Succulents and More™

Eric Bailey is a fellow member of the Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society and lives on a multi-acre rural property along the Sacramento River. Last week, I finally had the opportunity to see his garden. With no traffic on the freeway, the drive is only 20 minutes, but it’s a different world out there in the country, away from suburban neighborhoods with their crammed lots. Eric’s driveway off the levee road is longer than my entire street! View of the Sacramento River from the levee road When I saw this repurposed tractor tire planter with an agave in the middle, I knew it was my kind of place . Old tires are good for a lot of things, not just planters, but also cat sculptures: The area in front of the house — think of it as a large courtyard — is filled with metal planters and rocks: Eric’s container garden is less than two years old. None of the planters are store-bought. Eric made them himself from things he found on the property. It has been in his wife’s family for 50+ years,...

This past weekend was the 2026 Show & Sale of the Sacramento Cactus & Succulent Society (SCSS). To celebrate, my friend and frequent partner-in-crime Kyle Johnson invited the vendors and SCSS board members to an evening get-together in his garden. I didn’t keep track of how many people showed up, but it was a few dozen at least. Most of the locals had seen Kyle’s garden before, but the out-of-town vendors hadn’t. In addition to the general ooh and aahs, I overheard some comments that reflected a deeper connection to what Kyle has created. I’m sure that, as fellow gardeners, you know how validating it is to hear from people who get what you’re trying to do. The photos in this post were taken between 4:30pm and 7:30pm. During those three hours, the light was getting warmer and softer until, boom, it was dark. But Kyle has lights throughout the garden so nobody was stumbling around in the dark. I didn’t quite capture the magic I felt as I was walking around after dark, but I hop...