
Plantings on either side of a low wall provide interest in this Mountain View, California garden.
This home underwent a massive facelift to the facade. New landscaping completes the look. A mixture of shapes is used to great effect. The low ground cover in front is dymondia. The sword shapes of the adjacent New Zealand flax serve as a counterpoint. Mediterranean spurge peaks over the wall to complete the look.

A wall garden in Hermosa Beach, California evokes a coral reef environment.
Echiveria, aeonium, and other succulents are used in this outdoor patio feature wall. The firesticks take on coral forms. Even if the shells hadn’t been added, the scene would transport the viewer to an underwater world. The wall covers an area that is approximately 10′ x 10′. Located steps from the beach, the wall provides significant visual impact in a small space.

An eclectic garden provides visual impact in the front garden of this Encinatas, California home.
Low-ground level plantings under the trees and palms include succulents and clumping ornamental grasses. A tall palm, spiky yucca, and low sago palm serve as focal points on either side of the curving brick pathway. The tall and formally sculpted bush is an unexpected element that works well. Variety in foliage color and form is used to excellent effect.

A mixture of colors and textures provides interest in this coastal garden in Cambria, California.
Dark purple aeonemes provide a striking focal point. Bright yellow-green echeveria lends dramatic contrast. The spikes of the aloe and agave act as counterpoints to the curved forms. A mixture of succulent ground covers pulls it all together in a garden that requires very little maintenance.

Repetitive use of architecturally interesting agaves is the focus of this Singapore garden scape.
The agaves are combined with with a bed of smooth river rocks and a large boulder focal point for a stunning overall effect. Total annual rainfall in Singapore is ample yet there is seasonal pressure on water supplies due to the high population density. As a result, careful attention is paid to water management in Singapore.

Yuccas are featured in this Palo Alto, California Garden.
The yuccas offer a perfect complement to the style of the lovely Spanish colonial home. The floral underplanting softens the overall feel of the garden. The flowers change seasonally. The California poppies seen here provide color, continue to reflect the garden’s mission roots, and lighten the mood.

Olive trees anchor this street-side garden in San Mateo, California.
The garden wall offers privacy and a sense of enclosure for the front garden. The olives soften the expanse of the garden wall which would have seemed unwelcoming otherwise. The border remains very water efficient with it’s use of garden rocks mixed with clumps of ground cover.

A spring-blooming agave street-side border creates immediate visual interest in this Los Altos, California garden.
This front garden does have a grass lawn but the space devoted to it is minimized. The repetition of the agaves here is dramatic. It is easy to see why these agaves are known by the common name of “fire poker agave”. The succulents can also be effectively used in combination with other low-water plants.

Succulents and stonework lend a rustic feel to this garden entrance along the Pacific Ocean in Half Moon Bay, California.
The design includes a wide variety of succulents including agaves and blue chalk stick ice plants. The hewn stones form a low garden wall and create integrated containers that support succulents that spill over the rockwork. The mix of colors adds further interest to the eclectic composition.