A drive-by garden with otherworldly succulents captured the attention of LA-based garden blogger Denise Maher one day while she was passing by a stucco house in an unfamiliar neighborhood. She caught a haunting glimpse of barrel cacti, giant agaves, and a towering euphorbia nearly as tall as the peaked roof. She had to return—luckily, with her camera:
Photography by Denise Maher via A Growing Obsession.
Above: Maher, who has an eye for a good drive-by garden (see others she's spotted at A Growing Obsession), discovered the four-year-old garden while taking a new route to avoid traffic during the 2012 Long Beach marathon. The garden "manages to make an impact at 25 mph," she wrote. "Up close, it completely disorders the senses."
She returned to take photos a few days later—and again, in 2014 (shown). With a stucco fence and dark green gate as a backdrop for the front garden, "It certainly holds its corner like no other house I know," she says.
Above: To the right of the gate, a 15-foot-tall Euphorbia ammak (the one that looks like a cactus) is flanked by two thin Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire'.
Above: an Agave guiengola ‘Creme Brulee' has variegated leaves.
Above: The first time Maher visited with her camera, in 2012, a wonderful fragrance was coming from somewhere. Maher spotted a Colletia paradoxa (also called an Anchor Plant), an unusual leafless shrub from Uruguay, that was in bloom.
Above: While she was taking pictures, Maher met the garden's owner, who confirmed that the heavenly scent was coming from his Anchor Plant.
Above: Agave Ferdinandi Regis, known as the King of Agaves, is a native of Mexico.
Above: The last time Maher visited, in 2014, the garden's owner told her he is going to start planting the curbside strip next to the sidewalk. We're looking forward to this.
For more inspiration about how to add succulents to a garden, see:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Best Succulents
- Garden Visit: Drought Tolerant in Southern California
- Steal This Look: A Minimalist Marfa Exterior Space
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