Revisiting Fred and Paul's quirky succulent garden in Sacramento

Last week, I had the opportunity to revisit a very special succulent garden in Sacramento, created and loved by Fred and Paul. Almost a year and half had gone by since my first visit, and I was eager to see their garden again. My friend Michele was my companion on this outing.

Fred and Paul live in a mid-century modern house built in 1959. When they bought it almost 15 years ago, there was lawn everywhere: in the front, along the side, and in the back. Here’s what it looked like in 2011:

Google Street View photo from 2011

The landscaping in the front is fairly minimalistic, dominated by concrete paths, steps, and planters with straight lines and right angles. The design reminded me of Palm Springs – and that was before I found out that Fred and Paul used to own a house in Palm Springs!

Notice the tall multi-branched Euphorbia ammak with its startling yellow coloration above? It’s the signature plant of Fred and Paul’s garden. You’ll see more of it in the back.

Variegated Euphorbia ammak

Gigantic rhipsalis in a color-coordinated pot next to the front door

See the Sale sign? That was one of the reasons for my visit. (The other was to deliver a variegated Aloe ‘Hercules’ to Fred and Paul.)

The expansive use of gray concrete and gray gravel gives a brutalist vibe:

It takes a lot of discipline to leave large spaces unplanted — more discipline than I could ever muster.

Another Google Street View image from 2011:

Google Street View photo from 2011

Before we round the corner, I want to show you a satellite image of the property (originally from my March 2025 post). It shows you where the various garden areas are:

Now we’re on the other side of the house, with the driveway and garage on the left:

The landscaping here — and everywhere else along the side and in the back — is very different from the front: exuberant, joyful, unrestrained. It perfectly matches Fred and Paul’s bubbly personalities.

Cramscaping in the making

Aloe vanbalenii raised up so its undulating leaves can flop down freely

Aloe marlothii, a Craigslist find

A low fence encloses a small exterior courtyard:

Raised bed bordered by stacked rocks

One of several large driftwood pieces

An old water heater turned into a sheep feeder and now into a planter

One the day of my visit, Fred and Paul were having a garage and plant sale with a huge variety of items:

Fred and Paul’s Craigslist ad

I was thrilled to see them selling Euphorbia ammak cuttings harvested from their own plants:

Euphorbia ammak cuttings

A couple of years ago, I would have gladly bought a few of these cuttings, but right now, I have enough of my own

More plants for sale

I did find something I felt I needed to have:

A plow disc sitting on top of, well, something very heavy

Maybe a tire jack for a truck?

I photographed a similar piece in Fred and Paul’s backyard last year:

Similar plow disc piece in Fred and Paul’s backyard in March 2025

After a bit of shopping and schmoozing, Michele and I checked out the backyard:

One of many cool vignettes in the backyard

Paul and Fred memorialized in stone. Darn good likenesses, too (see photo of the guys at the bottom of this post).

An aeonium variety I haven’t seen before

Monkey tail cactus (Cleistocactus colademononis)

Dormant aeoniums

Huge variety of succulents everywhere

Variegated Euphorbia ammak, cholla, and howling coyote

Vintage carousel horse — I mean, who has one of those???

Looking toward the driveway and street

Another large piece of driftwood

Yes, there’s a pool, too. More photos in a bit.

Landscaping around the hot tub deck (rebuilt since my last visit)

Pieces of wood used in a very sculptural way

The tall strappy plant in the middle is Furcraea macdougallii

Variegated Agave ‘Blue Flame’

Same Furcraea macdougallii from the other side

Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

The miniaturized pine on the other side is a beautiful contrast to the succulents that dominate the backyard landscaping

Fred and Paul were busy with their garage/plant sale so I didn’t get a chance to take a photo of the two of them. That’s why I’m borrowing this photo from my March 2025 post:

Fred and Paul in their backyard

The day Michele and I visited was oddly overcast — not typical for this time of year. That’s why my photos aren’t as vibrant as I wanted them to be. I want to go back soon to find out more about Fred and Paul’s design choices, where they find the odd objects they repurpose into garden art, and what makes them tick in general. Look for another post in the near future.

© Gerhard Bock, 2026. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.