Blossoming Trees

The spring flowering trees have started to bloom in my neighborhood.  This is Magnolia soulangea,

Flowering Pear or

Prunus calleryana,

and Acacia mimosa

which is fragrant

and still pretty when it dries out.

Winter Visit to the Getty/ Sculptures

A collection of modern sculptures are scattered around the grounds of the Getty Center. They were donated to the museum by Fran and Ray Stark.  This is Walking Flower by Fernand Leger.

Two by Robert Adams,

Three Squares Gyratory by George Rickey,

The Jousters by Alexander Calder,

Gandydancer's Dream by Mark di Suvero,

Figure for Landscape by Barbara Hepworth,

Seated Woman by Henry Moore,

and Spiny Top Curly Bottom by Alexander Calder.

Winter Visit to the Getty/ Flowers

There are 

some

winter

flowering

plants

in

the

garden

at the Getty Center.

Winter Visit to the Getty/ Garden Foliage

The color and texture of the foliage

is the focus of the garden this time of year.

The leaves

have beautiful 

colors and

textures.

A carpet of red oxalis has

tiny tubes of flowers

waiting for the warmth of the sun to open.

Winter Visit to the Getty/Garden

The Getty Center Garden is more bare and sparse in the winter.

The Sycamore and

Crape Myrtle trees are leafless.

But there still is plenty of color and texture.  There are the colored stems of Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea),

succulents,

mixtures of grasses and

plants.

The winter garden is a pleasant place to spend time.

Winter Visit to the Getty/ Stone

The structures at the Getty are mostly clad with travertine from Italy,

either smooth or rough-cut.

The rough-cut travertine is often on the retaining walls.

It has a variegated texture

with fossils in some of the stones.

The walls and columns behind the umbrellas are clad with rough-cut travertine.

Winter Visit to the Getty/ Fountains, Streams, Pools

The winter storms have brought enough water that the fountains have been turned on again.  They had been off because of a drought.  Water flows from this circle,

to this urn shape below.

Water from a stream

runs down the hillside

into the 

Azalea Maze Pool.

More pools and fountains are on the 

main level.