Sandy Kennedy, 64; Landscaper Restored Getty House Garden

Sandy Kennedy, a landscape designer who restored gardens at several historic homes, including the Getty House, the official residence of the Los Angeles mayor, has died. She was 64.

Kennedy died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of complications from a bacterial infection, according to her partner, Linda Lack.

A native of Los Angeles, Kennedy studied horticulture and landscape design at Pierce College, Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA, and became a licensed landscape contractor.

She restored the garden and grounds at Getty House in 1995, during Mayor Richard Riordan’s administration. The original garden was an Edwardian revival design by A. E. Hanson in 1928. After researching Hanson’s original design, Kennedy restored a flagstone walkway that had been removed over time and rebuilt a pergola with jasmine and wisteria planted around it.

More recently, Kennedy designed a garden for a newly restored house by architect Richard Neutra that was built in Pacific Palisades in 1953. Among other details, she restored a reflecting pond near the front entrance to the house.

As a resident of the Windsor Square area near the Larchmont shopping district in Los Angeles, Kennedy took an active volunteer role in several extensive tree planting projects. For the Windsor Square Tree Committee, she developed a master plan that allowed for new trees to be planted on streets in the area, according to Norman Murdoch, chairman of the committee at the time.

Along with her landscape design business in Los Angeles, Kennedy owned the Outdoor Room, a nursery in Pacific Palisades. According to Lack, Kennedy created gardens for a number of Hollywood clients, including Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks, as well as prominent members of the arts community, including Zubin Mehta, former music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Hollywood Hills.

Contributions in her memory can be made to Robinson Garden, 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, or the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, 1625 N. Schrader Blvd., 4th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90028.