DIY succulent garden (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

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 great stories; and a high-style, front-yard tapestry complete with a dry creek bed.

Free items from Craigslist

"While I was doing this, I'd check Craigslist several times a day," Carol says. "I love saving money." Freebies include boulders, crushed rock and pebble topdressings, and decorative accessories. Husband Patrick helped with irrigation and electrical installation, and hauling heavy items.

Laura Eubanks' influence

To get ideas, learn techniques, and better understand succulents and their care, Carol consulted my book Designing with Succulents and watched YouTube videos by landscape designer Laura Eubanks of Design for Serenity. Laura's known for using mounded soil, boulders, swaths of rocks, colorful succulents, and dramatic statement plants. She suggested I visit Carol and see her "DIY dream come true."

When I visited, Carol had finished her front yard, a two-month project. She had grown nearly all the succulents herself from cuttings.

How much she saved

Based on bids from landscapers, Carol saved over $200K by doing both gardens herself. Plus she enjoyed tracking down bargains and the creativity of designing and planting the areas.

Carol on the garden's treasure chest

"I had been thinking of adding a treasure chest for a year or two and almost added a large one since there are many free chests on Craigslist. Then I found this small one on Etsy and thought I’d try it, but I wasn’t sure what to put in it.

Treasure chest of keepsake jewelry

"I was going through my Mom’s jewelry and a lightbulb went off. I could fill it with costume jewelry that I have from people that have passed away (my Mom, Patrick’s Mom, and a few friends).

So every day when I’m out in the garden, I pass by this chest and think about people who added so much joy to my life."

Carol on discouraging critters

"I have two barking dog sensors from Ranxinyuan on Amazon. One is about 3 years old; the other is 1-1/2 years old, and both are still working.

"I used them in the front yard to keep the sweet neighborhood cats out while the fresh dirt was exposed. Now I just use them in the back.

Havahart Trap

The humane trap is by Havahart that I got on Amazon three years ago. Works great."

Carol on her garden lighting

"I would not have even thought about lighting if it hadn’t been for Laura Eubanks' videos, where she says it’s like having a second garden.

"Patrick and I still can’t believe how much joy the lighting brings us.

Low voltage landscape lights

"We used 5W low voltage LED Landscape lights from Eleglo. We had talked to people who bought expensive ones that started breaking in 1-2 years. So we went with the moderately inexpensive ones (which was counterintuitive).

"We’ve used 22 lights so far. The ones in the back are 4 years old and we haven’t had a single problem.

(Above links are affiliate.)

Carol on irrigation

"I got irrigation lines from Home Depot or Site One. I bury both types of line, half-inch and quarter-inch. I use the quarter-inch with emitters every 6 inches. I'm amazed that only one emitter has failed in more than 4 years.

Drip tubing, 1/2-inch

"Of course I've cut them with a trowel or shovel, and twice ponytail palms have grown so big and put so much pressure on the lines that they have popped out. Even so, I'm very pleased."

More helpful links

Landscape designer Laura Eubanks of Design for Serenity on YouTube.

Short video several years earlier by Laura Eubanks of Carol's undersea garden (before Carol did the front yard) to help promote Clairemont Garden Tour.

Laura Eubanks' team shows irrigation installation tips, YouTube video.

Laura Eubanks' Day One of a succulent front yard installation, YouTube video.

Vista Succulent Nursery

Waterwise Botanicals Nursery

Oasis Water Efficient Gardens

Great Soil

Gallery of Carol's top performers

Aeonium 'Kiwi' and tradescantia

Aloe cameronii

Beaucarnea recurvata

Euphorbia flanaganii

Mammillaria elongata crest

Senecio anteuphorbium

Senecio mandraliscae

Aeonium 'Velour'

Aloe cameronii

Bulbine frutescens

Euphorbia leucadendron

Mangave 'Jaguar'

Senecio vitalis crest

Plant looks like green peas on a string Senecio rowleyanus (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Senecio rowleyanus (String of Pearls)

Agave desmettiana variegata

Aloe vera and tradescantia

Blue succulent rosettes flowing out of an overturned pot (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Echeveria 'Azulita'?

Graptopetalum paraguayense

Mangave 'Kaleidoscope'

Senecio 'Skyscraper'

Senecio scaposus 'Silver Coral'

Aloe 'Blue Elf' in bloom

Austrocylindropuntia subulata, crested Eve's needle

Echeveria sp.

Graptoveria and purple tradescantia (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Graptoveria and tradescantia

Othonna capensis

Senecio kleiniformis

Senecio serpens

Related Info on this Site

Large succulent garden of rescued plants (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Jodi’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…

Enjoyed this article? Please share it!

Hannah Eubanks succulent reef garden (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Hannah’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.

Enjoyed this article? Please share it!

Posted in Landscapes & Gardens and tagged DIY landscaping

2 Comments

Elly on April 19, 2025 at 12:43 pm

Wow! I would never go inside if this was my garden! Carol has a fabulous eye for design; if she wasn’t retired, she could easily have a second career designing succulent gardens. Thanks for this wonderful video Debra, and to Carol for giving us a tour – your garden is so inspiring

- Debra on April 28, 2025 at 12:24 pm
  
  Hi Elly — I agree. Carol has a designer’s ability to combine things so they look perfect together. I’ve been privileged to interview numerous interior and exterior (landscape) designers, and most don’t realize what a gift it is to do it without a lot of thought. Design is something anyone can learn, like any “talent,” but some people’s brains just have the ability to do it without plans, schematics, programs or angst!