Full-Feature Presentation of a Hilltop Garden When designing the outdoor area of most steep, hillside residences, Landscape Architects usually add a few trees and a little ground cover to prevent erosion and call it a day--especially in the Hollywood Hills where the homes literally hang off the side of the mountain! With incredible city views, who needs more? John Carpenter and Sandy King did. A screenwriter, filmmaker, director and composer who works primarily out of his home, John Carpenter's Escape from LA., the sequel to his 1981 sci-fi adventure Escape from New York, marks his 18th feature as a director. He and his wife, Sandy King-- who has produced many of his films including In the Mouth of Madness, They Live, Prince of Darkness and The Village of the Damned- continue to develop upcoming projects for their production company from their residence in the hills of Hollywood. John and Sandy wanted a real garden with a pool, big trees and a lawn. Good luck! More than sixty feet of vertical drop, very little horizontal space and a 1:1 hillside (at best) afforded our team very little room to work with. My first design thoughts and sketches consisted of suspended structural decks with twenty-four inches of soil, similar to the rooftop gardens our firm typically designs. "No good!" the couple responded. They wanted a real garden! The project goal was to create a garden that you "fit into," rather than leave you feeling suspended. To achieve this, we launched into building a forty-foot high retaining wall off the lower street, creating a 20' x 60' x 40' deep void that was filled with tons of soil. We were now ready to begin laying out the garden in this newly created space. Prior to construction, all hardscape and constructed elements were first laid out in chalk. Field adjustments are critical to achieve the best possible result, especially in such a small garden. A natural, free form pool and lush garden gave the illusion of more space. Decking consisted of bouquet canyon stone, chosen for its natural quality, and malibu boulders were ncorporated into the water features. A gazebo fabricated from natural, round log poles with a solid roof blended in with the natural garden, creating an outdoor living room complete with telephone, television, refrigerator and barbecue. Since the area of the garden was so small, we used a crane to lift up small amounts of materials at a time. Special importance was given to the tree palette-- consisting of mostly old, root-bound specimens- to add great size and character to the garden without taking up a lot of its limited ground space. Connecting the garden to the house posed another challenge, since the city would allow us forty feet maximum for the retaining wall from the lower street- leaving us with over twenty feet to descend from the house. A suspended walk that steps down into the garden through a grove of pines and eucalyptus was constructed to give the feeling of being on-grade, rather than on a catwalk. Practically created out of thin air, this garden feels like it has been there forever, disappearing into its own little world. Since a project is only as good as its team players, special thanks should go to John and Sandy for being so open-minded, Archie Kapp (Atlas Pools) for pool and all hardscape, Jim dark (Kiralla/Clark) for all landscape and irrigation, and Pat Skinner (Skinner Lighting) for garden lighting. A design is only as good as the people installing it. I can not stress enough the importance of using good contractors. Thanks also to Jodi Cobb (architect) and Bruce Wallace(general contractor) for you cooperation, since the remodeling of the house was taking place at the same time. LASN BOUGAINVILLIEA, TRUMPET VINES AND ROSES, ACCOMPANIED BY A PALETTE OF DIFFERENT GREENS AND SHRUBS (TO) FILL THIS GARDEN WITH HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR--ON A STEEP RETAINING WALL FORTY FEET ABOVE THE STREET (ABOVE AND RIGHT). CHALLENGING SPACE LIMITATIONS AND A 1:1 HILLSIDE(RIGHT) REQUIRED DETAILED, PRE-CONSTRUCTION CHALK MARKINGS REMINISCENT OF A MOVIE CRIME SCENE FOR THE POOL LAYOUT (ABOVE), MANY TEAM-EFFORT FIELD ADJUSTMENTS, AND A TOUCH OF MOVIE-MAKING MAGIC TO CREATE THIS GARDEN ON TOP OF THE HILLS OF HOLLYWOOD.