{"id":4118,"date":"2008-02-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=4118"},"modified":"2015-06-28T12:56:46","modified_gmt":"2015-06-28T19:56:46","slug":"shear-genius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=4118","title":{"rendered":"SHEAR GENIUS"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Art<\/a>

Art Luna, courtesy photo<\/p><\/div>\n

Designer Art Luna is planting roots in our local soil<\/strong><\/p>\n

Enhancing nature’s gifts is nothing new for Art Luna<\/a>. Long before he developed a reputation as a top-notch landscape designer, he was known as a swanky celebrity hair stylist–which he still is. But more and more often these days, he’s trading his scissors for gardening shears. His formally structured, yet free-flowing creations are now gracing landscapes on both coasts, including New York City, Los Olivos, Montecito, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria.<\/p>\n

His passion for gardening began with the creation of an outdoor garden waiting room for his Hollywood salon, then was sparked here during a visit to Lotusland<\/a> in 2002, with esteemed British gardening book author Anna Pavord. She advised Luna to always remember, “Structure first, flowers second.”<\/p>\n

Building the structure first was embedded in his approach as a hair stylist. Suddenly it all clicked for Luna: “Think of it as if you’ve built this beautiful house out of green, and then you furnish it with furniture that is flowers.”<\/p>\n

Here, Luna shares his expert take on our local offerings:<\/p>\n

Favorite Places <\/b><\/p>\n

ABE NURSERY3894 Via Real, Carpinteria, 805-684-3335. <\/i>
\nRichard Abe has lovely material. He doesn’t let anything leave his nursery that isn’t of good quality. Also, I can buy 70 to 100 of one thing to do mass plantings–that’s really important for me.”<\/p>\n

EYE OF THE DAY <\/b> 4620 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, 805-566-0778, eyeofthedaygdc.com. <\/i> “They have an amazing eye for pottery and shape. There is always really good statuary, which I think is the dying art of the garden. I think people are a little freaked out about statuary in terms of the garden. … It can be lovely if done right.”<\/p>\n

LOTUSLAND GARDEN SHOP <\/b> 695 Ashley Rd., Montecito, 805-969-3767 ext. 101, lotusland.org\/shop.html. <\/i> “They always have wonderful things there, such as bird feeders for the trees and bird nests for the cages.”<\/p>\n

RUE DE LILLIE ANTIQUES <\/b> 2496 Lillie Ave., Summerland, 805-695-8180, <\/i>. “I go there for beautiful antique bird cages and unique things like unusual lanterns and mirrors.”<\/p>\n

SAN MARCOS GROWERS <\/b> 125 S. San Marcos Rd., Santa Barbara, 805-683-1561, smgrowers.com. <\/i> “I try to buy all of my flowers from local vendors. This one is amazing. <\/i> It’s all good quality, and they usually have anything that you want.”<\/p>\n

TURK HESSELLUND NURSERY <\/b> 1255 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805-969-5871. <\/i> “If I want to buy a pot with a beautiful plant to put it on the steps of a garden, I know I’ll find something very interesting and lovely here.”<\/p>\n

Favorite Plants <\/b>
\nAfrican Boxwood<\/b> “I love<\/i> the red vein, that it has, how small the leaf shape is, the color olive green that it is. Here in Santa Barbara, especially, the greens that are more olive and gray do well in the landscape.”<\/p>\n

Agave<\/b> “The shapes are so magnificent–it’s just mind-blowing how they can survive under the poorest of conditions and then be the focal point of a garden with their dramatic shapes and colors.”<\/p>\n

Gardenias <\/b> “You have to have the most perfect conditions for a successful gardenia–they love food. I love <\/i>those glossy tropical flowers like gardenia, rhododendron, and philodendron for a border.”<\/p>\n

Pittosporum <\/b> “One of the most underrated plants ever–I love its silvery sheen.”<\/p>\n

Salvia Waverly<\/b> “I love <\/i>it because it attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, but not bees.”<\/p>\n

Originally published in Santa Barbara Magazine<\/a>, 2008.<\/h6>\n

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