Landscapes & Gardens
Carol’s Cuttings and Craigslist Garden
Scroll down to see a gallery of Carol’s best-performing succulents, all ID’d. What Carol Kent has achieved on her quarter-acre lot shows what a homeowner can accomplish with a can-do attitude, a love of gardening, and minimal cost. A former boat captain, Carol created two distinctive succulent gardens: a sea-themed backyard with gorgeous plants and…
Read MoreJodi’s Grand Garden of Rescued Succulents
Jodi and John Visosky’s garden in Spring Valley, CA, showcases thousands of mature succulents on nearly an acre. Although the landscaping looks decades old, the large plants have been there fewer than five years. How’s that possible? The couple rescue and re-home cacti and succulents that are up for grabs. Most had become too big…
Read MoreSee an Award-Winning Waterwise Garden
This lovely La Costa, CA garden owned by Melanie and Bob Buck won their local water district’s WaterSmart Landscape Contest. It’s held annually by agencies throughout San Diego County to showcase attractive, water-efficient landscapes. My new video celebrates the Bucks’ street-side and courtyard gardens. Each has a colorful, easy-care mix of succulents and tropicals, and…
Read MoreSee a 60-Year-Old Succulent Garden
Come along with me on a tour of a marvelous, 60-year-old succulent garden in San Marcos, CA. Our host is Kevin Smith, a Palomar Cactus & Succulent Society (PCSS) member and the garden’s caretaker for the past 7 years. “It’s filled thousands of plants and hundreds and hundreds of species,” Kevin says, adding that the…
Read MoreSee a Landscaper’s 45-Degree Succulent Slope
When I learned that a member of my Cactus & Succulent Society chapter was a landscape contractor, I was keen to meet him and see his garden–especially when I found out his home’s for sale (time’s a-wastin’). Interested? Here’s the listing. Bernie Mases and wife Linda graciously welcomed my spur-of-the-moment visit. I quickly realized it…
Read More20 Tough Succulents for Streetside Gardens
Photos show the garden six weeks after installation. A list of plant names is at the end. In a streetside garden near a busy intersection, utilitarian items are inevitable, but with a little ingenuity, they needn’t be eyesores. A succulent-scape that Hannah Eubanks of Design for Serenity created for Grangetto’s Farm and Garden Supply solves multiple…
Read MoreTo Tree or Not to Tree? Ask Your Succulents
Do consider the need for shade when installing a succulent garden, especially if you—like me—live in a hot, dry region of the Southwest where winter frost is also a concern. Tree canopies moderate temperature extremes and create the dappled sunshine succulents love. Dappled shade enhances my garden’s succulent sitting area Of course, not all succulents…
Read MoreGreat Plants and Ideas from Arizona Gardens
These plants and ideas inspired by the annual spring Phoenix Garden Tour will work throughout the Southwest. What grows effortlessly in Arizona typically does well in dry, hot areas of Southern California—except of course for
Read MoreGap Fillers for New Succulent Gardens
A subscriber asks: “What should I do to fill garden gaps while waiting for succulents to get big? I’ve put in a variety and left room for future growth. How can I make my new garden look finished?” I have several ideas, but first…
Read MoreDesign Ideas from an Arizona Artist’s Garden
Wait ’til you see these desert garden design ideas at Arizona artist Janet’s Orr’s home! Her whimsical outdoor gallery shows her eye for design, skill as a ceramic artist, love of color, and superb succulent savvy.
Read MoreSucculent Driveway Essentials
The succulent driveway essentials I’ve compiled here illustrate low-water, easy-maintenance options for driveway plantings throughout the Southwest. Loaded with ideas, you’ll find these tips, must-know’s, and 75-photo Gallery certain to inspire you.
Read MoreHannah’s Stunning Succulent Reef
Hannah Eubanks, 24, shows us a stunning succulent reef garden she created for a client in Vista, CA. The youngest of three daughters of celebrity landscaper Laura Eubanks, Hannah expedited the project start-to-finish. “My mom was totally hand’s-off,” she says proudly.
Read More