Category Archives: driveby gardens

Long Beach’s illustrious architect Edward Killingsworth

New Year’s Resolution No. 22: Check my hometown newspaper out more often. Included in the Los Angeles Times end-of-year roundup on “The 11 most popular home and garden stories of 2016,” was a piece I had missed that contained some … Continue reading

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revisiting a local succulent garden

I haven’t revisited the garden I posted about here in person, though I’d love to. But I did find outtakes, photos that, for whatever reason, I didn’t include with the original post, mostly detailed closeups that were repetitive. Some people … Continue reading

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, driveby gardens, succulents | Tagged | 9 Comments

beyond the lawn; notes on 2016 LA Garden Conservancy Open Days

Since the 5/7/16 tour, Gov. Jerry Brown surprised us all by announcing that mandatory water restrictions are now suspended except for agriculture. Water use policies will revert back to the local level. So pat yourself on the back for enduring … Continue reading

Posted in climate, design, driveby gardens, garden travel, garden visit, pots and containers | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

streetside succulent garden

Some lucky neighborhoods have stimulating examples to study of successful front gardens made without a blade of lawn. This example is in my hometown, Long Beach, Calif, coastal zone 10, western exposure, December 2015, drought-stricken, irrigation restrictions imposed since last … Continue reading

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CMU bench/planter at Manaow

I finally found a moment when Manaow’s CMU bench/planter could be investigated minus the usual throngs of people. That window of quiet was around 7 a.m. in the morning, when the only activity at this east end of Broadway was … Continue reading

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terraced Spanish Colonial Revival house & garden

For those of you who enjoy gawking at houses and their gardens as much as I do, here’s a look at the house that belongs with this post from September 2014. I don’t think I looked up much from the … Continue reading

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traditional with a twist

Here’s another house nearby that warrants a second look and always brings a smile. It’s the traditional front lawn setup with a bit of a twist. All the supporting plants are exclusively dry garden plants, some rare like the cycads. … Continue reading

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, driveby gardens, Plant Portraits, pots and containers | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Pepper Tree courtyard

Spotted locally around dusk, a front-house courtyard with Pepper Tree (Schinus molle), stone paving “grouted” with Dymondia margaretae. Planting includes euphorbias, agaves, phormiums (or dianella) a small Cercis ‘Forest Pansy,’ and purple irises in bloom near the side gate. There … Continue reading

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driveby gardens; sundown on the Miracle Mile

I worked in the “Miracle Mile” stretch of Wilshire Boulevard on Thursday, approximately the 5600 block. In the surrounding neighborhoods, the houses had gardens that looked promising and full of interest, so during a 20-minute lunch I dashed out to … Continue reading

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streetside; rainy day house & gardens

(alluding to Joni Mitchell’s Rainy Night House) I recently read that Taylor Swift wanted the part in a movie on Mitchell. I see Swift’s photo all over the Internet, but it wasn’t until Sunday that I finally heard one of … Continue reading

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Bulbs, design, driveby gardens, garden ornament, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments