Garrett Eckbo's Vision Part II

Ain or Eckbo? A primitive street planting concept for Park Planned Homes

Now, first off, I'm not sure this is Garrett Eckbo's work. It was labeled as such, but I suspect it may have actually been Gregory Ain that did the sketching (or at least someone in his office). It's not actually stamped with the Eckbo, Royston and Williams office mark, and it's drawn on the same butcher paper roll that other Ain drawings in colored pencil appear. However, the most telling indicator that it's not Eckbo is the simplicity of the plant selection. We have non-botanical names with little imagination, such as, "grey succulent," "blue succulent," "ice plant," and "lantana." My favorite: "ivy." There are a few others (I can make out "palms" and "poplars" for the tree selection), but that was about it for the entire vision. What we know from Eckbo's approach, he saw a radically more complex juxtaposition to the repeating house pattern. Maybe it was just a quick sketch to show Ain what was possible... who knows.

I of course have no proof, and if any experts out there know for sure, I welcome the feedback. As an abstraction of color and line, it's beautiful regardless.