Succulents and More™

Last summer, Kyle and I visited a new friend in Carmichael, a suburb of Sacramento, to give him and his wife input on their front yard. Tyler and Jessica Wichmann had already started on a dry garden, but they wanted more visual impact. Kyle and I suggested creating mounds and adding as many rocks as they could. That’s something I’ve been working on in my own garden – and something Kyle has perfected in his. It took almost a year, but Kyle and I finally had the opportunity to see the result. Take a look at the photos below; the changes are dramatic! Before: Tyler and Jessica already had a variety of plants that do well with little water – a good start. After: Some of the cacti are still in the same spot, others were moved as the mounds were created. Before: The planting areas were completely flat. After: Now there are several mounds that create a dynamic flow. The ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde you see below (one of two) had previously been in a large concrete planter, but it’s much happie...