Tarzana estate showcases a green thumb-to-the-stars

A blanket of lush landscaping and outdoor amenities surrounds this Spanish-style home, which has come on the market in a gated Tarzana community for $2.399 million.

The park-like setting was designed by landscape architect Willem van Muyden, who spent more than a decade working for Elizabeth Taylor. Van Muyden created the jungle-esque grounds — complete with terraced gardens, trails and a waterfall — for Taylor’s former estate in Bel-Air. Steven Spielberg is among his other clients.

The Tarzana home, set on slightly more than half an acre, features multiple loggias, stone patios, a putting green and an outdoor fireplace with a copper hood. A lazy river snakes around the rear of the home, ending at a circular spa.

Blooming vines cover an artistic trellis, which tops a small bridge leading to an alfresco dining area and built-in barbecue.

Inside, the 5,500-square-foot home holds a living room with a wet bar, a wine room, five bedrooms and 4.75 bathrooms. The chef’s kitchen features a ceramic vegetable sink and a limestone-topped island.

There’s also a separate guest house.

The property last sold more than 16 years ago for $1.8 million, real estate records show.

Scott Nell of Keller Williams Realty holds the listing.

The business partnership between Van Muyden and Taylor came to an unceremonious end in 2002, when the landscape architect filed a lawsuit against the actress accusing her of firing him after he refused sexual advances from Taylor’s butler, Jean-Luc Lacquement.

In the lawsuit, Van Muyden sought to recoup nearly $300,000 he was owed for a decade of gardening work. Taylor settled the lawsuit in 2004; no terms were released.

neal.leitereg@latimes.com | Twitter: @LATHotProperty