Claremont LIVING 2015

8/9/2019 Claremont LIVING 2015

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Cour er il remont

claremont-courier.com

This town is growing. Let’s wander some local gardens.This town is growing. Let’s wander some local gardens.

ClaremontClaremont

Living


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CLAREMONT LIVING/2015 5

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Kosta garden by Kathryn DunnIt’s all about the journey.

Bentley garden by Angela BaileyNature nook offers serenity, touch of nostalgia.

Riojas garden by Sarah TorribioLocal retreat boasts Latin charm.

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Oakmont Biomes by Sarah TorribioSchool offers native nature walk.

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Rosenthal garden by Angela BaileyZen and the art of water-wise gardening.

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Karl Benjamin home by Sarah TorribioArtist’s home returns to glory.

R Y A N R ZIMMERMANR

Z

erfectly uniting exceptional properties with the buyers who will cherish them.Ryan is a Claremont native; residing in the city for over 28 years, and is extremely rooted andknowledgeable about his community and local neighborhoods. Let Ryan use his knowledge of thearea to help guide you to the perfect home. Ryan was awarded Claremont Businessperson of theYear 2012-2013 by the Claremont Chamber of Commerce and he compiles the COURIER’smonthly Real Estate Snapshot. Check it out to keep current on Claremont’s housing market.

Broker Associate, ABR, GRI, SRES, e-Pro. DRE# 01801354.

www.Facebook.com/ClaremontRealEstatewww.RRZimmerman.com

WheelerSteffen

Sotheby’sINTERNATIONAL REALTY

TheClaremontLife.com [email protected]

COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff

R

on Mittino and three of

his cousins combinedefforts to create wineat his Claremont home. The

partners have won a GoldMedal at the Los AngelesCounty Fair. Mr. Mittino took out the back lawn piece by

piece over the last few years,replacing turf with an Italianwine garden. His yard now

boasts a vineyard, a wine press, bistro tables with Cinzanoumbrellas and, of course, a bocce court. Some of the grapevinescurrently growing are from the De Berard Vineyard and wererescued just before the vineyard was bulldozed to make way for an apartment complex. To see more photos from the RanchoSanta Ana Botanic Garden tour, and for more images of Mr.Mittino’s garden, visit our gallery at claremont-courier.com.

Backyard vineyard


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Bentley TheGarden

Bentley TheGarden


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FAR LEFT: SharonBentley has the lush-est garden on the“Claremont Eclectic”tour. FeaturingJapanese maples,roses, azaleas andother floweringplants, the gardenhas a transformativequality.

LEFT: The Bentleygarden has severalmature Japanesemaples that add a bitof year-round colorwith their burgundyfoliage.

BELOW: Roses off-set the deep greensof the rear yard.

There’s nothing quite

like a tranquil outdoor

space to escape from

the chaos of everyday life.

With its canopy of trees and

water feature, Sharon

Bentley’s garden is the epito-

me of serenity and was

recently chosen as one of six

gardens showcased in the

“Claremont Eclectic” garden

tour offered by SustainableClaremont and Rancho Santa

Ana Botanic Garden.“The garden looked nothing like it

does now,” says Ms. Bentley. “Whenwe moved in, there was a pump witha pond in the backyard. Our daughter was 11 months old and walking, sowe filled it in right away because itwas dangerous.”

Sharon and Bill Bentley purchasedtheir Claremont home in 1968 and,following Mr. Bentley’s passing in2006, Ms. Bentley slowly began totransform the backyard into an out-door oasis. It’s a relaxing place whereshe can play with her two MiniatureSchnauzers or draw with her botani-cal artist friends.

“I don’t pick the fruit because I liketo draw the flower,” she says of anartichoke plant in the garden. “It’sthis gorgeous purple, but sometimesI’m on the east coast when it bloomsand I miss it.”

HardscapeThe garden began to take shape in

2010 when an expansive stone patioreplaced a rotted and termite-infestedwooden deck just off the rear door tothe home. The color of the stone setthe tone for what the garden would become.

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneffA white bearded iris is one of the plants currently in bloom at SharonBentley’s home.

BENTLEY GARDENcontinues on the next page


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“I love this stone because it reminds

me of John Blough’s pottery,” saysMs. Bentley of its reddish hue. “Idrew a picture and the fellow that didit was truly an artist, placing thestones and creating this wonderful pathway that meanders and takes youto the side yard.”

Placed throughout the patio area are pots of all shapes and sizes, brimmingwith succulents and flowers, such as jade, lilac and geraniums that not onlytolerate the sweltering sun but softenthe space as well.

“After I got the stone in here, itmakes everything really hot,” Ms.Bentley explains. “I have a lot of suc-culents because they don’t want to bewatered very often.”

FountainThe pièce de résistance of Ms.

Bentley’s garden retreat is an eye-catching water feature. Shrouded byJapanese maples and a 60-year-oldmagnolia, a four-foot-high boulder has been transformed into a bubblingfountain with water cascading into a bed of rocks below.

Following an extensive searchthroughout three counties, Ms.Bentley found the perfect stone near- by in Upland.

“I’d bring my water bottle with me

and pour water on the rocks to seewhat they looked like when they werewet,” Ms. Bentley explains. “Thisstone was sitting in the midst of all

these boulders and it had the mostmagnificent colors. It was perfect.”At three tons, the rock was deliv-

ered and placed using a skip loader. Ithas become the focal point of the gar-den, with a laughing Buddha statute placed beside it for whimsy.

“I’d always wanted a fountain,and I wanted to see it from the win-dows inside the house and from any-where in the garden,” she says of thefountain’s placement. “There’s a bigtrough underneath, so it uses all recy-cled water.”

LandscapeMs. Bentley’s backyard offers both

sun and shade and a potpourri of plants to accommodate both condi-tions. Gardenias, azaleas, hydrangeasand camellias thrive in the predomi-nately shaded areas while succulents,such as jade and Christmas cactus fill pots placed throughout the sun-drenched patio.

“Most of the hydrangeas have comefrom Trader Joe’s,” Ms. Bentley says.“My cactus looks like it’s going to bloom again. It’s confused with theweather we’ve been having.”

BENTLEY GARDENcontinued from the previous page

BENTLEY GARDENcontinues on the next page

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneffA few succulents and stone sculptures enliven Sharon Bentley’s rear porch.


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Perennials of all sorts fill planting beds that line a sunken brick patioseating area, complete with fire pit.Yellow, blue and white irises are in bloom as well as Japanese peonies.

“They look like cymbidium orchids,”says Ms. Bentley of the Japanese peonies. “I have regular peonies too, butthey never bloom. I think it’s too hot.”

Rose bushes are also prevalent inthe garden. Rosa “Betty Boop,” withits semi-double, ivory-white flowerswith red edges, is among her favorite.

“I love Betty Boops,” Ms. Bentleysays. “Those are the ones that change.”

Trees of many varieties offer shadeto the garden. A mature magnolia,mock orange and more than a half-dozen Japanese maple trees create a

lovely canopy. “In the winter, this onehas a beautiful red bark,” she says of one maple shading the fountain. “I just love it!”

While Texas privets line the perime-ter of the garden, creating a naturalscreen for privacy, the rear propertyfeatures two 60-year-old loquat treesthat have been meticulously main-tained. Their striking shape is attrib-uted to careful pruning in an effort tolimit fruit production.

“I have those trimmed in Januarywith most of the fruit trimmed off because the rats and squirrels seem tolike them,” Ms. Bentley explains.

A Fuyu persimmon tree adds inter-est to the garden as well as deliciousorange fruit the homeowner is quitefond of.

The persimmon is rich in beta-carotene, high in Vitamin A and agood source of Vitamin C and fiber.

“Last year was a lean year for fruitso the next one should be reallygood,” Ms. Bentley says. “They areso good!”

Décor

Peppered throughout the yard, you’llfind metal accents that show character in their patina and offer a bit of familyhistory and nostalgia.

“That scale and that oven door over there came from Bentley’s Market,”says Ms. Bentley, reflecting on thestore’s closure in 1987.

“We had a furnace there where wewould burn up boxes. They are family

heirlooms and I love rust. I think it’sreally interesting,” she added.

Additional statuary, such as angelsand birds, as well as bird feeders cre-

ates little vignettes in the garden.

Water

Keeping a garden lush in the midstof a drought is challenging, says Ms.Bentley.

She currently uses a mix of sprin-kler and drip irrigation systems buthas plans to become more water-wisewith her landscaping.

“I’ve talked to my gardener aboutadding more drip systems,” she says.“And the nutgrass in the front yardwill probably be going soon.”

In the meantime, watering has beenkept to a minimum.

—Angela [email protected]


BENTLEY GARDENcontinued from the previous page


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Hubert de Givenchyonce said, “Luxury

is in each detail.”It’s advice Claremont resi-

dents Ray and Terri Riojas

take to heart.On Sunday, April 19, the couple—

owners of the local gift shop Rio deOjas—welcomed a slew of visitorsto their Marygrove Road home,showcasing grounds that blenddrought-tolerance with South of theBorder flair.

The casa was just one of six stopson the Rancho Santa Ana BotanicGarden’s annual garden tour, whichthis year was dubbed “ClaremontEclectic.” Proceeds from the event benefit the RSABG and SustainableClaremont’s Garden Club.

The doors to the Riojases’ homewere wide open, exhaling the scent of salsa. Mr. Riojas had set chiles andgarlic simmering on the stove, just for the occasion. “I’m kind of OCD aboutthings like that,” he admits.

The front yard offers curb appealand then some, with a strikingassemblage of plants ranging from

irises to beavertail cactus to a small pomegranate tree, currently in fullscarlet flower. Statuary adds whim-sy, especially a large metal mulewhose saddlebags are teeming with butterfly bush.

There are roses, too, which are notonly drought-tolerant but de rigeur for a Mexican garden. “Roses are theofficial flower of our Lady of Guadalupe,” Mr. Riojas explained.

Mi casa es su casaIf the front of the house serves as a

welcome mat, the backyard proffers aninvitation to stay a while.

Guests can linger at a rustic wood-en dinner table beneath the covered back porch, which was set with bright Mexican pottery for the occa-sion. Or they can nurse a cerveza atone of two bistro tables, one shaded by an umbrella. If it gets late enough,the Riojases will flick on their patiolights, adding a bit of magic to an alfresco evening.

Violet bougainvillea pours over thegarage. A fountain, worthy of a SanMiguel de Allende courtyard, bur- bles. And a sort of altar, composed of tiered wooden steps, serves as a dis- play for potted plants and paintedceramic Day of the Dead skulls. Withall that beauty, it’s hard to knowwhere to look.

A good place to start is the trees,however.

Four years ago, the Riojases plant-ed a Chilean mesquite, of the thorn-less variety, amid decomposed gran-ite. The tree, which was procured asa 24-inch crate by head Fairplex hor-ticulturalist Don Delano, is fast-

growing. It now stands tall at thecenter of the yard. It is joined by twosmaller mesquites, with the groupinggiving the feel of a single, century-old tree with multiple trunks.

The ensuing umbrella of fern-likeleaves provides enough of a centerpiece. As the Riojases continuallydemonstrate, though, the delight is

Hacienda-style garden yields peace, produceCLAREMONT LIVING/2015 10

RIOJAS GARDENcontinues on the next pageWater-wise plants and a Chilean mesquite grace the Riojases’ front yard.


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in the details. They have circled thetrees with red, orange and yellow-

bloomed Kalanchoe, a floweringsucculent.

A while back, Ray and Terri trav-eled to Tepoztlán and saw orchidsgrowing in the trees in the middle of winter. Inspired, Mr. Riojas hasanchored bromeliads and cymbidiumorchids among the mesquite branches.

Other fauna includes hibiscus, a

grouping of birds-of-paradise thathas strived to a height of 15 feet anda stand of angel’s trumpet. The latter

plant, notable for its fragrant dan-gling blossoms, is native to tropicalregions of South America and insouth-eastern Brazil.

Meanwhile, back at the ranchThere’s a touch of rancho to the

Riojas homestead. At the back of theyard, separated from the rest of thespace by wrought-iron fencing, is a


RIOJAS GARDENcontinues on the next page

RIOJAS GARDENcontinued from the previous page

SHARON FAGUNDES909-447-7701/Direct • 949-233-0799/Text

REAL ESTATE HAS ALWAYS BEENA PART OF SHARON'S LIFE.

Her grandfather ranhis Pomona Valleyreal estate office at

home in the 1960's, whereclient calls and a companysign in the front yard were aconstant part of her life.

Today Sharon's name iswell known throughout the

foothill communities but especially in Claremontwhere she has successfully listed, sold andhelped build hundreds of homes.

Her listings range from Condos to Castles, butall are treated with the same dedication and thehighest level of real estate knowledge, experienceand expertise, selling in record time due to accurate

pricing, aggressive marketing and her staging,space clearing talents and applications.

Sharon recently returned to Claremont after asuccessful real estate endeavor in the NewportBeach area, where she fine tuned her skills and

sold over $50 million in residential real estate.Excited to be back at home in Claremont and

now proudly associated with Wheeler SteffenSotheby's International Realty, Sharon's genuineenthusiasm, local knowledge and love of homeand family continue to make her the one to calland count on in any real estate related matter!

BRE 00802481

ABOVE: Like many festive gardens,the Riojas grounds are decoratedwith lots of lights.LEFT: Ray and Terri Riojas like toentertain in the backyard of theirClaremont home and have created anumber of gathering spaces includ-ing a covered outdoor dining room.COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff


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kitchen garden. You walk throughan archway and find raised beds, built by Todd Lininger of Farmscape.

There, herbs like sage and oreganoabound, as do vegetables like trellis-climbing snap peas. “I cook with allmy herbs,” Ms. Riojas says.

There is also a Lilliputian chickencoop that is home to two hens,Lechuza (“Barn Owl”) and Peca,whose name comes from her freck-led feathers.

You would think an oasis like theone the Riojases have created would

be a thirsty place but, between wide-

scale paving and an emphasis onwater-wise plants, that isn’t the case.

“People in the shop tell me horror stories of paying $300 a month for water. My bill is $76,” Mr. Riojasshared. “I just pop the garden withwater once a week.”

To get ideas for your ownMexican décor, stop by Rio de Ojasat 250 N. Harvard Ave. inClaremont. For information, visitRioDeOjas.com

—Sarah [email protected]

RIOJAS GARDENcontinued from the previous page

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneffRay and Terri Riojas’ yard features several large bougainvillea in the classic fuchsia color.


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The path of life is windingand, at times, can seemrandom with its unexpect-

ed turns. For Claremont residentJohn Kosta, these spontaneousexperiences bring much morethan just episodes of excitement.

At his south Claremont home, Mr.Kosta has assembled a series of botanic

vignettes that surround the focal pointof his backyard—a dry streambed.

“I went to the Santa Ana Creek tostudy the topography,” Mr. Kosta said.“The rock formations may appear ran-dom, but there are geological and hydro-logical forces that create patterns.”

After purchasing the home as a repoin 2010, Mr. Kosta put his focus on theoutdoor space first. The flat, weed-rid-den backyard was flanked by saggingfences and served as a parking lot of sorts with the previous owners drainingmotor oil into the soil.

“It was in really bad shape,” Mr.Kosta explained. “The first thing I did

after excavation was to change the ele-vation to create rolling hills.”The resulting dry creek bed, which

curves from the northwest corner of theyard to the southeast entrance, was devel-oped through a combination of rocksfound during excavation plus an addition-al 10 tons of boulders brought in by Mr.Kosta. But the greatest boon to digging a

dry creek bed was unearthing clean soil.Mr. Kosta took no time in putting theclean soil to good use. With the excep-tion of three oak trees and a silver leaf maple tree, the yard was a blank can-vas. The vast majority of the exterior was completed at one time and within ayear of his purchasing the home.

“The house was still a dump,” Mr. Kosta

quipped, “but the grounds were nice.”Remodel on his three bedroom, two bath home included the removal of redwood siding off the front of the1600-square-foot house. The redwoodwas repurposed to create iron-framedgates on the north and south entrancesto the backyard.

Upon entering the south gate, guests

are greeting by a handful of citrus trees,which include lemons and grapefruit.The stone and concrete path continuesalong the south wall, curving over thedry streambed over one of two bridges built from reclaimed railroad ties Mr.Kosta purchased near Mira Loma.

Once at the rear of the yard, explor-ers are offered two colorful hammocksflanked by pin oaks, which frame alabyrinth constructed from decomposed granite. Garden voyagers maytake the meditation walk by enteringfrom the east (the rising sun), mean-dering through the maze and exitingfrom the west (the setting sun).

“When you walk with someone else,the paths at times close,” Mr. Kosta

reflected. “But then the paths divergeand come back together again. Just likelife, there’s no wrong or right way.”

On most days, the labyrinth inducestranquility. However, friends have been known to gather for meals when

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Stepping outside ourselves to forge new paths in life

KOSTA GARDENcontinues on the next page

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneffJohn Kosta’s home was in terrible shape when he bought it five years ago and the yard was even worse. As a landscapedesigner, the yard came first and within a year he had transformed it into a vibrant garden.

When John Kosta remodeled hishome, he reused the old redwood clap-board siding to create the side gates.

A meditation labyrinth brings a sense of tranquility to the Kosta garden.


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Mr. Kosta throws a big party.“I set the tables on it and it becomes

a dining terrace—kind of a celebrationof life,” he said.

Continuing north on the curved path,walkers will find an iron tea housecomplete with seating and a pair of Sansevieria (mother-in-law’s tongue)standing tall in large, rectangular terracotta pots.

“I wanted to created a visual space totake the eye on a journey from the out-side,” Mr. Kosta said. “Gardens areoften designed for viewing from insidethe house.”

Like most of the garden, the tea house

serves a dual purpose. It provides ashaded retreat for viewing the foliageas well as offering a covered area to setup food tables or even an occasionalDJ when Mr. Kosta hosts larger parties.

From the front door entrance of thehome, the first thing guests see are thestreambed and tea house.

“My goal with the yard was to create avisual impact, a painting. I’ve worked tochoregraph the eye in the garden,” he said.

Moving south along the passageway,which is illuminated by small hammered-copper outdoor lighting, an iron arbor hosts two climbing white rose bushes asthey creep their way through a pair of irongrids. The centerpiece to the arbor is a

vertical succulent garden, which faces a

small three-tiered fountain placed in a cir-cle path. The fountain is encircled by four large urns, which house two-tiered dwarf olive topiaries.

Towering above the arbor are threeChitalpa tashkentensis trees, a hybrid between the Catalpa bignonioides (thecigar tree) and Chilopsis linearis (thedesert willow). The hybrid was unnamedsince its development in 1964 until staff atthe Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardensgave it the common name of chitalpa.

The pink-flowering chitalpa peaks inthe summer months with a bloom timeof June to September. Chitalpa flowersappear in large clusters, each contain-ing 15- to 40-inch-long florets thatattract butterflies, bees and humming- birds. They are considered drought-tol-erant and are readily available locally.

One would think Mr. Kosta couldnever leave such an oasis, particularlyafter seeing his long-developed visiontake root. But the Geneva Avenue homewill be on the market soon.

“As a landscape designer, I’m alwaysrambling; always designing,” he said.

With his eye set on a new home, Mr.Kosta will be tasked with converting afull acre of chaparral landscape into animaginative and enticing outdoor space.

“It will have a very different feel. It’smore wild,” Mr. Kosta explained.“There will be paths and interesting places to go. Just like life, the journey isthe experience—if we’re willing to takea different path.”

—Kathryn [email protected]

KOSTA GARDENcontinued from the previous page

The Kosta garden is a true oasis with a meditation labyrinth, many shadedplaces to sit and a grove of pink flowering chitalpa trees.


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COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneffThe Oakmont Outdoor School Biome Project serves as an outdoor classroom for the children to learn aboutCalifornia’s natural habitat, sustainability and low water use.

the scent of sage—instead of havingto be stuck in a classroom.”

Ms. Mason was likewise impressed.“Since they’re doing the biomes, howelse can you make it real than to havethe plants there?”

For more information on SustainableClaremont, visit sustainableclare-mont.org. For more information onBAM Waterwise landscapes, visit bamlandscape.com.

—Sarah [email protected]

OAKMONT BIOMEScontinued from the previous page

Each species is identified with bothits common and Latin name.


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The aim of a Zen garden is to imi-tate the intimate essence of nature. With its dry landscape

and strong visual design, it’s no wonder the garden fronting the home of Michael and Karen Rosenthal was cho-sen as one of six gardens featured in the“Claremont Eclectic” garden tour.

“Traditionally, you would use a special rake andcreate ripples to resemble water,” Mr. Rosenthalsays, referring to the pea gravel that has replacedhis once lush lawn. “We have a lot of leaves fromthose trees that would get stuck in the grooves so Idon’t do that.”

Usually relatively small and surrounded by awall, a Zen garden is meant to be seen whileseated from a single viewpoint outside the gar-den, such as the porch of the residence of thechief monk of a temple. In this case, Mr.Rosenthal is the chief monk and his temple is a1938 Gordon Kaufmann-designed home locatednear the Village.

“The house is actually a recycled house. It’sRoute 66,” says the proud homeowner, providing a

bit of history on the place. “There was a flood onFoothill Boulevard in March 1938 and it under-mined the road. They had to jackhammer it up andstart over and here it is.”

Purchased by the Rosenthals in 1973, the homehas been featured in numerous home tours over the years and is in a perpetual state of change. In

May 2014, theRosenthals took itone step further when they madesome changes totheir home’s land-scape by participat-ing in a turf-removal

program.“I took out 2,500

feet of turf and thewater company gaveme $1 per foot. It’san extraordinarilyeasy process,” Mr.Rosenthal explains.“You take half a

dozen pictures andsubmit a formonline. After you’ve

done the work, you send them some more picturesand they send you a check. That’s it!”

After soliciting bids from three landscapers, Mr.Rosenthal chose Jonescape of Montclair to removeturf and lay a double layer of weed block before

placing pea gravel in his yard. “The secret is thedouble layer,” he says. “It keeps the weeds out andstops gravel from working its way into the dirt.”

The plants placed throughout the garden were cho-sen to enhance the homeowners’ unique property.

“What I really wanted was a clear view of the

Non-traditional home showcases eclectic nature

A grass palm is silhouettedagainst the rough concreteexterior wall.

The entryway and porch area in the front yard ofMichael and Karen Rosenthal’s Claremont home.

ROSENTHAL GARDENcontinues on the next page


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house,” says Mr. Rosenthal. “I didn’twant something that was going todistract from it.”

A planting bed original to thehouse features a 40-year-old bougainvillea that has changed shape

over the years, often draping over thethreshold of the home it is now neat-ly trimmed. Agaves of many vari-eties, including Queen Victoria andagave Americana, are a favorite of the homeowner.

“You notice these don’t have deadleaves around them,” says Mr.Rosenthal. “You have to groom these

things. I use a reciprocating saw. Thosethorns are murder, but they look prettycool when you clean them up.”

The northeast portion of the yardshowcases an eye-catching three-foot

firestick euphorbia. The succulent,with its red and orange foliage, offersa splash of color to the landscape.

“When I put that in there, it was

less than a quarter of that size andit’s exploded,” Mr. Rosenthal says.“It’s been a wonderful addition to thegarden.”

With the addition of Arizona river rock at their base, an Albany bottle- brush and a bird-of-paradise from theoriginal garden remain intact.

“I groom the bird-of-paradise everymonth,” Mr. Rosenthal says. “If youdon’t take the associated leaf with itwhen you take the flower, it getsvery reedy.”

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneffThe Rosenthal’s yard included a range of cacti and agave as well as bougainvillea, Palo Verde and grass palms.

The backyard is almost all hardscape,and so they chose to do much of theplanting in containers. The concretechunks that were used to constructthe home were sourced from the rem-nants of Foothill Boulevard after itwas badly damaged in the 1938 flood.

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Hobbit plants, aka Crassula Ovata, fill twoceramic pots that have been placed near the entryto the home and are flourishing in the Californiasunshine. “When I pot them, I use coconut fiber

plus pumice, about a 50/50 mix,” says Mr.Rosenthal, revealing his garden secrets. “The cac-tus soil doesn’t really work because it uses peatand once it dries out, it will never rehydrate.”

Bamboo, over 75 years old and reaching nearly30 feet tall, is the only plant in the garden that stillrequires frequent watering.

“Our water bill dropped 55 percent a month and,almost a year later, it’s still down like that,” saysMr. Rosenthal of his new garden. “We save about$100 a month.”

In keeping with Zen garden principles, severallarge granite boulders were chosen by the home-owners and strategically placed by Kramer’sMasonry in Upland. A crane was used to place therocks — weighing as much as five-tons each — into a hole measuring 4-by-4 feet in length and 18inches deep, burying one-third of the rock’s sur-face for a natural look and creating a focal point inthe southwest corner of the garden.

“You never put in an even number—always putin one, three or five,” explains Mr. Rosenthal.“These three rocks have some character and their

placement is meant to be representative of Buddhaand two of his disciples.”

Tying it all together is a one-foot-high opencedar fence that lines the perimeter of the garden.

“When I first put this in, I didn’t put up the

fence,” Mr. Rosenthal says. “Low and behold,dogs had gone up to the tree. I don’t care if they pee or leave footprints in the gravel but when theywere through — scratch, scratch, scratch — gravelall over the sidewalk. I’m not going out there

every day to pick up the gravel, so the cedar fenc-ing in a western-style went in. It’s important thatit’s cedar because it’s truly resistant to termites.”

At a total cost of $11,000 to renovate the front

garden, some may think it’s cost-prohibitive tocreate a water-wise oasis. Mr. Rosenthal says itwill pay off; it’s just simple economics.

“I got $2,500 back from the water company,really making the total $8,500,” he says. “I’d be

paying a gardener $150 to care for a lawn everymonth and now I don’t have to. That, in additionto the water saved, is a savings of $250 a monthwhich means in less than four years, I’ve paid off the entire costs.”

The principles of Zen gardening have spilledinto Rosenthals’ backyard as well. Blue glow andSchidigera agaves of varying sizes add interest tothe rear courtyard and a fountain that would auto-

matically top-off due to evaporation loss has beendrained.

“When they were looking for homes for the gar-den tour, they asked if we could please have thewater running in the fountain,” Mr. Rosenthalexplains. “I told them it’s just been put on sabbati-cal. We’re in a drought.”

—Angela [email protected]

ROSENTHAL GARDENcontinued from the previous page


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I

t was an instance of kismet when—

while giving a presentation on land-scaping at the Claremont gallery TheColony at Loft 204—landscape architectDominic Masiello of DP Environmentsmet Beth Benjamin and her husband Ross.

Mr. Masiello’s topic at the workshop, held in thesummer of 2013, was landscaping appropriate tovarious forms of local architecture, includingCraftsman, Edwardian, Spanish Revival and Mid-Century Modern.

Ms. Benjamin was interested in the latter. She andRoss live with her mother, Beverly, in the Claremonthouse Beverly shared with her husband KarlBenjamin. Mr. Benjamin, a renowned abstractexpressionist painter known for his genius with color

and geometric patterns, died in the summer of 2012.Karl and Beverly bought their existing Tenth Streethome property in 1952, back when it was merely anorange grove. In 1955, they moved into a classicCalifornia Modern ranch house designed and built onthe grounds by architect Fred McDowell.

Mr. McDowell would continue to contribute tothe modernist architecture scene on the West Coast,and more specifically in Claremont, with his aes-thetic including the skillful use of concrete, theincorporation of large-scale windows to blur theline between the indoors and outdoors and anemphasis on landscaping. Examples include thePadua Hills home built for ceramicist HarrisonMcIntosh and the famed Concrete House, which in1964 was the winning entry in the Association of Concrete Industries’ “Horizon Homes” contest.

Explaining his philosophy to the LA Times in 1963,

Mr. McDowell said, “Total environment occurs whenearth and dwelling merge into a recognizable wholewhere terrain, floor plan, exterior design, buildingmaterials and landscaping work consciously together.”

Mr. Benjamin was on the same page, taking a par-ticular interest in the landscape design. With his col-

lege-horticulture classes in mind, he managed to

present a perfect marriage of art and practicality.“True to form, Karl designed with concepts ahead

of the curve,” Mr. Masiello said. “His focus was onmodernism and advanced landscape techniques suchas a heavy use of California-native plants, which

Landscape of Karl Benjamin’s mid-century home gets much-needed reboot

KARL BENJAMIN HOMEcontinues on the next page

Photos courtesy of DP EnvironmentsDominic Masiello of DP Environments specializes in matching landcape to architecture.



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were not widely sought-after at the time.”The result of the Benjamin/McDowell collabora-

tion is a home reflective of the geometry evinced inMr. Benjamin’s painting, which he began pursuing inearnest in 1951.

If you are looking for a cause-effect relationship, how-ever—the idea that Mr. Benjamin’s artwork impactedthe house’s architecture—Ms. Benjamin demurs.

“It’s more on the vice versa side,” she said.“Moving into this house really affected Karl’s paint-ing and his design.”

Fast-forward to 2014, and the Benjamin family rec-

ognized the need for revival.In the 60 years since it was built, the wooden deck had incurred some serious dryrot. The cement work inthe backyard, made of polygonal slabs laid down in ageometric pattern, had lifted due to the roots of themature camphor tree that serves as a focal point.Some of the plants, such as a pittosporum and acotoneaster, had reached the end of their life cyclesand were begging to be replaced.

The family enlisted the help of DP Environments to breathe new life into the space.

Mr. Masiello has been featured on the HGTV net-work several times. Still, he was daunted by the chal-lenge of remaining true to the vision of two visionaries,Mr. Benjamin and Mr. McDowell. “It was an honor todo it,” he said.

Mr. Masiello built a new deck using mangaris wood,

an exotic hardwood that is denser than redwood. Thefront lawn was pulled out and replaced with native plantslike waving stands of feather grass. A planter is decorat-ed with an address plate created from ceramic tiles bylocal mosaic artist Alba Cisneros and filled with the

KARL BENJAMIN HOMEcontinues on the next page

The late Karl Benjamin’s Claremont home after a recent landscaping upgrade by DP Environments.

Karl Benjamin is renowned for his abstract expres-sionist paintings featuring colorful geometric shapes.

KARL BENJAMIN HOMEcontinued from the previous page


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Tips and finance for first-time home buyers by Ryan Zimmerman

When I have the initial consultation

with a new client looking to pur-chase a home, they will often ask questions related to how difficult it is to obtainfinancing “these days.” The fact is, financingisn’t as difficult to obtain as one might think.

Back during the mortgage meltdown in 2007 and 2008,lending guidelines became extremely strict—or at leastmore strict than completely lax, which they had been for years. Buyers needed to have higher credit scores, incomeverification was more difficult (especially for self-employed persons) and loan products were limited.

Buyers who wanted to build their dream home were outof luck, unless they could pay “cash” for the land, as therewasn’t a lender around who would loan on vacant land.Fast-forward to 2015 and a lot of that has changed.

Buyers are now able to obtain conventional loan

financing with as low as 5 percent down. No longer does a buyer need to come up with a 20 percent down payment to avoid the costly and often unaffordableFHA loan, which can be obtained with as little as a 3.5

percent down payment. In addition, lenders are comingout with more and more specialized loan programs tohelp homebuyers qualify for a loan.

First-time homebuyers, above all others, experiencethese concerns, as most of them are a little tighter on cashfor a down payment than repeat buyers. First-time home-

buyers also have a different perception of the market andthe home purchase process. For them, the only experienceof buying a home is what they have seen on TV shows likeHouse Hunters, which is an incredibly unrealistic andmisleading dramatization of the experience. First-timehomebuyers don’t come to the deal with the real-timeexperience from a prior home purchase. Here are sometips for the first-time homebuyer to keep in mind:

Become Pre-Approved Early: Without the pre-approval, the offer is as strong as if it were written on anapkin. Listing agents and sellers will almost alwaysrequire seeing one before taking any offer seriously. Also,it is recommended that the lender providing the pre-approval is a “Direct Lender” and not a mortgage broker.A mortgage broker needs to still shop your loan to

investors, who can oftentimes befickle and have been known to pull

out at the eleventh hour, leaving themortgage broker scrambling to findanother investor, lest a deal fall apart.A direct lender has the ability to fundthe loans they give “directly,” thustheir pre-approvals come with a bitmore confidence in success.

Zillow is not gospel: Unless a buyer has experiencedhow home values are set in the real market personally,they often put a little too much weight in what on-linevaluation sites have to say. Realtors are constantly hav-ing to explain away Zillow’s “Zestimates” to first-time

buyers, as they are more often than not incredibly inac-curate. The listed data available on these sites is also fre-quently outdated and misleading. Sites like Realtor.com,or an agent’s MLS search they can set up for you willhave more accurate up-to-date listing data. Online sites

are great for looking at pictures and getting informationabout the house, but leave the valuation advice to anexperienced local realtor who has an intimate knowledgeof the market values in any given neighborhood.

Be prepared to act quickly: In a fast-moving marketlike the one we are currently in, good homes that are

priced well are selling quickly. First-time homebuyers canat times be more hesitant and slower to make a decision ona property. This is completely understandable. This is newterritory for them. It’s likely the biggest purchase they

have ever made, and going to be one they will live with for many years to come. That said, I see many first-time buy-

ers go through heartache a couple times over “lost homes” before they are ready to become more aggressive on thenext one. If you find a great home that meets your criteriaand you get that good feeling when inside, don’t wait.Those couple days to “think about it” can cost you thehouse and result in a lot of regret and hard feelings whenanother buyer beats you to the punch.

In 2015, the market is growing and prices are slowly andsteadily moving upwards. Interest rates remain in the low4 percent range and are playing a big part in the reboundof the market and the rise in prices.

As money is more affordable and attainable, people areable to purchase homes and to get “more house” for their money. The million-dollar question is, what is going tohappen with the interest rates in the near future? The FEDhas been hinting at rising interest rates for a couple yearsnow, but we have yet to see it happen. The reality is, if and

when interest rates do rise, they will have an adverse effecton home sales and prices. A modest increase in rates willlikely not show signs in the market. However, a jump inrates to say 6, 7 or 8 percent would have a significantimpact on the market.

The higher interest rates would price many homebuy-ers out of the market, lowering their affordability indexand resulting in “less house” for the money they have.When buyers’ affordability goes down, prices are pres-sured downward in kind.


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Nancy Telford, Century 21 Beachside Broker Associate. [email protected]. BRE #01191038

We have qualified buyers wanting a Claremont home. Call Nancy today for a FREE marketanalysis and the best quality service. 909-575-8411. www.NancyTelford.com.

447 Alamosa Drive, Claremont 788 Alamosa Drive, Claremont 118 Avila Way, Claremont - $685,000 2335 Dana Ct., Claremont - $735,000

Nancy Telford

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#1 in the Inland Empire/San Gabriel Valley & awarded again for the BEST QUALITY SERVICE.

Below are a few recent testimonials out of 102 all 5-Star Reviews:

“85% of my business is referrals from past satisfied

clients. I take pride in giving each client exceptional

one-on-one personalized service based on honesty,

diligence & knowledge.” —Nancy Telford

“Nancy is just as adver-tised. We got a full priceoffer immediately and closed escrow a monthlater. She is very

professional and helpful.She was a pleasure to work with. She always madeherself available to us.We highly recommend her.”

03/01/2015 - afletch2000zillow.com/profile/afletch2000/

“Excellent real estate agent.Very honest and informative.Gave us a realistic picture of the market. Did not inflatethe true value of the propertyto get the business. Alwaysresponded promptly and

gave good advice on how toimprove the property toattract potential buyers.

Constantly gave feedback from other agents regarding my property.”02/17/2015 - tltran57zillow.com/profile/tltran57/

“Nancy was an absolute joy towork with. She has a knowl-edge of the area that is second to none. She helped connect meto a home staging agency. Shetook beautiful pictures of the

property. She was in constant communication with updates onoffers, inspections, buyer requests and the negotiation

process. I would absolutelyrecommend Nancy to anyonethat is about to sell a home.”01/27/2015 - Jason M.

“Tom and Nancy were a pleasure towork with. We were shocked at howquickly the whole process hap- pened... from meeting with them, totaking pictures, to selling our houseon the first day of listing, and thenclosing escrow 30 days later. Theywere always quick to respond toquestions and had more than helpful advice for us. Their experience and professionalism was evident in every

interaction we had with them. Wewould not hesitate to use them again,or refer them to family and friends.Thank you, Tom and Nancy!”

01/10/2015 - dena111zillow.com/profile/dena111/

GRAND CENTURION • DETERMINED • HONEST • DEDICATED • DILIGENT


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Claremont LIVING 2015

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