Succulents and More™

Cold Spring Aloes, Tom Cole’s nursery and garden in Montecito, California was the first stop on my recent trip to Santa Barbara . It had been on my bucket list for years, and this January the stars must have been aligned just right because it finally happened. Tom Cole is an agroecology and drought management advisor for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), helping communities in sub-Saharan Africa, especially refugees and other displaced persons, grow more food. Tom has spent more than 30 years living and working in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Mozambique, Uganda and Ethiopia. On assignment, he spends his spare time exploring areas botanists have largely ignored because of conflicts. The relationships he forms with local communities through his work allow him to travel to areas outsiders are typically not able to access. Tom is the co-owner of Cold Spring Aloes, located on the grounds of a 12-acre compound Tom’s family has owned since the early 1970s. ...

On my recent trip to Santa Barbara , I took a bunch of photos that don’t go with any of the plant- or garden-related posts I have planned. Many of these photos are too nice to hide away, and I want to share them with you. That’s why I’ll have a “Santa Barbara Sunday” special for the next month or so, each one focusing on something different. Let’s start with the Santa Barbara Mission , or Old Mission Santa Barbara as it’s officially called. It was the 10th of the 21 Spanish missions to be founded in California (December 4, 1786) and is often referred to as the “Queen of the Missions.” It’s the best-known landmark in current-day Santa Barbara and draws tourists from all over the world, myself included. I think I’ve stopped at the Mission every time I’ve been to Santa Barbara. I’m not going to go into its history, but if you’re interested, check out this article on Wikipedia . Last Sunday morning, I strolled around the grounds in front of the Mission to check out the plantings. As was t...