Getty Museum Cactus Garden - Landscape

Built: 1997

Inspired by the garden traditions of California and the ancient Mediterranean, the desert landscaping contributes to the Center's striking mix of ancient and modern. The cactus garden is located at the southern end of the courtyard, the hottest and driest point on the Getty Center campus. The composition is geometric, simple, and strong. Dense massing of a single kind of plant allowed for clearly demarcated areas of unified colour and texture, each section contrasting with the one adjacent. Many of the individual plants are forceful sculptural elements, and their repetition in the beds and limited colour palette create powerful effects. Here, visitors can take in views of the city while enjoying the warm yellow-orange of the agave and fresh green of the cacti that call to mind the desert environment from which Los Angeles has grown.