As I travelled the world as a young man, the one thing that
always really got to me was the feeling that America was…lacking something that
almost every other country had. A rock-solid connection to a shared history,
perhaps you could call it.
In other words, a culture! Hah!
It’s a pretty common observation, I know, but whenever you’d
walk out into a city like Budapest or Prague, you could see thousands of years
of history built straight into the very essence of the town around you. With
each block came structures that were built hundreds of years ago by people who
knew that they’d never get to use them, but knew that future generations would.
There’s something to that concept that got lost in
translation as people packed their bags and moved here. It may be because we
got all the poor buggers of Europe moving over here in the early days whose
idea of adequate shelter is a thatched roof on a pile of rotten logs, but
whatever the case may be, I feel we got short-shifted in the exchange. Their
houses and the landscaping surrounding their dwellings captured a feeling, a
spirit, a people! Ours are…pragmatic. The frontier spirit, I guess.
Since our first tours out to Europe and then my own personal
travels to places like North Africa, India, China, Southeast Asia, and Japan, I’ve
been determined to grab a little of that time-transcendent energy and put it
into a home
that my family can use for generations to come. If you’ve read this blog
for any length of time, you know the family aspect of my life can definitely
use some work, but I do believe I have the house and its landscaping worked out
perfectly.
The perfect generational house has to have the permanent, opulent
yard to match, and for that I found an incredible company to help me get my
plans worked out just to my liking, Torrey
Pines Landscaping in La Jolla. Those guys have made some genuinely
incredible landscapes over the years, and they’ve helped me on more than one
occasion work up some landscaping plans that would be fit for a minor Asiatic prince,
harem and all.
For the real major jobs, the company provides a full CAD
(computer aided design) mockup of what the yard is going to look like, and as
changes are made or requested, you get real time updates on how those changes
are going to affect your landscaping without the need to just visualize it in
your head. This leads to you being less stressed during construction and makes
it way easier for everyone since you’re way more likely to fall in love with
the design instead of making last minute adjustments.
So, if you’re looking to reclaim a little of that Old World
spirit in your abode to pass on to future generations through some landscaping in your La Jolla home,
I can’t recommend Torrey Pines Landscaping enough.
Now he understood what his ex-wife was talking about. Ex-wives, he thought. The old rock star stood in his robe on the back porch. He had a small patio back there, but otherwise, it was just a plain, perfectly manicured lawn. A home is a lot more than a show house, or a party house, or even a rocking recording room. He had all of those, of course, in all of his beautiful mansions spread across several properties. But, he felt like they were all missing something.
Holding his steaming coffee close to his chest, he stepped outside and sat down.
Despite being a rock star at heart, and a wandering soul to boot, he’s getting older and he knew it. Staying behind the curtain in his older age meant he was spending more time at home. He knew something that was missing in all of them: a place to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. To live at the home, not just to sleep. Especially now that he could have grandchildren soon.
He closed his eyes and imagined strumming along to the tempo of the ocean.
One of his favorite homes is in La Jolla, nestled into the rugged coastline of southern California. The rocky cliffs and clear water were refreshing. Whenever he’s there, he just wants to be close to the ocean and quietly play his guitar. Of course, he needs an enjoyable place to sit outside and remain anonymous. The last thing he wanted was some journalist knowing he wanted to sit outside and enjoy the sound of the ocean. It’d kill his rock star vibe. Actually, the more he thought about it, he realized he wanted to revamp all his houses. Why not?
Later that day, he reached out to a friend who got him in touch with a landscaping company. They would come and redo his entire front, back, and side yard. Landscaping in La Jolla was a bit of a challenge, but they were up to it. They incorporated a gorgeous bare brick and outdoor BBQ theme. The BBQ grill was featured as the centerpiece, with a small stage on one side. Beautiful, yet functional. He didn’t know how much cooking he’d get done on the grill, but from his younger days, he knew at least he could make a mean s’mores. La Jolla was home away from home.
The next personal project was a Rancho Santa Fe landscape design. Rancho Santa Fe was where the other famous people go to relax. It was hard to think of himself as famous and a celebrity in that sense. After all, rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t scream caviar, but he couldn’t help but enjoy the perks. There, he had the team design an elegant outdoor setting, complete with a pool and an entertainment system. It’d be a nice place to go swimming and watch movies. The landscape team outdid themselves.
He saved the most complicated home for last: his mansion in San Diego, a high-end landscape project. He wanted to go all out here. The backyard wouldn’t be complete without a swimming pool, grilling and eating area, and a small stage for his own personal rock concerts. You can take the man out of the concert, but you can’t take the concert out of the man.
After the last brick was laid and the final check stroked, he called his daughter.
“Hey hun,” he said. He leaned back in his adirondack chair.
“What’s up?” his daughter asked.
“Nothing much,” he said. “Why don’t you bring the husband over? I got a new pool.”
They did a great job. It was worth it. If you need a good landscaper, be sure to check out:
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