Succulents and More™

The title of this post sounds dramatic. It’s because something major is about to happen: We’re going to have new siding installed, starting next week. What’s the big deal, you may think. Well, just like having your house painted, the project requires that you move everything, and I mean everything , away from the house. Plants, of course, but also rocks and soil. If you’re like me and you have garden beds that butt up right against the house, that does mean upheaval. The project will kick off this coming Monday. I’ve been stressing out about it — who wouldn’t! — but every time I do, I take a deep breath and look to the garden to bring my blood pressure down. Most people who visit come in the morning or early afternoon, but the front yard really is at its best in the early evening. Take a look: View from the front porch Where do your eyes go? Mine go here: Calliandra ‘Sierra Starr’, a hybrid between the Baja fairy duster ( Calliandra californica ) and the California native fairy duster...

Last September I introduced you to the Wichmann family ( click here to read my post). They have created a dry garden in front of their mid-century modern house in Carmichael, a suburb of Sacramento. My frequent partner-in-crime Kyle and I recently caught up with the Wichmanns to see how their garden has evolved over the last year. The Wichmanns in their driveway, with a small strip of their dry garden on the left I love the curbside house number reflecting their home’s Streng Bros. heritage This post actually has photos from two different visits. The first set is from early June when the two ‘Desert Museum’ palo verdes in the front garden were in glorious bloom: A carpet of fallen petals under one of the palo verdes. So pretty. If you want a non-messy tree, ‘Desert Museum’ might not be the right choice for you. Actually, if you want no debris at all, you’re better off not planting any kind of tree. The second set of photos was taken in mid-July. The palo verdes were done with their f...