This is the continuation of yesterday’s post. Most of the photos below are along the sidewalk bed in front of the house.
A reader asked for a wider view of our house. Here are two panoramas that give you a better idea of how our house is situated in relation to our neighbors:
As you can see, we’re on the corner, which is why the L-shaped sidewalk bed is so long. Our house does stand out because no other neighbor has landscaping quite as involved.
Continuing with our walkabout at the northwestern end of the sidewalk bed (right below the bamboo on the left in the photo above):
 |
| A year ago, this section had one golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii). Now there are six, with another one in a pot off to the left. Like rocks, you simply can’t have too many golden barrels. |
 |
| The Baja fairy duster hybrid inside the fence (Calliandra ‘Sierra Starr’) has been blooming all year. I can’t express how much I love it. In front of it, outside the fence, from left to right: ‘Ian Bush’ manzanita (Arctostaphylos ‘Ian Bush’ from Las Pilitas), pearl bluebush (Maireana sedifolia), and ‘Scarlet Sprite’ grevillea (Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Scarlet Sprite’). |
 |
| Agave sebastiana ‘Silver Lining’ and an ever-blooming coppery iceplant (Malephora crocea) |
 |
| Leucadendron ‘Ebony’, Aloe ‘Yemeni Gold’ (an A. sabaea hybrid found at Aloes in Wonderland), and a Nick Deinhart mangave (Agave titanota × Mangave ‘Bloodspot’) |
 |
| The newish aloe garden that came to be after we moved the fence two feet closer to the house (see this post) |
 |
| Same |
 |
| Another Mangave ‘Pineapple Punch’ getting ready to flower (the other one is inside the fence; see part 1) |
 |
| The southeastern end of the sidewalk bed. Our neighbor’s driveway is to the right of the mailboxes. |
Fall planting time isn’t far away. I got a head start with a few recent purchases:
 |
| It’s hard to see, but this Salvia reptans ‘Blue Willow’ (a selection of the West Texas sage) is going to be very pretty. Aloe ‘Birds and Bees’ on the right. |
 |
| Salvia ‘Blue Note’ from the UC Davis Arboretum plant sale next to Agave shawii × isthmensis (a Jeremy Spath hybrid) |
 |
| Recently purchased Agave colorata (top left) next to an Agave parryi var. truncata, with a dogweed (Thymophylla pentachaeta) at the bottom right |
 |
| I haven’t had the best of luck with sempervivums, but when I saw this one in the UC Davis Arboretum plant sale inventory, I decided to try again (Sempervivum ciliosum ‘Borisii’) |
 |
| Agave ‘True Beauty’ (A. ‘Boutin Blue’ × titanota, a Jeremy Spath hybrid now in tissue culture). It’ll get to 3×3 ft. at least so I’m leaving some room. |
A few more random snaps:
 |
| This Aloe helenae rotted in the center last winter. I was able to stop the rot with hydrogen peroxide. Now there are 20+ heads instead of one! I’ve decided to keep them all for a while longer to see what happens. But eventually, I’ll have to remove all but one or two (or maybe three). |
 |
| Boophone disticha, a South African bulb, in a 5-gallon nursery can set inside an Air-Pot (or rather a generic knock-off) |
 |
| Air-Pots are plastic pots with a perforated sidewall designed to improve the root system through air pruning, preventing root circling and promoting a more dense, fibrous root structure. I use them as decorative overpots. I think they have quite a contemporary look. |
 |
| Even though these red thingies look like flowers, they’re actually the fruits (ping pong ball cactus, Epithelantha micromeris) |
I can't believe tomorrow is October 1st already! Before we know it, winter will be upon us, and I'll be complaining about the cold and fretting over my tender plants.
© Gerhard Bock, 2025. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.
Absolutely beautiful! May I ask: how tall is your Echinopsis ‘Tondelayo’? I have a tiny offset and I’m hoping it might flower in the next year.
ReplyDelete-Michael
It's 6" tall by 4.5" wide. It grew quite quickly from a small offset.
DeleteWhile the house is noticeable for its intensive landscaping, it’s a pleasant, colorful addition to an already leafy street. I think it blends well. The gated house across the way had me wondering if another fabulous garden is hidden behind its walls (though I’m doubting). Thanks for the pan views!
ReplyDeleteThe house across the street is owned by a family with young kids. Gardening isn't one of their priorities at the moment, but the potential is there.
DeleteComing around the corner and seeing your loooong planting bed, it feels like music should start booming! I noticed that Maireana sedifolia when I was there, I need that. So silvery, it's really a standout. I do wonder what your crazy Aloe Helenae is going to do! Have you ever had to remove a plant from an airpot? Gorgeous blooms!
ReplyDeleteI got my Maireana sedifolia from a UC Davis Arboretum plant sale. I'll try to find out if they'll have more.
DeleteAir-Pot: I haven't actually ever planted anything in an Air-Pot. I'm just using them as "cachepots."
I have Epithelantha micromeris in a pot. One before died and now the one I have is struggling. How much sun does yours in the ground get? Maybe I should try to plant it out in the garden.
ReplyDeleteI had mine in a pot until this summer when I decided to put them in the ground (well, not exactly in the ground, in a large Corten planter, but from the cacti's point of view, it's the same). This spot gets a few hours of direct sun in the middle of the day, full shade in the late afternoon. In Phoenix, all day bright shade would probably be the best.
DeleteThank you so much. It is not looking good in the pot, and the roots have all but disappeared. I don't understand why this happens. It was the same with my first one. I either watered too much or not enough. Ugh!
DeleteWhat a great presentation of your garden! Your collection of succulents makes mine look puny and pedestrian bu comparison. I love your Agave 'True Beauty', your ever-blooming iceplant, and of course all those flowering cacti.
ReplyDeleteAs an update, today your new post showed up in my blog roll as it used to, although I didn't receive an email notification either in my regular mailbox or the junk file. Some technological tools are simply unpredictable.
Unpredictable, that's the word of the year, on so many levels!
DeleteI'm going to be watching for more posts on that Agave 'True Love'! I wonder if it has any margin teeth at all, what an interesting hybrid. There's a Salvia reptans blooming here on the coast that is so good, upright and willowy -- I think I need one too. What a relief it must be to have your house siding finished in time for fall planting.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear Salvia reptans is doing well on the coast. I'd never seen it before.
DeleteThere are quite a few new agave hybrids coming out.
Oh wow--the panorama shots are fabulous, as are your closer views! If I lived closer, I'd love to visit your amazing garden. But thanks so much for sharing the highlights. Your Echinopsis (and other bloomers at the end) collection is truly special. Love the shades of peachy/orange!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to show you my garden. The next time you're in Northern California!
DeleteIt is beautiful--I aspire to something like that someday!
ReplyDeleteThat's such a nice thing to say!
DeleteI love photo 4: it's a magnificent view of the house with the palo verde tree and the blooming Calliandra ‘Sierra Starr inside the fence, and three gorgeous shrubs on the outside: so good.
ReplyDeleteI have several Sempervivum but not ciliosum ‘Borisii’: so cute! Since I never seen one, it's probably not hardy in my climate.
Your cactus' flowers are eye candy, never fail to astound!
Chavli
I had never heard of 'Borisii' before until I saw it at the UC Davis Arboretum. It's so cute! Semps are among the hardiest of all succulents so I expect it to be fully hardy in your climate.
DeleteYour neighbours are lucky to have your awesome garden adding to the beauty of the street. The new siding colour works wonderfully with the pops of silver plants here and there.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It seems like our neighbors like the new color much better than the old one :-)
DeleteOh, I really liked this post - from the wide shots to the Calliandra (I miss those I used to see in the Chihuahuan Desert - I love them too) to the hydra-headed Aloe helenae, and all of the cactus flowers. Those Echinopsis are amazing as is the orange Chamaecereus, not to forget the Ferocactus herrerae (love that angle) and especially the Ariocarpus fissuratus (we saw a lot of that blooming in Big Bend back in '14). Epithelantha - perfect specimens. Yeah, sempervivums - they don't like scorching heat, do they? Mine sort of turn into dried cabbage heads in the summer if I don't water them.
ReplyDelete