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Photo collage by Evelyn Alemanni

Welcome to my garden! Fifteen years ago I grew few succulents---mostly ground covers and jade. But as the designers and homeowners I met as a garden photojournalist started using succulents to create gorgeous low-water gardens, the plants began to play an increasing role in my own garden.

Amid the succulents, I have a variety of bulbs and annuals that burst into bright colors in spring and early summer. Many succulents---notably aloes---also produce wonderful, long-lasting flowers.

An assortment of drought-resistant plants create a shifting kaleidoscope of colorful blooms, beginning in early spring.

Succulent tapestry:  A rectangular (11-by-22 foot) bed formerly held 15 rose bushes. I love hybrid teas, but the bushes are water hogs, require a lot of maintenance, and for much of the year are pruned sticks. So I converted the bed to a geometric succulent garden. Nearly every succulent you see here began as a cutting or pup from friends' and neighbors' gardens.

Succulent sitting area:  I created a semi-circular space by digging into the slope between two oak trees. Along the top of the retaining wall, aeoniums, echeverias, kalanchoes and sedums create a half wreath you can sit inside. Higher on the slope grow larger succulents, such as Agave attenuata and Aloe arborescens. That's my West Highland White Terrier, Lily.

These two areas of my garden were featured in Sunset magazine and reprinted in "Backyard Makeovers" (Sunset Books). A Better Homes & Gardens article about the garden was reprinted in the BH&G publication, Landscape Solutions.

  

South African bulbs, succulent ground covers and low-water perennials such as gazanias and pride of Madeira grow in proximity to yuccas and agaves, resulting in an intriguing mix of colors, shapes and textures. When the blooms taper off, the succulents---which look good year-round---again are the stars of the garden.

I like to use striped Agave americana 'Marginata' as a sculptural focal point.

Several of the pots that accessorize my home's outdoor living areas are miniature landscapes---a topic I cover in my book, Succulent Container Gardens.

This is what I see from my office window. A decorative pot containing Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba' (tuxedo agave) is the focal point. Red ivy geraniums and Aeonium 'Sunburst' grow nearby.

For more about my garden---what's wonderful about it and what drives me wild---visit the
Debra's Blog page for my postings at GardeningGoneWild.com.

Read a recent San Diego Union-Tribune article about my garden. My own tips for overcoming less than ideal cultivation conditions accompany the article, but are a separate link. 

You also might find one or more of my photo CDs helpful. Each has 350 photos, all different from those in either book or on the other CDs: Designing with Succulents Plant Palette (newly expanded and updated), Succulents in Containers and Succulent Landscapes.

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