Fall Garden Design: Sean Knibb's modern meadows and outdoor seating

The first time I visited landscape designer Sean Knibb's office on Abbot Kinney in Venice, I noticed a stack of hay bales in his back garden. I figured it was his version of mulch. Wrong. 

"I use them as benches," Knibb said of the biodegradable bundles. 

He wasn't kidding. On a recent visit, he'd taken the concept one step further, creating slipcovers for the hay bales. Presumably, the damask-topped one he is sitting on in this photo is for Mediterranean homes and the colorful stripes, right, that would suit a modern environment. 

In addition to this humorous seating solution, Knibb took me on a tour of his recent work: gardens that mix together grasses, flowers and herbs to create a modern urban meadow. Stop and stroll through the photo gallery.

-- David A. Keeps

Photos: Ann Johannson / For The Times