Phil Davis on the Landscape Design of "sister dreamer"

When I visited sister dreamer lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles on a hot day in June, the sculpture park was just as stunning as when I first saw it during opening weekend in March.

If you pay close enough attention, though, you’ll notice subtle changes every time you visit—namely, in the park’s landscape, where vegetables, fruits, and various blooms move through their cycles of growth and regrowth.

The landscape of sister dreamer is the result of close collaboration between artist Lauren Halsey and Phil Davis, Principal Designer of Green House, a landscape design studio focusing on California native flora and citrus.

Davis recalls that Halsey took him to a nearby sidewalk garden when they first began discussing plans for sister dreamer. The lot where the sculpture park now stands was previously Gwen’s Double Dip, an ice cream shop; It was important that the landscape design called back to Halsey’s connection with the neighborhood as she had experienced it, Davis told me.

To that end, Davis researched plants that are native to the area, ones that have grown in the area for millennia.

“It's very important to me to renativize landscapes for the ecological benefits — for the ecosystem, for the birds and the bugs,” Davis said. “But also to show people that the plants that have been here for thousands of years are beautiful, and so varied. There's so much you can do.”

During our walk through the sculpture park, Davis pointed out areas that might traditionally be trimmed or removed for aesthetic reasons. At the park, however, it’s important to him that these elements stay in place and go through their natural cycle.

“It's so that the seeds that have been here at 76th and Western forever are going to keep coming back,” Davis said. “No matter what happens to the site in 50 years, there are going to be seeds back in the seed bank.”

While Davis focused on local plants, the overall design included both native and non-native plants. Some were included because they are so integral to L.A. The Mexican Marigold, for example, is not native to California, but a common sight across the city. Similarly, the Queen Palm decorates many streets.

“My goal was to bring in my native plant ethos and marry it with Lauren's aesthetic and her desires for the community,” Davis said.

While many of us eagerly awaited opening day, preparations were already underway for both the sculptural elements of the park and the plants surrounding it. In the first phase of design, Davis explained, wildflowers and perennials were planted; then, two Queen Palms were craned in. Afterwards, perennials were planted.

In the final phase, Davis focused on grasses and mulch. He remembers planting grasses wherever he could, moving around the fence that was still in place. Some of the deer grass, for example, was planted about a year ago; others just a day before the opening. If you walk outside the perimeter of the sculpture park, you’ll see the deer grass in its various stages—a smaller tuft here, a larger mound there. The Bush Sunflower, often seen around Malibu, was also planted just before the park opened.

Davis emphasized that Halsey also wanted the landscape to include edible plants. Some of these include pomegranates, blood oranges, guava, and lime. As we walked through the space, Davis showed me the tiny grapes currently growing on vines. We paused to gaze at ginger, arugula, and chard. Davis pointed out that the California Lilac in a corner of the park will soon grow much taller.

sister dreamer lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles also hosts community events organized by Summaeverythang Community Center. During a recent program, Davis recalls how they gave magnifying loupes to kids so they could look at the plants more closely. He says that visitors often share their personal ties to the plants—one local remarked that he uses elderberry in his tea.

The sculpture park creates moments to pause, whether you’re looking up at the sky through the oculus in the center of the garden or sitting near a water fountain and taking in the scent of nearby herbs. Every part of the landscape is designed to be cohesive.

Davis said this is the largest-scale public project he’s ever worked on.

“If my work is doing its job, it's not distracting from the sculpture,” Davis said. “It's in harmony with it… Lauren's fortitude and vision and just like follow-through has just been so inspiring and really reminded me why I do this.”

As cars honked in the distance, Davis and I watched butterflies flitting over the nearby flowers and herbs. Tomorrow’s visitors will likely notice something else, as the next few months lead to entirely new blooms.

sister dreamer lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles is presented by Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND) and curated by LAND co-founder Christine Y. Kim. This work is realized by Lauren Halsey in collaboration with the architecture studio Current Interests, Taslimi Construction, and Green House.

sister dreamer lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles is made possible with lead support from the Mellon Foundation and generous support from donors, including: Angeles Art Fund; Candy, Michael, Robert and Julia Barasch; Harrison & Brittany Barnes; Dr. Eraka Bath; Allison and Larry Berg; Anita Blanchard; Maverick Carter and LeBron James; David Kordansky; East West Bank; George and Azita Fatheree; Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin-Ferrell; Ford Foundation; Larry Gagosian; Charles Gaines and Roxana Landaverde; Troy Garity; The Genco-Kamin Family; Agnes Gund; The Hearthland Foundation; Eric and Terri Holoman; Rashid Johnson and Sheree Hovsepian; Carolyn and Tom Liesy; The Maurice Marciano Family Foundation; Julie Mehretu; Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts; Brad Pitt; Ayesha Selden and Devin W. Blackburn, Esq; Sherman Family Foundation; V. Joy Simmons, MD; Terra Foundation for American Art; Mickalene Thomas; and George Wells and Manfred Rantner.

Photos by Allen Chen/@_h_studio.

Visit Lauren’s website at laurenhalsey.fun.