Max and Justin's “voluptuous paradise”

I first visited Max and Justin’s extraordinary garden in Oakland in October 2020. Then almost five years went by until my next visit in March 2025 when Loree danger garden Bohl was here for a long weekend. And last Saturday, less than six months later, I had the opportunity for a third visit. It goes without saying that the differences between March and October weren’t as dramatic as between 2020 and 2025. But no garden is static, and when the gardeners are as active as Max and Justin are, change happens at a steady pace.

Max (left) and Justin, October 25, 2025

I’ve posted this Google Street View image from December 2016 before, but it’s so mind-boggling that I want to show it to you again:

Google Street View image from December 2016

Above is what the property looked like when Max and Justin bought it in the spring of 2017. Much of the neighborhood still looks like that today.

I took the next photo from almost the same spot. The front yard, completely bare before, is now a lush jungle, completely obscuring the neighbor’s house and all but hiding Max and Justin’s:

October 25, 2025

The property isn’t large, 4200 sq.ft., with the front and backyard maybe 1400 sq.ft. each. The climate in Oakland is so mild (USDA zone 10a, Sunset zone 17) that Max and Justin can grow just about anything they want. As a plant buyer for a landscape construction company, Max has access to a wide range of plant material. Beyond that, he and his husband Justin are plugged into the Bay Area horticultural community where plants are freely shared, including rare and unusual ones.

However, with such an embarrassment of riches comes the agony of choice: given how small their garden is, every square inch counts and each plant has to earn its keep. In less capable hands, having such an extensive and varied plant palette at your disposal could be a recipe for disaster: a garden that is cluttered, confused, and chaotic.

Not so here. Max and Justin have a natural talent for selecting and combining plants that look like they belong together. That is not easy to do, considering their wide-ranging mix of plants from around the world — everything from succulents and bromeliads to tropicals and ferns.

The anchor plants, including acacias and eucalyptus as well as two spectacular Aloidendron ‘Hercules’, have silvery blue foliage and form a calming backdrop for the lusty pops of yellow, orange, red, and purple throughout the garden. While there are some flowering plants, especially in the back, Max and Justin favor foliage and texture. Flowers are ephemeral, leaves are forever.

Like Kipp McMichael’s succulent moundscape in Berkeley, Max and Justin’s garden is featured in the recently published book Designing the Lush Dry Garden by Cricket Riley, Alice Kitajima, and Kier Holmes. Max and Justin’s garden is described as a “voluptuous paradise” in a “garden-less neighborhood” and a “beacon of horticultural hope” in a “concrete jungle.” When you see the photos below, you’ll understand what that means.

The green carpet spilling over the retaining wall is Casuarina glauca ‘Cousin It’

This chunk of petrified wood is one of many remarkable rocks throughout the garden. That’s no accident: Justin is an avid rockhound and is always on the lookout for cool pieces.

The guys are friends with Berkeley ceramicist Marcia Donahue, and many of her pieces have found a home in their garden

It’s all about the foliage, whether it’s agaves...

...palms...

...or unusual trees like Cussonia paniculata above

Pops of red and purple (Alcantarea imperialis in the middle, Mangave ‘Lavender Lady’ on the bottom right)

Brahea ‘Super Silver’ and a highly variegated Agave attenuata

Agave attenuata surrounded by ammonites — who has that???

Container plants on the front stoop

The narrow strip on the north side of the house is a hidden garden visible only from the neighbor’s driveway. It’s tiny, but it’s filled with a wondrous collection of exotic plants:

Black tree fern (Sphaeropteris medullaris), a striking plant I can only dream of growing

Vriesea ‘Nova’ underneath a Brugmansia in full flower

Kyle hadn’t been to Max and Justin’s garden before and was on cloud nine

Marcia Donahue’s ceramic art blends in perfectly

The back garden is Max and Justin’s private sanctuary where they spend most of their time. It’s the purest expression of their gardening style: eclectic, exuberant, and cramscaped to the max. Kyle and I were walking around with a smile on our faces the entire time we were there. A garden that radiates this much joy is a rare thing.

In what used to be a long driveway, everything from cacti to staghorn ferns

And in spite of all the plants and planters, there’s room for humans to sit

Cuphea planted in a galvanized trash can, that’s inspired

My initial inclination was to ask Max and Justin to ID all the plants for me...

...but that’s not the point in a garden like this

Even a few water features

Agave attenuata poking out from yet another palm. I can’t believe how many palms Max and Justin have managed to squeeze in.

Entering the main section of the back garden

The three shelf fungi on the post are ceramic pieces by Marcia Donahue

Another place to sit

Eucalyptus caesia

Bromeliads grown to perfection, plus Agave vilmoriniana ‘Stained Glass’ on the right

Bromeliads, Agave vilmoriniana ‘Stained Glass’, and Colocasia ‘Pharaoh’s Mask’

Colocasia ‘Pharaoh’s Mask’, Furcraea macdougallii, and miscellaneous bromeliads and succulents

The blue wall (a color called Tanzanite) is the perfect backdrop for the potted plants

Aloe speciosa in a metal barrel

Tillandsias on the branches of an Operculicarya decaryi, with a variegated Euphorbia ammak on the right

One final look at the blue wall

The far corner is as wild as you can get in a small urban garden

As you’ve seen in these photos, there’s nothing minimalist about Max and Justin’s garden. Quite the opposite. It’s the very definition of maximalism, showcasing a mastery of form and style on a small urban lot. Every available space is used, from the ground level on up, creating an immersive, layered experience with plants of different heights and textures growing in harmonious proximity.

RELATED POSTS

My posts:

• Max and Justin’s wonderland in Oakland (April 8, 2025)
• Justin’s and Max’s Oakland garden: the front (October 31, 2020)
• Justin’s and Max’s Oakland garden: the back (November 2, 2020)

Loree’s posts on danger garden:

• Max and Justin’s Oakland garden, the front half (April 16, 2025)
• Max and Justin’s Oakland garden, the back half (April 18, 2025)

Be sure to follow Justin on Instagram (@microbotanica). He’s a gifted photographer and frequently posts photos from their garden.

© Gerhard Bock, 2025. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.