Chris and John Gleason of San Diego did a brave thing: They tore out a perfectly fine front yard. Most people who want to save water merely let their lawns die and replace them with less thirsty plants. The Gleasons went several steps further. They got rid of a healthy ornamental plum tree and a privacy hedge that divided their home from the neighbor’s.
Chris in particular likes the look of succulents—their colorful leaves and intriguing shapes—so the couple hired a local landscape designer who specializes in them. Enhancing the new front yard are ultimate no-water embellishments: boulders, swaths of rocks, and a topdressing of decomposed granite. Warm-toned pavers replaced concrete and visually unite house and landscape. The path to the front door now is wider and curves gracefully. Plantings took about a year to fill in.
I’ll show more “Stunning Succulent Front Yards,” Saturday July 25 at noon, at the Palomar Cactus and Succulent Society meeting, Escondido, CA. Guests are welcome; parking and admission free.
Photos: John Gleason.