Jocelyn Jacobs started her career as a fine artist and transferred that love of form and color into creating outdoor spaces and gardens. Astral Gardens was founded in New York in 2010 with the aim of providing a connection to the natural world and a respite from the hectic and noisy experience of living in Manhattan and Brooklyn. We worked with architects and interior designers to create lush rooftops, backyards, and terraces all over the city.
Now based in Los Angeles, Astral Gardens creates outdoor spaces that are an extension of the home, working our client’s values, personal lifestyle, and aesthetics. We delineate space: dining areas, planting beds, outdoor kitchens, pools, patios, pathways and fire features. We also source hardscape materials and ceramic pots.
Southern California is home to a variety of architectural idioms, and we enjoy responding to each with discernment, whether Spanish or Mediterranean Revival, Mid-Century Modern, Mid-City Contemporary, Pasadena Craftsman, Colonials or East Side Bungalows. Native Gardens have become a priority for many in recent years, and we often incorporate native species to help maintain the ecosystem here in Los Angeles. South African, Australian, Mediterranean, and desert plants all thrive in Southern California as well, and in combination can create truly unique landscapes. Ultimately, we create thoughtful spaces with intention – playfully inspiring joy or creating solace and reflection.
Astral Gardens is a firm small enough to design intimate spaces, yet experienced enough to handle complex, long-term projects. In either case, we work with architects, contractors, and irrigation specialists to implement our shared vision, helping our clients get the most out of the space they have.
Agave Attuenuata and Kangaroo Paws line the front courtyard in this home in Studio City. Eventually vines will artfully climb up the wall and fence. We used a bright decomposed granite to give the courtyard a minimal, open feel. The scent of Lavender and Sage planted in white pots waft in as you enter the home.
This entrance to a home in Studio City was a “hot spot”. Tons of direct sun and very little water. Our client wanted a graphic, dramatic planting. We planted Dragon Trees and Blue Flame Agaves, along with grasses which will soften the design once they grow in.
We removed a row of outdated laurel hedges and unhappy roses in a tiered backyard in Silverlake. We focused on texture and shape, leaning towards a muted palate of silvers, blues and pale greens to complement the existing bleached out stone fireplace. The mix of grasses, native perennials (White Sage, Mallow, Yarrow) chunky Agaves, Yuccas and Cacti creates the feeling of a rustic, wild, Chaparral.
This backyard had been completely abandoned. We transformed the space, creating tiers with retaining walls and rock work. Native plants, succulents, South African varieties, and grasses create a lush, colorful border in a raised planting bed near a seating area. See the full evolution of the space here.
In an urban setting container gardening is a necessity, but ceramic pots and fiberglass containers can add structure, texture and depth to any space. Sourced from around the world, I love using pots to accent trees and rare plants. A cluster of pots can create a cozy nook, a screen, or make a statement in an entryway.
This Carroll Gardens terrace was a blank slate. Black Fiberglass containers created a classic foundation for the plantings. While it was a relatively small narrow space, we planted two big trees, evergreen shrubs, climbing flowering vines, a climbing rose, and a row of evergreen Pieris, which in the end, made it feel larger.
