As I said in part 1 of this post, if you liked Kyle’s front yard, you’ll love the backyard. To put it differently, if the front yard was the appetizer, the backyard is the main course and dessert all in one. The metaphor may be wonky, but you’ll get what I mean as you scroll through this post.
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| Through the garden gate |
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| Kyle made this piece of wall art out of slices of rock cut from core samples. I loved it the first time I saw it, and I still do. |
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| In-ground succulents are what most visitors focus on, but there are many (many!) potted plants as well |
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| One way to tame a prickly hechtia |
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| The red leaves of Herbst’s bloodleaf (Irisine herbstii) add a perfect pop of color |
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| Succulents reflected in an old Mexican mirror on the fence |
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| One of about a dozen mounds in the backyard |
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| Fiery Echeveria agavoides ‘Merrill Grim’ attached to a lattice trellis |
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| Fence detail (photo by Kyle Johnson) |
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| View towards the house |
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| Another mound with a chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) as the center piece (already pruned) |
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| The tall flowering aloe is Aloe dawei |
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| Another red Echeveria agavoides paired beautifully with Serbian bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana ‘Blue Waterfall’) |
There isn’t an overwhelming amount of ornamentation in Kyle’s garden, but you’ll find pieces here and there if you look closely:
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| Vintage glass insulator in a metal orb – I’d hang this in my garden |
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| Dinosaur figurines from when Kyle and his wife’s niece and nephew were younger |
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| Kyle would hide them all over the garden for the kids to find |
Back to the plants:
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| Agave utahensis var. nevadensis is not the easiest agave to grow, but you’d never know that looking at this one |
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Echeverias have woken up from their summer slumber and are looking great right now
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| ×Mangave ‘Silver Fox’ |
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| Aloe africana |
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| Aloe africana et al. |
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| Aloeland |
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| ×Mangave ‘Falling Waters’ |
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| View towards the home office shed (photo by Kyle Johnson) |
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| Wider view looking south |
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| Wider view looking towards the house and the patio; Kyle grows some vegetables and herbs in raised beds on the right. The bed to the far right is a flower bed to bring in the pollinators, currently zinnias, dahlias, salvias, and borage. |
The final set of photos was taken on and around the patio:
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| Aloidendron dichotoma, grown for its great trunk patterning and architectural structure, showcased in a tall container |
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| The “retreat” seating area (photo by Kyle Johnson) |
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| Potted Aloe pluridens getting ready to flower |
Kyle’s professional background may be in earth science, but he has the eye of an artist. He instinctively knows what looks good, which plants pair well, and how to arrange things for maximum effect.
Kyle makes it all look effortless, but a garden this multi-layered – and immaculate – doesn’t just
happen. It’s the result of dedication, perseverance, and hard work. Kyle pours his heart and soul into his garden, and visitors respond to that. I witnessed that first-hand last Saturday when Kyle had an open garden for people who’d attended a presentation he had given at the
Public Land Store in Sacramento and for members of the
Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society. I watched folks walk around with big smiles on their faces, clearly excited by what they saw.
Making a garden is a very personal – and often solitary – undertaking. Knowing that what you’ve created for yourself resonates with others is the best feeling a gardener can have.
OTHER POSTS ABOUT KYLE’S GARDEN
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That's one packed back garden! I love it when the artistic touches are subtle, surprising the visitor with something they didn't see coming - it makes a garden special for the visitor as well as the creator. I'm not sure how Kyle manages all those plants - and a job - but I'm impressed.
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