Southern California’s mild climate creates an opportunity to go wild with plant color, texture and shape. All manner of subtropical plants from arid climates jump onto the plant palette, and more are introduced every year. This garden has one zone adjacent to the main living area that receives moderate irrigation; the rest of the garden is planted with plants requiring very little water, a mix of California native plants, Mediterranean shrubs, succulents and cacti. The main ground cover is a succulent, the cacti are used as accents and for flowers, the natives are trees, perennials, shrubs and ground covers, and plants from Mediterranean climates bring mass and color.
The garden’s theme is artistic/eclectic, with vibrant tropical colors and bold plant forms. Sculptures get thrown into the mix, enhancing the artistic theme.
To keep everything together, we try to have one major focal point per view or space – there are typically secondary focal points, but only one can be dominant. Mass plantings and repeated themes keep the design coherent, and variations on a theme – such as echeverrias – keep things from going flat.
There’s a lot of Ghost Plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense – actually from Mexico) used as a ground cover, sometimes mixed with trailing gray-blue Senecio for a form change and Tradescantia pallida for color contrast.
These photos are from a June stroll around the garden. Some of the plants are still small and will only get better as they develop.
