As I was redoing yet another thing in the front yard, I thought it would be interesting to see how the garden has evolved over time. One of the reasons why I started this blog was to be able to make such comparisons, so it was simply a matter of digging out photos from years past.
I thought I had a pretty good idea of how certain areas looked before, but looking at these photos, I realized how my mental image didn’t always line up with reality.
Something else surprised me: In some cases, I like the “before” photos better, mostly because of plants I remember with special fondness. Because of that realization, I may just bring some old favorites back.
➤ West-facing sidewalk bed in front of the house
2017
This view is dominated by the bamboos on the left (Bambusa oldhamii and Bambusa chungii ‘Barbellata’) and the palo verde on the right. This might have been the last year we had ornamental grasses in front of the house – or anywhere.
2024
One of the two bamboos (
Bambusa oldhamii) and the palo verde are gone, as are the ornamental grasses. Like most areas in the front yard, this space is now dominated by succulents as well as Mediterranean and California native shrubs.
➤ Reclaimed area where the giant clumping timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii) had been
2022
For 15 years, a giant clumping timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii) towered over this part of the front yard. Behind it is another clumping bamboo (Bambusa chungii ‘Barbellata’).
In October 2022, we had the giant timber bamboo removed and replanted the reclaimed space with succulents and some shrubs.
2023
Things are looking good, but the Abutilon palmeri to the left of the large Aloe excelsa is starting to take over.
2024
I moved the Palmer’s abutilon, a Southern California and Southwestern native, to the far side of the Jerusalem sage (
Phlomis fruticosa) and planted a
Calliandra ‘Mexicali Rose’ instead. This hybrid between the Baja fairy duster (
Calliandra californica) and the pink fairy duster (
Calliandra eriophylla), was created by
Civano Growers in Tucson and will be a far more polite resident of this spot.
➤ South-facing leg of the sidewalk bed
2020
In 2020, this spot is dominated by an Aloe excelsa, an Aloe marlothii, and a Yucca ‘Bright Star’.
2021
Aloe excelsa and Aloe marlothii started to rot because of an irrigation leak I didn’t notice for a few months. In the photo below, Aloe marlothii is gone already. Aloe excelsa is still there (far left), but it will eventually be moved to Bamboo Hill (see first segment above).
This area looks radically different now. Mostly new plants, many of them still immature.
➤ From Bradford pear to Santa Cruz Island ironwood
2019
The ୧(๑•̀ᗝ•́)૭ Bradford pear you see in the photo below came with the house. Actually, when we bought the house, there were three of them. This one was the last one left, a city tree outside our purview to remove. However, after we reported several instances (true!) of branches breaking off and falling onto the sidewalk where they could potentially injure people walking by, the City of Davis finally removed it.
2021
The day after the Bradford pear was removed, I planted a Santa Cruz Island ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. aspleniifolius), in my opinion one of the most beautiful trees native to California. Here it is, two years after planting.
Five years after planting, the ironwood is looking splendid. I love how vertical it is vs. wide.
➤ “Flagstone throne” along the sidewalk bed
2021
In
October 2021, I created a raised planter from flagstone pieces I had gotten at
Urban Ore Eco Park in Berkeley. The first occupant of what I named the “flagstone throne” was
Agave sebastiana ‘Silver Lining’.
A year later, I replaced
Agave sebastiana ‘Silver Lining’ with
Agave mitis ‘Chocolate Edge’.
2024
Agave mitis ‘Chocolate Edge’ was eventually moved to the Corten planter you see in the segment on the Santa Cruz Island ironwood above. The current resident is a Ferocactus rectispinus with impressive 7-inch spines.
➤ Aloidendron ‘Hercules’ and beyond
Aloidendron ‘Hercules’ was one of the first plants we put in the long leg of the sidewalk bed after we had the pittosporum hedge removed in 2014 (here)
2017
Three years after planting, ‘Hercules’ is taller than the 6 ft. fence.
2023
‘Hercules’ is a good 10 ft. tall.
Our ‘Hercules’ had been a disappointment for years, for the reasons
described in this post, so I took a deep breath and removed it. I replaced ‘Hercules’ with a similar tree aloe (a cross between
Aloidendron ‘Hercules’ and
Aloidendron ramosissimum, so essentially 75%
Aloidendron dichotomum and 25%
Aloidendron ramosissimum) that promises to have the substantial trunk and low branching I had always wanted.
2024
Here we are a year later. The tree aloe is growing slow and steady, and Agave ‘Ripple Express’ is gone (I liked it when it was small, but it turned into an awkward plant as it was growing).
➤ ‘Ruth Bancroft’ manzanita
2017
In 2016, I got a cutting from a manzanita growing at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek (
here). Its exact parentage is unknown since it began life as a volunteer seedling many years ago. It’s renowned for thriving in the Ruth Bancroft Garden’s native clay soil (many manzanitas can’t tolerate heavy soils) and for its beautiful peeling bark.
2024
Here is Arctostaphylos ‘Ruth Bancroft’ seven years later, happy as can be.
➤ Yucca linearifolia in the sidewalk bed
2017
This Yucca linearifolia was planted in 2014 in the long leg of the sidewalk bed previously occupied by the pittosporum hedge (see above). Three years later, it was beginning to assert itself.
2024
Seven years later, Yucca linearifolia is close to 6 ft. tall and looks splendid. Agave gentryi ‘Jaws’ from the photo above is gone, victim of yet another irrigation leak. I replaced it with two aloes, Aloe munchii in the back and Aloe ‘Superman’ (A. cameronii × white-flowering Aloe ferox) in the front. Aloe marlothii × globuligemma to the right is still there, hopefully mature enough to flower soon.
➤ Walkway to the front door
2020
For many years, the front door bed has been dominated by a trio of ponytail palms (Beaucarnea recurvata). I planted them in 2009 from a 2-gallon pot (all three were in the same pot). Considering how Beaucarnea recurvata isn’t exactly cold-hardy, I honestly didn’t expect it to thrive like it has.
2021
2024
Having three ponytail palms that keep pushing each other away as their bases become ever larger wasn’t what I had envisioned, but this is one of those lucky coincidences. Ponytail palms on the left, bamboo on the right: This is one spot in the garden I wouldn’t change.
➤ Bed next to the front door
2013
This is the main side of the bed where the three ponytail palms are. The front door of our house is to the right. In 2013, we have a variegated Agave desmetiana, an Aloe striata, an Agave lophantha ‘Quadricolor’, and a Yucca recurvifolia ‘Margaritaville’.
2017Yucca recurvifolia ‘Margaritaville’ is still there, much bigger now. Instead of Agave desmetiana and other succulents mentioned above, we have Agave cupreata, Agave guadalajarana ‘Leon’, and Agave schidigera.
2019
In November 2019, I redid this bed (here).
2024
Five years on, this bed has had some minor tweaks, but essentially it’s still the same. Notice how much Aloe vaombe (center) has grown.
➤ Succulent mounds in front yard
2017
In early 2016, we converted our front lawn into two succulent mounds (here). This is what they looked like the following summer.
2021
The plants are thriving.
2024
A few agaves bloomed and died, others got too big and were removed. This is what it looks like now.
➤ Cow horn agave and beyond
2022
This cow horn agave (Agave bovicornuta) was large, and armed with sharp teeth along the leaf margins, not to mention long and sharp terminal spines. But with its symmetrical form and apple-green color, it was one of my favorites.
2023
Unfortunately, it started to flower in the fall of 2022 (a terminal event for most agaves) and was removed in 2023. This freed up a surprisingly large area...
...where I planted smaller agaves and flowering cacti (mostly Echinopsis).
2024
None of the plants I chose are speed demons, but a year on, they’ve started to fill in.
➤ Plants that are long gone
One of the lessons any gardener eventually learns is that nothing is forever, not even plants that are meant to be there for the long haul.
2021
Take a look at these plants in the smaller succulent mound in the front yard.
Some died because of winter rot, others I removed because they didn’t fit the space anymore. Of the plants you see in the two photos above, only four are left: ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), Agave × leopoldtii, Agave ‘TBG’, and Hechtia lanata. The plants I particularly miss are Mangave ‘Iron Man’, Mangave ‘Blazing Saddles’, and, above all, Agave ovatifolia ‘Killer’. I’d gladly have any of them growing in my garden again.
I’m an active gardener who isn’t afraid to remove plants when they stop bringing me joy, but it was still a startling surprise to see photographic evidence of how much has changed.
This has been a cool exercise. I’m not sure I necessarily
learned anything actionable, but it was fascinating following the evolution of our garden. Maybe this kind of stocktaking is something we should do periodically.
© Gerhard Bock, 2024. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.
I most enjoy looking at old photos because they’re evidence that things are actually growing and progressing. Without photographic evidence to the contrary I would swear some of my Agave have never changed size, especially the utahensis.
ReplyDeleteMy Agave shawii x isthmensis is in the shade here in Phoenix and is doing well. Not too big and growing slowly. Just what I wanted! Agave gentryi 'Jaws' is the one I lost this summer to 2 years of unrelenting heat. It rotted in the center as so many plants do, like my Aloe 'Hercules'. Your gardens are beautiful, Gerhard!
ReplyDeleteThis was really interesting, I took a lot of time to compare before and afters. I especially love to see the growth on the guys that stuck around. I love the Santa Cruz Island Ironwood, such an upgrade from the pear. I especially love the walkway with the bamboo to one side, pony tail trio on the other. So many changes, I need to do a review myself. Now I'm off to read your post about removing the lawn and adding succulent beds, wouldn't it be great if we had timelapse video of our "big makeovers"?!
ReplyDeleteHa! I've had that experience too upon occasion when I've put together historical reviews of one area or another. I've found that I like a lot of my changes at a particular point in time but then some slip into a less satisfactory status down the road - constant change is impossible to avoid it seems. I've never tackled a review of the entire garden all at once as I'd probably have apoplexy so kudos on yours! I can't believe it's already been 5 years since you've taken out the Bradford pear you so hated. I'm glad you still love your Ironwood.
ReplyDelete