Succulents and More™

On my recent Southern California trip, my daughters and I spent a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Laguna Beach , arguably one of the most spectacular beach towns in a state full of scenic coastline. We parked near Heisler Park , very lucky to find a parking spot right where we wanted one, and explored on foot. On a busy day, that's the way to do it. I'll let my photos speak for themselves, but if you want to know to know more about Laguna Beach, this is a good place to start . If you're into Hollywood history, here is an interesting article about Bette Davis's association with Laguna Beach. And if you have a cool $20 million lying around, you might be able to buy “her” house at 1991 Ocean Way, which is about to hit to hit the market . Funny to think that in spite of the dizzying price tag, the lot (7,392 sqft) is small than ours—definitely no room for much of a garden. Agave attenuata  seems to have naturalized here This would be a great spot to visit in winter when th...

A while ago I saw a YouTube video about Green Touch Nursery in the Long Beach area where Cactus Quest  interviews owner Oscar Vegas. Ever since then, I've wanted to go. It turns out that my friend and blogging buddy Denise of A Growing Obsession  was familiar with Green Touch, so she and I decided to meet up there on my recent trip to Southern California.  Green Touch is an unpretentious succulent nursery where the focus is on the plants, not on lifestyle or home decor. In the Cactus Quest interview, owner Oscar Vargas talks about his love for the plants he grows and sells. This passion shows. He has transformed a power line easement near a busy freeway into the kind of place I love to visit: a wonderland of plants where you need to take your time to see what there is, where you have absolutely no idea what you might find next, and where exploration is definitely rewarded.  Since starting Green Touch six years ago, Oscar has gone deep down the rabbit hole o...