Transforming Your Side Yard: Three Inspiring Ideas

Agave, Arizona garden, Cactus/Succulents, California desert garden, Containers, desert gardening, Landscape Design, Las Vegas gardening, New Mexico garden, Southwest garden, Succulent Gardening

Elevate Your Side Yard with Creative Solutions

Side yard art in the form of a garden? Yes please! Do you have a side garden or perhaps an empty stretch of landscape along the side of your house?

Many of my clients do, and they desire something attractive to look at when they look outside their windows. Because let’s face it – staring at a bare block wall is boring!

1. Outdoor Side Yard Art: Adding Colorful Flair to Your Walls

It could be that your side yard is narrow or super shady, which makes growing plants difficult.

Well, I’m here to share ample inspiration for your side yard with three ideas for you to consider.

Bring Your Garden Views Up to Eye Level

Imagine being able to add colorful art to your outdoor walls!

My friend Shawna Coronado has done that in her side garden with colorful prints specifically made to handle the outdoors. If you have boring walls and no space to add plants, an all-weather canvas is an excellent option for adding colorful interest. Or perhaps as a backdrop for lower-growing plants.

Make Side Yard Art Creative

I love visiting her garden and how she uses her artist’s eye to create vibrant vignettes throughout her backyard. Shawna is a noted gardener and author who moved from Chicago to the deserts of Arizona several years ago. I’ve had the privilege to witness how she has embraced desert gardening, and she brings her unique style to her outdoor space.

side yard art with ceramic fish and seashells

2. Maximizing Space with Artful Raised Beds

Shawna loves plants as much as I do and has added galvanized steel raised beds along her entire side yard. The beds are powdered coated with a nice sage-green color which blends well with the desert garden palette.

A combination of succulents, perennials, and vegetables make their home in her raised beds. The narrow space can limit the sunlight plants receive for many side yards when planted in the ground. Using raised beds increases the amount of sunlight they receive.

I love this combination of agave, aloe, mangave, prickly pear, and yucca, which is low water and attractive. Ceramic garden fish appear to swim among underwater plants – I love whimsy like this in the garden!

3. Expanding Possibilities in Wide Side Yards

Reimagine your side yard as a canvas of possibilities. If you have a spacious side yard, seize the opportunity to transform it into a flourishing garden oasis with side yard art. Consider the practical elegance of raised beds lining both sides of this often-underutilized space, allowing you to make the most of your gardening potential.

With raised beds, you can cultivate a variety of herbs, vegetables, and flowers, turning your previously overlooked area into a vibrant green haven. But don’t stop there; infuse personality and charm with whimsical garden art, injecting life and creativity into every corner.

Your side yard has the potential to become a harmonious blend of artistry and agriculture, a true testament to the transformative power of outdoor spaces.

Click here to learn more about Shawna’s side garden gallery and where to purchase canvas prints, raised beds, and ceramic fish.

A Historic Garden Jewel in the City

Arizona garden, Cactus/Succulents, Ground Covers, Landscape Design, Southwest garden

Unveiling a Historic Garden Oasis

Step back in time in a busy city. Completely surrounded by small adobe homes and extensive historic gardens – all in modern-day Phoenix.

neighborhood in Phoenix an Historic Garden

A Glimpse into Phoenix Homesteads District

Phoenix’s Only Adobe Neighborhood

The Phoenix Homesteads District dates back to the 1930s and is the only adobe neighborhood in Phoenix. Mature pine trees line the streets. They are interspersed with Mexican fan palms. This creates a green tunnel that beckons you to explore further.

Small adobe homes sit on large lots with large, mature trees and shrubs.

Small Adobe Homes and Bountiful Gardens

Within this district, you’ll find small adobe homes nestled on spacious lots, adorned with towering trees and lush shrubs. These homes, constructed in the ’30s and ’40s, are designed to facilitate food cultivation and small-scale livestock ownership.

An Artistic Garden Gem

The purpose of my journey to this historic neighborhood was to visit a local artist and her picturesque gardens.

This historic garden jewel is located on ‘Flower Street.’

A Meeting with Suzanne Bracker

I came to visit this special place at the recommendation of a client. She told me about a resident artist, Suzanne Bracker. She has a beautiful garden but creates wonderful pieces of art.

The Garden’s Creative Touches

Suzanne met me by the curb in front of her home to lead me on a journey of inspiration and discovery.

The Garden’s Creative Touches

The curved pathway at historic garden jewel is located on 'Flower Street.

Repurposing Art in the Garden

Just a few steps into the garden, it’s apparent that Suzanne loves to repurpose items in her garden. The curved pathway and historic garden jewel is located on ‘Flower Street.’ The garden entrance is edged with broken concrete, often referred to as ‘urbanite’.

The property consists of two 1/4 acre lots. The adobe structure that used to serve as a garage/shed, straddles the original property line.

Queen’s wreath vine (Antigonon leptopus) and lantana grow on large river rocks within wire (gabion walls). The bright blooms of bougainvillea provide a welcome pop of color.

An old, gnarled tree root sits among vines. The tree adds color and texture contrast.

Peruvian apple cactus in Historic Garden

A Peruvian apple cactus (Cereus peruviana) grows through a giant bush lantana (Lantana camara). The lantana is in the shape of a small tree.

After only 5 minutes in this artist’s garden, I could tell that I was on a journey of the unexpected and could hardly wait to discover more.

The garage/shed is now an artist’s studio where pieces of Suzanne’s work are on display.

The original adobe wall is inside the studio. Adobe walls (made from mud and straw) keep buildings cool in summer.

You can see the bits of straw mixed in with the adobe. You can also see a small note in a crevice. It is awaiting discovery.

Unveiling Outdoor Art Galleries

From Mosaics to Jewelry – A Garden of Artistry

Evidence of Suzanne’s interest in a variety of artistic mediums is immediately apparent.

From mosaics…

To paper…

Clay…

And jewelry. Her talent is evident in almost everything she touches.

As we ventured back outdoors, Suzanne revealed a particular spot she affectionately calls her “graveyard”.

A Unique Garden ‘Graveyard’

Repurposing Clay Artifacts with Creativity

Underneath the shade of a large carob tree, the ‘graveyard’ is an area where the broken clay heads from Suzanne’s clay art find a place to rest.

This is a novel way to repurpose items.

Weights from old windows in the house now hang from metal trellises alongside snail vine.

Small crystals from old chandeliers now decorate the trellis and cast small rainbows wherever they catch the sun’s rays.

Peach-faced parrots, who live in the wild, stop by the bird feeder under the carob tree.

Sprays of delicate purple flowers from a large skyflower (Duranta erecta) shrub, arch over the garden path.

Along flagstone pathways, a flash of blue and green color catches my eye. Where most of us would throw out a few leftover glass beads, she uses them for a touch of whimsy.

As I enter her home, the original kitchen catches my eye – there’s no granite countertops or stainless steel appliances here.

This 1930’s kitchen is functional and very cute.

A Treasure Amidst the City

Plants provide color. The buildings are painted in vibrant shades of blue and purple as well.

Old oil cans, a kettle, and creamers find new life as garden art.

As I walk through the garden, we come upon a shady oasis, underneath the massive canopy of an old Lady Bank’s rose – this is the same type of rose as the famous Tombstone Rose.

A colorful rooster and his chickens enjoy the shade from the rose.

Gold lantana grows among round step stones.

One of the many enjoyable aspects of this garden are the garden rooms.

Among the garden paths, there’s always something to discover like these old, antique, toy cars. Suzanne put them on top of an old tree stump.

At the end of our garden journey, we pass by a jujube (Ziziphus jujube) tree, which tastes a little like apple.

Legacy of Flood Irrigation

Concrete Pipes as Garden Artifacts

The second house on the property has a lovely Rose of Sharon tree in front along with some interesting garden art.

The concrete pipes adorning the front of this home harken back to its historical roots. They were crafted from aged irrigation pipes originally used for flood irrigation. A practice that remains prevalent in certain older neighborhoods of Phoenix. These concrete pipes serve as enduring relics.

Today, they stand as a testament to the enduring traditions of this region. Their presence lends a unique historical charm to the property.

This garden still uses flood irrigation from the 1930s.

The blossoms of a small, Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) add whimsical beauty with its flowers that change color as they age.

Suzanne’s Garden: A Historical Gem

An Artistic Oasis Preserving History

Gardens that surprise and inspire us are a real treasure.

Suzanne’s garden is a historic jewel. I am grateful for the opportunity to have met her and observe how her artistic talent extends to everything she touches.

A Shady, Colorful Garden Personifies The Uniqueness of Austin

Agave, Cactus/Succulents, Containers, Garden Travels, Landscape Design, Southwest garden, Southwest Texas garden

Texas capital Austin sign in front of a blue wall

Exploring Pam Penick’s Shady Colorful Garden in Austin, Texas

I like quirky things that are unexpected and outside the daily ‘normalness’ in our lives. That is why I have fallen in love with the city of Austin, Texas, which prides itself on being “weird.” Another reason this Texas capital city appeals to me is their beautiful gardens and rich gardening culture, and my friend, Pam Penick’s shady, colorful garden personifies the uniqueness that is found throughout Austin.

Meeting Pam Penick and Her Unique Garden for Garden Bloggers Fling

Pam Penick (facing front wearing a hat) greeting garden visitors.

On a recent visit to Austin, I took part in the Garden Bloggers Fling, where garden bloggers from the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain, gather and tour gardens within a particular city. This year’s Fling was held in Austin, and one of the gardens I was most excited to see was Pam’s.

As two long-time bloggers in the Southwest, Pam and I have been friends for several years and I was fortunate to have hosted her in Arizona four years ago, while she was researching for her latest book, “The Water-Saving Garden.” For years, I’ve wanted to visit her garden and now was my chance.

Creative Solutions for Shady Conditions

Pam’s garden flourishes underneath the filtered shade of beautiful oak trees. However, the shade does present some challenges in that there aren’t a lot of colorful plants that will flower in shady conditions. But, Pam expertly works around that obstacle, using her unique design style that she describes as mostly contemporary.

Bringing Color to the Shady Landscape

autumn sage (Salvia greggii) in front of a Whale's Tongue agave

Concentrating flowering plants in the few areas that receive bright sun is one way to add needed color to a shady landscape. Here, the bright colors of this autumn sage (Salvia greggii) contrast beautifully with the blue-gray leaves of a whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia). While both of these plants flourish in full sun in this Texas garden, they do best with filtered or afternoon shade in the low desert region.

A Splash of Blue in the Garden

Blue balls and agave decorate the front lawn garden bed in this shady colorful garden

When flowering plants are absent, we introduce texture by utilizing spiky agave and yucca plants. We incorporate elements of color into the garden through the inclusion of garden art, exemplified by these blue balls.

Blue containers filled with lovely plants in this Austin, TX shady colorful garden

I love blue pots, and I’ve found a kindred spirit in Pam, who has them scattered throughout her landscape.

A Shady, Colorful Garden Personifies The Uniqueness of Austin

As you walk through the garden, you need to pay attention as Pam adds lovely detail in unexpected places, like this rusted garden art.

Unique Garden Trends: Pocket Planters

There are garden trends that are unique to specific areas of the country, and I found several of what I call, ‘pocket planters’ hanging on walls. Right at eye-level, it is easy to explore the tiny detail of these small containers.

Bamboo Muhly and Dyckia: A Colorful Composition

bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa) with a blue metal heart art

Walking along the driveway, toward the backyard, the soft shape of bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa) adds a beautiful blue backdrop, and in front, a container filled with Dyckia and a blue heart adds interest.

A sage green garden gate led the way into the backyard.

A potting bench sits along the wall in the side garden where four “Moby Jr.” whale’s tongue agave are planted. They come from Pam’s original “Moby” agave – I have one of the babies growing in my front garden.

Succulent Beauty in Masonry Blocks

Masonry blocks are artfully arranged into a low wall. Each block is rich with a variety of succulents.

Austin TX shady colorful garden swimming pool

The garden sits on a slope. This provides a lovely view from the upper elevation. I love the blue wall that adds a welcome splash of color. It also adds a touch of whimsy with the “Austin” sign.

Shadows and Planters: Adding Colorful Elements

The shadows from an oak tree make delightful patterns along the wall while planters add a nice color element.

Blue Bottle Trees and Unique Ornaments

Gardening in Austin isn’t for wimps. They have to deal with thin soils that lie atop rock. This is quite evident along the back of the garden.

Blue bottle trees in the shady colorful garden

Blue bottle trees are a popular garden ornament throughout the South as well as other areas of the U.S. Here; they serve the same purpose as a flowering vine would.

A Whimsical Touch: Octopus Pots

As I got ready to leave, I walked along the deck that overlooked the pool. Here there are more examples of Pam’s unique garden style. Honestly, I can say that I’ve never seen octopus pots anywhere in my garden travels, until now.

I had a wonderful time exploring this shady oasis and the innovative ways that Pam has introduced colorful elements. Check out her blog, Digging, which is one of my favorites.

Garden Inspiration: Southwest Style

Tweaking the Landscape, An Old Bike, and Face Cream

Arizona garden, az plant lady family, Cactus/Succulents, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting, Southwest garden

November is a very busy time in the low-desert garden. Cooler temperatures make this best time of year to add plants and as a result, my phone begins to ring off the hook. Many of my clients have established landscapes that they are looking to do some tweaking to the landscape.

This usually consists of identifying what existing plants still add beauty to the landscape, or background structure, from a design standpoint, and then removing those that don’t. New plants are then added that will compliment the older ones.

One easy tip for creating a newer look to the desert landscape is to clean out river rock washes. While it is labor intensive, the process is quite simple. All you need to do is remove all the rocks, wash them off with water from the hose and put them back.

I must admit that I love working outdoors this time of year when the weather is simply lovely.

Here is a colorful surprise that I discovered while visiting a client last month. ‘Loretta’ is an eye-catching piece of garden art and I love her pink arms. She was purchased in San Francisco and is made up of parts from an old bike.

On another note, my grandson, Eric, decided to put on some ‘face cream’. The only problem? It was diaper cream! I think that all of us probably have a story like this one…

I hope that you are enjoying the fall season – I know that I am.

A Desert Garden’s Winter Beauty on Display

Creative Garden Art and Whimsy Add Welcome Interest

AZ Plant Lady, Cactus/Succulents, Containers, DIY, Garden Travels, Succulent Gardening

Have you ever visited a garden filled with more than just trees and plants? Different types of garden art can add welcome interest to outdoor spaces along with a touch of whimsy.

It’s the unexpected element of encountering an unusual planter, wall hanging, or recycled items throughout the garden that can add a touch of whimsy that makes a garden unforgettable.

I was inspired by the creative uses of garden decor on a recent visit to Buffalo, and while the plants may be different than what I grow in my Arizona garden, the look can be easily replicated using desert-adapted plants.

Here is a look at my favorites.

A small bistro table is all set for tea along with moss planters in the shape of a purse and high shoe.

Got a dull expanse of wooden fence? Grab some chalk and draw some flowers – this would also work for a block wall fence too.

Old glass dishes make beautiful flowers, don’t you think?

Got an old portable fire pit? Dress it up by filling it with succulents.

Creating artistic pieces from old silverware is quite popular and I quite like this dragonfly made out of butter knives.

An old mirror not only makes a unique wall hanging, but it also reflects the beauty of the garden in front of it.

Old garden benches paired with old watering cans add a new look to this corner of a garden.

Transform an old tree stump by adding a plant on top and wooden planters below.

‘Head’ planters are a trendy whimsical element, and I love the extra splash of color that these add.

Elephants food (Portulacaria afra) would make an excellent ‘hairstyle’ for a head planter.

The elegant beauty of a rusted steel hummingbird.

Faced with the view of an uninspiring blank wooden fence? Break up the monotony by adding planters across the base and through the middle.

Succulents would look great used this way through the middle with potted lantana at the base.

An antique store kettle finds new life as a planter for purple alyssum.

Cool season annuals such as petunias or pansies would go nicely in here. Succulents are a good choice for a year-round planting.

Metal wall hangings are a great way to decorate vertical spaces.

Another stump makes a suitable resting spot for a couple of birdhouses and a colorful ladder.

A simple, yet elegant way to display the blooms in your garden in small glass jars.

Lantana, roses, Texas sage or yellow bell blossoms would look lovely displayed like this for a party.

Are you feeling inspired? I certainly am. I invite you to stroll through an antique shop, a thrift store, or even the garage sale down the street. You never know what will catch your attention and be used to add artistic flair and whimsy to your garden.

Unique Garden Art Out and About

Garden Travels: Urban Vegetable Garden With a Touch of Whimsy

Garden Travels, herb gardening, Vegetable Gardening

This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support in this way.*

I enjoy traveling around the country, exploring gardens. Throughout my travels, I am constantly amazed at the unexpected gardens that I stumble upon. Recently, I was in Buffalo, New York for the annual GWA Conference. I arrived a few days early in order to spend time with my BGF (Best Garden Friend), Andrea who came all the way from Australia to attend. We set out from our hotel in the morning to see more of the downtown area of the city.

It was a hot and humid day, but we were not deterred. We passed by a farmers market down the road from our hotel where fresh produce from area farms, was laid out to tempt passersby.

I enjoy seeing fresh seasonal produce but lament that fact that other than fresh fruit, I am limited as to what I can use without a kitchen when I am traveling.

Most farmers markets also feature plants for sale and it’s a great way to see what grows in that area.

After leaving the farmers market with a bag of blueberries, we continued our walk toward the lake side where we encountered a lovely urban community garden. The Learning Garden is located underneath an overpass and adjoins a park.

The garden serves as an outdoor classroom for Erie Community College.

Three of the sides of the garden bounded by a fence, leaving an open gateway for visitors to explore the garden.

Raised beds were filled with a variety of vegetables and herbs along with a few ornamental flowers. Tomatoes are found in almost all of the beds and this garden clearly had an Italian theme with its basil and parsley.

Intermingled with many of the edible crops were whimsical garden signs like this one nestled within a bed of kale.

This sign expresses the joy of gardening for me and I believe for many others as well. As you can see, they aren’t difficult to make and I may enlist the woodworking skills of my husband to make some for my own garden.

Andrea and I took a moment to rest our sore feet while enjoying the scenery of the garden and the busy bees roaming from flower to flower.

The raised beds followed no distinct pattern that I could ascertain – but regardless, they looked great and were obviously thriving. Vegetables were the main focus with flowering annuals such as snapdragons and alyssum adding color.

I want this sign in my vegetable garden – do you think the neighborhood cats can read?

A small greenhouse is located behind massive cucumber vines. My cucumber vines have never looked that good…

I enjoy garden art made from repurposed materials, such as this ‘spoon-fork’ flower – a definite touch of whimsy.

What do you do when you run out of room in your raised beds? Plant vegetables in fabric containers, of course!

In a sunny corner, an unusual pair of wooden chairs sat, facing each other. What a great piece of furniture for those who enjoy good conversation, like we do!

We spent over an hour exploring the garden before leaving. It was a completely unexpected garden discovery and one that I will remember for a long time.

Once we left the garden, we decided to search for a place to eat lunch. Did we select a unique eatery or small cafe for lunch?

Nope.

I’ve heard great things about Tim Hortons and we don’t have them where I live and they aren’t in Australia, where Andrea lives either, so we decided to eat lunch there to see what all the buzz was about.

Okay, this isn’t the healthiest lunch, but I did get my pretzel bun club sandwich without mayonnaise and it was delicious.

For dessert, we ate their famous cake batter-flavored donut holes – oh my, they were wonderful! It’s probably a good thing that we don’t have one nearby or my waistline would suffer greatly.

I hope you have enjoyed our Buffalo garden travel so far. You can click here to read about our adventures at the test garden filled with colorful annuals. Next up, a garden from the pages of Harry Potter!

**You can follow Andrea’s gardening adventures on her blog.

Drought Tolerant Fairy Gardens

California

The popularity of fairy or miniature gardens is evident with whole Pinterest boards dedicated to them as well as nurseries having entire sections filled with fairy garden furniture and accessories.

During a recent visit to California, I visited the J. Woeste Nursery, which had taken a slightly different direction with fairy gardens. Theirs were decidedly drought tolerant and planted with succulents.

Each fairy garden was well-designed, each with their own unique mixture of succulents and moss for grass.

I was told that the nursery had a specific designer who created these miniature succulent worlds.

No two were alike. From the houses used to the combination of succulents and the container itself – each was a truly unique creation.

I must admit that I had a hard time tearing myself away in order to look at the rest of the nursery, as I was so captivated by these miniature, drought tolerant gardens.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t fit one in my suitcase.

However, if I decided to make my own, there were a lot of different fairy succulent gardens to be inspired by and the nursery had a large selection of succulents available to assist in my endeavors.

Besides miniature succulent gardens, the nursery was filled with other unique examples of succulents being planted in unexpected ways.

A large variety of succulents were available for customers to use to in their own gardens, whether planted in the ground or in a favorite container.

If you ever find yourself in the charming town of Los Olivos, California, you must stop by J. Hoeste Nursery to see the fairy succulent gardens along with its other treasures.

Have you ever thought of planting a fairy garden? If so, I recommend the book, Gardening in Miniature. It teaches you how to make your own miniature garden, in easy steps. There are also a number of inspiring ideas to help you on your way to making your own. I reviewed this book in an earlier post, which can be read here.

Unique Garden Art Out and About

Cactus/Succulents

Do you have pieces of garden art in your outdoor space? I have a few pieces and am always on the lookout for unique examples of artwork to use in my garden.

The past few weeks, I saw some great examples while out and about that I would love to share with you.

Unique Garden Art

You may have seen the popularity of large clocks being displayed indoors, but I would love this one hanging on my outdoor patio.

The clock face was made out of plywood, painted and textured with antique garden tools arranged around it.

Who knew that old horseshoes could be used to make barrel cactus?

I must confess that at first, I didn’t know that these were made from horseshoes at first glance – but, I would certainly love one in my garden.

Javelina may be the bane of many southwestern residents when they come and eat their plants.

However, I think that some people wouldn’t mind having this one hanging around.

Can you tell what it is made out of ?

An old palm tree root!

The roots were used to mimic the rough coat of a javelina.

Lastly, rusted metal art is all the rage and you can find it in the shape of plants and animals.

I did love this group of jackrabbits and could just picture one sitting underneath my palo verde tree.

How about you?

Do you have any unique pieces of garden art?

A Unique Nursery Nestled Under a Huge Tree

California Nursery Visit

Uncategorized

Do you like to visit California “Golden State” ?

I do. I spent the first 20 years of my life in the Golden State before getting married and moving to Arizona.

Since then, California was a frequent destination for visits with my parents, siblings and their families.

But, now since my family all has moved to Arizona, visits were infrequent.

That is, until my daughter was stationed at a Navy Base in CA. We have just finished up a trip visiting with my daughter and our 3-month old grandson.

My daughter was stationed at a Navy Base in Golden State

It’s times like these, that we live only 7 1/2 hours away.

During our visit, we stopped by one of our favorite little beach towns, Carpinteria, which is located about 90 miles north of Los Angeles.

Photo: Fuchsia dependens

While there, we stopped by our favorite cupcake store, Crush Cakes, and then took a stroll through Carpinteria Landscape Nursery, which is always filled with a great variety of plants.

Photo: Fuchsia dependens

As I walked into the entrance, a bright-red flowering plant caught my eye. Fuchsia dependens is a great choice for the California climate.

Photo: Hydrangea

A group of hydrangea made me lament again that fact that they cannot grow in the desert climate. But, that doesn’t stop me lusting after them.

Photo: Foxglove (Digitalis)

Whenever I see foxglove, I imagine myself standing in an English garden. I’ve even seen them offered for sale at our local big box store in AZ, but they would die soon after planting in the desert climate.

A wire container was filled with purple trailing lantana and coreopsis, which I thought was a great example of cool and warm color contrast.

Whenever I find myself near a plant nursery or nice-looking garden, my family knows that I whatever we are planning on doing, will be delayed for a few minutes while I take time to look around.

Because of that, I try my best to hurry as I did this day. But, when I had finished, I couldn’t find them. It turns out that they had found their way to the attached hardware store next to the nursery.

Photo: Mt. Lemon Marigold (Tagetes lemmonii)

This shrubby perennial grows great in the Southwest, drought tolerant garden. Mt. Lemon marigold produces sunny, yellow flowers and looks great, but its foliage does have a strong fragrance when it is touched. I don’t care for the fragrance, so I would be sure to plant it in the background where the fragrance won’t be an issue.

I wish that I could say that Eric was enjoying all of the plants as much as I was, but he slept through the entire visit.

Photo: Verbena lanai series

I’m always on the lookout for new plant colors and varieties. Here was a verbena, which was labeled ‘Verbena lanai series’. I liked its unique purple/white flowers.

This particular nursery has a variety of garden art items. This bunny is the only one you would want to see in your garden.

I loved this flower pot with the drought tolerant kangaroo paw plant growing inside.

News of the severe drought in California is everywhere you go. People are tearing out their lawns and forgoing flowering annuals in favor of succulents. Many drought tolerant plants were featured throughout the nursery. I loved the colorful variety of succulents.

What more is there to say? I would love to have a ‘head planter’ planted with a kalanchoe.

Our trip was short, but fun-filled. We will return again this summer to spend more time visiting and exploring.

A Unique Nursery Nestled Under a Huge Tree

AZ Plant Lady, Uncategorized

Unique Plant Nursery

Have you ever thought of a nursery as more than just a place to buy plants?

How about one with secret corners where visitors are invited to sit and eat their lunch or read a book?

Or have you visited a nursery that is nestled underneath a 50-year-old, flowering tree that shades everything below?

On a recent visit to California, I came upon a most unique plant nursery.

I hadn’t planned on visiting a nursery on this particular day, but I noticed a large floss silk tree (Chorisia speciosa) dominating the blue skyline with its dark pink flowers. It took me a moment to notice the nursery tucked underneath the branches.

The gate leading into the nursery had decorative wooden signs describing what was yet to be discovered within.

I was greeted by a large jade plant, which if you’ve ever traveled to California, must be the ‘unofficial’ succulent plant of this beautiful state – everyone seems to have one growing in a pot somewhere in their garden.

A Unique Nursery Nestled Under a Huge Tree

Walking little ways in, I immediately noticed a small pathway leading into the depths of the nursery, beckoning the visitor to discover where it led.

Flanking the shady path were a variety of tropical plants, succulents, and garden ornaments.

A galvanized container held a variety of wooden garden signs.

I decided to take the signs literally and to be on the lookout for gnomes 😉

Reaching the end of the pathway, visitors discover worn, yet comfortable garden furniture, inviting you to take a break and enjoy the shade on a warm summer’s day while being surrounded by the beauty of the plants.

Throughout the entire nursery were hidden corners filled with chairs and comfortable cushions.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their lunch and eat in the garden or bring along a favorite book.

If I lived near this nursery, I would be tempted to spend a lot of time here where I would be able to enjoy two of my favorite things – plants and books!

The branches of the floss silk tree extended their shade over a large number of plants.

Floss silk trees have a very unique trunk. It is green, much like the palo verde, but they have very large thorns.

As I continued my journey of discovery through the nursery, I found that it was hard to reconcile this place with your typical nursery.

Oh, they did have basic gardening supplies such as organic fertilizers, peat moss, compost, and pots – but it was the lack of obvious organization and the randomness that I found throughout.

Small garden rooms were filled with an assortment of succulents, palms, and unusual flowering plants.

White icicle lights were strung throughout the nursery, which made me wish that I had a chance to visit in the evening hours.

Plants could be found in a variety of sizes. There was no plant signage or pricing information that could be easily seen.

Everywhere you would turn, there would be something new and unexpected to discover.

A row of old cowboy boots sat, ready to be used as planters.

A container made from grape vines in the shape of a swan held a variety of succulents.

A pair of rusty enamelware bowls sat empty on a plastic crate – maybe they will be filled with some succulents someday? Hopefully sooner than later before the bottom rusts out.

While enjoying the unusual things throughout the nursery, there were some more traditional areas with flowering plants available for sale.

Colorful begonias and fucshia plants beckoned California gardeners.

I found a corner filled with adeniums, which I must admit that I am fascinated by.

I just love this delicate, pink adenium flower, don’t you?

I must admit that there were so many different things that I loved about this little nursery – its lack of organization, the fact that it looked more like a garden than a nursery, the hidden seating areas where you could read a book, the unique garden art (junk) and perhaps most of all was that the focus was on enjoying your visit to the nursery whether you bought anything or not.

The roof of the little garden shop was decorated by a row of potted Yucca gloriosa and more icicle lights.

As I got ready to leave, I took a few minutes to talk to the woman who worked there. She directed my attention toward the flowering canopy of the floss silk tree and told me that 5 hummingbirds make their home in its branches.

Male hummingbirds are extremely territorial, but the tree was so large that they all are able to live in it somewhat peaceably. I was told that each hummingbird has a specific section of the tree that belongs to them and if one oversteps his section then there are little arguments.

I enjoyed my visit to this 50-year-old, unique plant nursery/garden and can’t wait to have a chance to come again.

**If you are ever near Carpinteria, California, I encourage you to take some time to visit the Carpinteria Landscape Nursery – but, be ready for a rather unorthodox nursery experience.

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Tag Archive for: garden art

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