Succulents and More™

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 jung...

As I mentioned in earlier posts, my friend Loree Bohl ( danger garden ) from Portland, Oregon visited a couple of weekends ago. We spent three jam-packed days exploring gardens in the East Bay, from Walnut Creek to Berkeley/Oakland to Livermore. The first stop on Saturday was the garden of Max and Justin in Oakland. They are mutual friends, and seeing their garden was at the top of Loree’s wish list. I had visited Max and Justin in October 2020 and blogged about their front garden and back garden . However, 4+ years is a long time in the life of a garden, especially when it belongs to two very active gardeners who are constantly refining things. Max is a horticulturist with extensive knowledge of plants and, just as importantly, access to many different sources, commercial and private. Justin, an Episcopal priest, may not be a plant professional, but he, too, knows a ton about plants. Both of them are drawn to plants that are anything but ordinary. Justin (left) and Max (right) From...