The recent Cactus & Succulent Society of America Convention in San Diego featured a day of field trips. Participants could choose from three different itineraries; I picked the one that included the garden of Jodi Visosky. I’ve been following Jodi on Facebook for a while, and after seeing Debra Lee Baldwin’s video, I couldn’t wait to see her garden in person. I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed. On the contrary, the views from the hilltop location were even more spectacular than I’d expected.
Jodi and her husband John live in Spring Valley, a small town east of San Diego in the foothills of Mt. San Miguel. Their rural property is 2¾ acres in size; about an acre of it is landscaped. The Visoskys have lived here for 20 years, and when you see the hundreds of mature cacti and columnar euphorbias, you’d think they were planted many years ago. Not so. Most of them have been here for less than five years.
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How did the Visoskys end up with so many large specimens? The answer is simple: They rehome succulents other homeowners no longer want. Some came to Jodi through the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society, but she also scours Craigslist for new plants. She estimates that 75% of her plants are from rescues or swaps. Over time, she has developed a bit of a reputation in the area as the “crazy cactus lady,” and now she gets approached by people who have plants to give away. Her husband John is the “enabler,” as he says. He’s happy to be the muscle and help move the plants, which are often very heavy. Having a truck and machinery to haul and dig is a big plus.
And the circle is closing: Now that her own plants are so large that they need cutting back or thinning out, Jodi has started to give away cuttings herself. Maybe one of the recipients will be the next Jodi!
In addition to rescued cacti and succulents, Jodi has planted a variety of shrubs from Australia and South Africa, including bottle brushes (Callistemon), spider flowers (Grevillea), conebushes (Leucadendron), and pincushions (Leucospermum). Next to mangaves, proteas are Jodi’s favorite group of plants. Many of them were in full bloom when we visited, and their colorful flowers could be seen from just about any vantage point on the property.
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| Jodi and John also collect old farm tools: many of them have become a permanent part of the garden |
And finally there are rocks – quite a few rocks. Jodi’s motto is “If I can lift it, I can have it.” She not only collects rocks wherever she can, she also rehomes unwanted rocks, just like does with unwanted plants.
The climate is pretty much perfect: In the 20 years the Visoskys have lived here, temperatures haven’t dipped below the high 30s. If this makes you envious, you’re not alone.
In case you were wondering about irrigation. Except for a couple of areas next to the house, there’s no automated system. All the irrigation is done by Jodi and John hauling two-gallon watering cans all over the garden. “I truly do not water any succulents after a few months in the ground,“ Jodi says, “unless we are due for a heat spell.”
All throughout the garden, there’s a thick layer of wood chips. It prevents the soil from drying out too quickly and controls weeds. “We use tons of mulch,”
Jodi explains. “We get truckloads of it from either the Miramar landfill or from ChipDrop. We initially spread it over 6 inches deep. It has been a game changer.”
In Debra Lee Baldwin’s video, Jodi says “I have not met a golden barrel that I didn’t love so I probably have 50 to 60.” Here are just a few of them:
Jodi is also partial to agaves and mangaves. Many beautiful specimens are planted out in the garden:
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| Agave kerchovei ‘Huajapan Red’ – I love the painted rock serving as a plant tag |
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| Agave titanota |
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| Agave ‘Blue Flame’ |
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| Agave americana with striated variegation; a beautiful Leucadendron discolor behind it |
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| Agave desmetiana ‘Silver Peso’ |
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| ×Mangave ‘Crazy Cowlick’ |
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| ×Mangave ‘Mission to Mars’ raised up between rocks, one of the best-looking specimens I’ve ever seen |
As I mentioned earlier, Jodi has planted dozens of proteas. Many were in full bloom, as you can see in the photos below.
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| Leucospermum hybrid |
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| Leucospermum (yellow) and Grevillea ‘Kings Fire’ (red) |
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| Leucospermum flower |
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| Blooming aloes, too. Agave guiengola ‘Moto Sierra’ on the right. |
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| Leucadendron ‘Jester’ and Agave weberi ‘Arizona Star’ |
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| Isopogon formosus, a rarely seen Proteaceae from Western Australia |
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| Isopogon formosus |
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| Isopogon formosus |
Finally some photos taken on the driveway side of the house. For orientation, the photos above were taken on the other side.
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| I spy another golden barrel! |
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| Different kinds of barrels |
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| I believe the neon pink flowers are Callistemon viminalis ‘Bottle Pop’ |
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| I’ve seen a lot of rusted objects, both in Jodi’s garden and elsewhere, but I’ve never seen a rusted radiator serving as a plant stand |
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| Jodi also does mosaic work |
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| Here are two examples |
Jodi doesn’t have a greenhouse per, but she does have a 10×20 ft. shade building. It used to be a chicken coop.
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| The shade house is home to smaller potted cacti and succulents |
As I mentioned earlier, mangaves are at the top of Jodi’s list of favorite plants. She has most, if not all, of the mangaves
released by Walters Gardens. In addition, she’s trialing a number of new mangaves that aren’t publicly available yet. Below are some of them.
Note: In many of these photos you see wire cages around the plants. They prevent rabbits from munching on them. Rabbits are the Visoskys’ biggest problem in the garden.
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| ×Mangave ‘Life on Mars’, a sport of ‘Mission to Mars’ (scroll up a bit to see a photo of Jodi’s specimen) |
Do watch
Debra Lee Baldwin’s 18-minute video of Jodi’s garden if you have the chance. Jodi and John talk about how it all started and how they got to where they are today. The video also shows photos of what the property looked like originally, just as Jodi was starting the garden. The difference between then and now is mind-blowing. Debra Lee Baldwin also has a Q&A with Jodi on her
website.
MORE ON JODI’S GARDEN
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I do hope you plan to write a book on your adventures in succulent gardens one day, Gerhard! Based on this visit, I'm looking forward to more Mangaves in my garden one day.
ReplyDeleteI may write a book yet. Never say no :-)
DeleteP.S. Every garden needs more rocks and more agaves (incl. mangaves)!
What a fun visit, I can see why you picked this field trip -and wonder what the other choices were ;). it's amazing this is put together from mostly discarded plants. Gorgeous views, so grateful you share these trips with us!
ReplyDelete