I had an open garden yesterday

I had an open garden yesterday for the Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society (SCSS) and my volunteer group at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery . I’d put in a lot of effort to make things look nice — tidying up, weeding, filling in holes with new plants, adding top dressing, even getting more rocks. I won’t lie, it was a good amount of work, but in the end, it was worth it. My previous open gardens had all been in the morning, but this time I decided to do it from 1 to 5pm because the afternoon light is so beautiful at this time of year. The weather couldn’t have been better: bright and sunny, with a high of 81°F at 4pm. I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect day. The turnout was great. I didn’t keep track of how many people came, but there was a steady stream of visitors. My friends Michele and Kyle, who know my garden well, were on hand to help answer questions. Several people mentioned how seeing my garden had given them ideas for their own. Hearing that made me happy. I...