted California cool.” To achieve her desired result, the designers recommended three key elements: greenery, symmetry, and simplicity.
Torrey Pines Landscape company is a landscape design-build company based in Mission Hills, founded by award-winning landscape contractor Harry Thompson. “I don’t expect my globetrotting days to come to an end anytime soon, but I do plan on spending much more of the year at home with my children. They are only young for so long, and I want to be here to watch them grow up. In addition to dinner parties and group meditations, I wanted this backyard to be a play space for my little ones. I wanted this to be a lifelong garden, and so I knew that I had to hire an expert to get it right.”
Knowing what she wanted and seeing that the designers had captured her vision in their detailed plans, it wasn’t hard for Olivia to agree to move onto the next stage. For over thirty-five years, Torrey Pines Landscaping Company has been custom designing and transforming gardens in San Diego. They have an impressive portfolio of projects, with features such as fire pits, kitchens, patio covers, planters, fountains, and more. The company also offers landscape maintenance, which includes garden pest control, water audits and management, lighting upkeep and improvement, plant care, weed abatement, soil testing, seasoning flower planting, and more.
“I wanted there to be structure with the arrangement of the greenery. And I wanted to showcase a foundation. Water has a lot of symbolism in Eastern culture and religion. Nature and water are believed to provide calm energy. Once they sketched up the plan and showed it to me, I knew that it was going to be perfect. I loved that they captured my preference for a minimalist style of elegance. “
If you are looking to transform your garden into an oasis, you can give them a call.
Torrey Pines Landscape Company
5560 Eastgate Mall, San Diego, CA 92121, United States