Artful water-wise gardening
This fountain was once at the Boddy House
Water-wise plants make up Center Circle
Pond fountains repurposed as planters
Summer blooms in Center Circle
A whimsical approach
Descanso’s horticulture team planted the Center Circle garden to prove that a water-wise landscape doesn’t have to be dull but can be beautiful and low maintenance while also conserving water.
The Center Circle’s theme is water evocative/drought tolerant. By playfully using artifacts from Descanso’s past, the horticulture team created displays and features that intentionally call out our own more water-intensive history to communicate the idea of drought tolerance in a whimsical way.
Upcycling treasures from Descanso’s past
To start, we raided Descanso storage and repurposed pond fountains as fanciful fish planters. The tiered fountain in the Center Circle was once in front of the Boddy House in the Hilltop Garden. Our horticulture team got extra creative with paving and hand-placed stones that form a sparkling “river” running through the circle.
Water-wise plants from far and wide
The Center Circle features plants from all over the world that thrive in low seasonal rainfall. Some of the plants in the Center Circle are available for purchase at The Store, located at the garden entry.