Succulents and More™

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) in Exposition Park was established in 1913. With an extensive collection of over 35 million specimens, ranging from fossils and minerals to botanical and zoological specimens, it’s the largest museum of its kind in the western U.S. as well as a renowned research institution. One of the highlights is the Dinosaur Hall with its impressive displays, including the iconic Tyrannosaurus rex . Judging from the masses of humanity during our visit in November 2022, it’s the museum’s biggest draw. Official greeters The main reason why I wanted to visit the NHM weren’t the exhibits (which were fantastic, especially the Gem and Mineral Hall), but the gardens, especially after seeing photos on Loree Bohl’s danger garden blog . The biggest draw for me was the extraordinary Living Wall consisting of dry-stacked flagstone. It was created in 2012 as part of a $135 million expansion that included the transformation of two surface-level parking lo...

My friend Danny goes by “Danny Aloehill” on social media. That’s a very a convenient handle because nobody needs to ask him what his favorite plants are (hint: not geraniums). Danny has one of the most comprehensive private aloe collections I know of, and I was finally able to see his garden when I drove to San Diego in February . Because of an unavoidable last-minute change of plans, Danny couldn’t be there, but he gave me permission to poke around as much as I wanted. Danny lives on a small urban lot, not even 5000 sq.ft., but he has managed to squeeze an astounding variety of aloes into the front and the backyard. He’s been growing succulents and aloes for more than 15 years, but his collection really took off about 10 years ago when he moved into his current house and started this garden. A stint at the Huntington , where he worked in the Desert Garden, helped Danny expand his expertise. Bungalow built in 1910 Currently, Danny has about 150 different aloe species. “My heart really ...