GABRIELA YARIV

/ BIOGRAPHY

Ms. Yariv’s very first word was “flowie” (which translates to flower).  Who would have known that this first utterance would have marked the beginning of a lifetime devoted to gardens?  Ms. Yariv was raised a few blocks away from the famous Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California and volunteered extensively throughout high school in the Shakespeare Herb garden, Australian garden and Cactus garden.  At this time, Ms. Yariv was also exposed to many of the worlds’ great gardens and architectural monuments during her extensive travels to Europe, Scandinavia, Egypt, Africa and Russia. 

Gabriela Yariv is a graduate of Cornell University’s program in Landscape Architecture.  Summers were spent back home in San Marino, where she interned at the Descanso Botanical Garden in La Canada, California.  Her main duty there was to rehabilitate the “California Garden” which was originally designed by the famed native plantsman and horticulturist, Theodore Payne.  This Xeriscape garden was conceived to showcase native California flora, while demonstrating to the public the beauty of inherently low water, indigenous plants. 

In 1996, Ms. Yariv began work at Walt Disney Imagineering, where she worked on Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park in Florida.  Her duties there were as junior designer where she was charged with researching and compiling images of Rajasthani gardens and ruins, which served as direct inspiration for parts of this park.  Other duties were AutoCAD drafting and production of illustrative sketches and design development packages. 

In 1999, Ms. Yariv decided to broaden her range of experience and accepted a position with Mia Lehrer and Associates.  At the then fledgling firm, she received much exposure to a wide variety of exciting projects, such as the Avalon Hotel, Union Station Master Plan, Silverlake Reservoir Master Plan, and the EPA headquarters.  Ms. Yariv was in charge of producing much of the illustrative presentation drawings for these projects, in addition to attending community meetings and handling much of the drafting.  The years at MLA provided Ms. Yariv with invaluable exposure to some of California’s greatest residential and corporate projects.

/ FIRM PROFILE

Gabriela Yariv Landscape Design is a full service landscape design firm located in Venice, California.

We strive to create environmentally sensitive landscapes, while meeting the challenges of each site’s unique characteristics and architectural style.   In Southern California, gardens are used year-round, and therefore must not only be beautiful, but serve as functional outdoor living spaces.  GYLD views gardens as natural extensions of the home, and we sculpt each space around the clients personalized wish-list.  Clients are encouraged to share their own inspirational imagery and this type of collaborative process has fostered the long-lasting client relationships that Ms. Yariv has sustained over the years.

A commitment to the environment is also paramount to GYLD, and clients are offered the option of a “green” garden.   Low water plants, permeable paving, drip irrigation and the incorporation of recycled or renewable products are all options that Ms. Yariv offers for a truly guilt-free garden experience.