Among the designer’s moves: turning an old water fountain into a planter. The pedestal and saucer are now a dramatic focal element, planted with red pencil tree (a cultivar of Euphorbia tirucalli called Sticks on Fire) and cascading clumps of copper-tone stonecrop (Sedum nussbaumerianum). (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Venice designer Jay Griffith believes in reinvention -- in life and in the garden. His preference for rescued plants, reclaimed concrete, repurposed lumber and castoffs from commercial sites all come together as a mixed-media installation that he calls his studio garden.
Weathered pickets and posts are arranged like the keys of a piano on the fence outside designer Jay Griffith’s Venice studio. The recycled wood has a rhythmic pattern and changes appearance depending on the play of light and shadow. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
A concrete wall helps to partially enclose a shade structure and serves as an outdoor fireplace flue. Griffith credits childhood trips to Yosemite National Park for the idea. “It comes from Camp Curry, where the campgrounds had corner fireplaces. I remember two intersecting walls that formed four campgrounds. When you built your fire next to that inside corner, the warmth radiated off the wall.” The “mantel” is a slab of recycled driveway. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Griffith displays his cherished collection of colored wine and champagne bottles on the mantel to his outdoor fireplace. “When you put 30 ordinary things together, you have a collection,” he said. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Griffith’s plants are complemented by fun pieces of outdoor vintage design. This time-worn lamp sign sits in front of a stand of Phormium tenax. Griffith saw the piece passing by on the back of a truck, so he chased down the driver, who said it was from the old Aladdin casino in Las Vegas. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
The designer’s funky pipe pergola is constructed of a swooping length of bamboo fencing hung from French scaffolding. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
“Elevation says ‘drama,’” Jay Griffith said, explaining why he created a raised platform and a sunken area in the garden of his Venice office. “It creates depth of field and a focal point.” Here, steps leading toward the shaded outdoor fireplace. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Instead of poured concrete, precast pavers set in sand line parts of the garden. “I like being able to change my mind, and this way, everything can be recycled later,” the designer said. Here and there, a paver is missing, and in its place you’ll see an aloe or a small agave. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Shadows from a pergola create more pattern on the patio. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
Whereas many of Jay Griffith’s gardens for clients are often hidden behind fences or security gates, the grounds at his studio, 717 California Ave. in Venice, are visitor-friendly, showcasing ever-changing ideas on outdoor living. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
