GardenBook

Almost half of my life was spent in the frostless zone, but as that was in fact half a life ago, it all seems exotic to me now, even the ubiquitous iceplant, the mundane bougainvillea, the palms and the plumbago. It was all underappreciated when there and still so familiar. Why does 50 degrees seem warmer there? While I don't desire to live there, I do wish for more frequent visits.  A nursery crawl  led me to these unexpected display gardens.

A small garden has it's own challenges and virtues. One is rarely overwhelmed, but the yearning for more space is chronic. Here the Tapestry Garden provides a happy medium- it's easy to find a space for a 4" pot of creeping Sedum  where placement of more robust specimens seems impossible. Happily, these plants will require little summer watering and seem happy to be in bright shade or full sun.  A visit to any garden center involves a sweep of the succulent section, in search of more . Many were planted today , the last day of decent weather for several days. A journey to the South Coast  late next week may provide opportunities to add to the collection.