Succulents and More™

Last week's post about Jenny and David Stocker’s garden in Tucson, Arizona has been one of the most popular articles on Succulents and More in quite a while. With good reason: Jenny and David live in a desert wonderland surrounded by saguaros and other cacti. For sheer beauty, their location is hard to beat. Views of the Santa Catalina Mountains to the east The community that Jenny and David call home is nestled against the Tortolita Mountains north of Tucson. It encompasses over 1,400 acres of desert scenery that rivals the most spectacular spots in Southern Arizona. This land was originally inhabited by the Hohokam who lived in the area for 700 years, from approximately 500 to 1200 CE. Apparently, you can still find petroglyphs and pot shards if you look hard enough. Partial view of a sprawling estate (what you see is the guest house), seamlessly integrated into the desert landscape At the heart of this community is an 18-hole championship golf course, but it’s so seamlessly i...

I first met Jenny Stocker at the 2018 Garden Bloggers Fling in Austin, Texas. At the time, Jenny was living in Austin, and her fabulous walled garden was on the Fling itinerary. On her blog Rock Rose she documented the evolution of her Austin garden for many years. In November 2021, Jenny and her husband David moved to Tucson, Arizona to be closer to their son. It was quite a change for them, going from a 2-acre property with multiple garden areas to a significantly smaller property with a patio for a backyard, not to mention acclimating to a completely different environment. When I was in Tucson last month, Jenny and David graciously invited me over for brunch. Even though I’d gotten glimpses of their garden on Jenny’s blog, my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the views from their house: Yes, that is what they see from their kitchen, dining room, and living room, and of course from their patio! Their backyard is small, but the views are so expansive, it feels like they’re right ...