12545 Barbara Avenue

Our garden is a mixture of a variety of agave, aloes and fruit trees and it is truly drought tolerant. We first planted fruit trees in 1997 and while remodeling in 2010 we removed all the grass and that's when the fruit trees really flourished. We created a recycled limestone stone wall, steel garden borders and planter boxes, and a "river" of river rocks that greets you at the entrance and leads you throughout the property. Many of our succulents started out as cuttings and have been collected over time from friends and trips to other desert climates. Through the years we have grown vegetables and seasonal flowers, but our love of succulents and our busy schedules have shaped what you see today. We enjoy ruby red grapefruits, lemons, figs, blackberries, and peaches at different times throughout the year. The birds, butterflies and lizards are the biggest benefactors of the garden and we have seen a huge increase in all of them over time. We love to pick our dinner from the garden and show off our night-flowering cacti.  We love living here and have seen a lot of changes since we arrived in 1995.

12520 Caswell Avenue

Several years ago, we decided to get rid of our lawn and put in sustainable plants, purchased in Moreno Valley at Adam Hall's Nursery. We added a pathway up to our home through our new garden and love the colors and textures of our yard. The front garden is comprised of succulents and two wonderful trees, an olive and a Palo Verde, instantly recognizable by its gorgeous green trunk. Additionally, we built a small berm and added large scale rocks for added interest. The recent rains have led to an explosion of some of our bigger cacti, some of which are taking on other-worldly dimensions.



While most things have come in beautifully, we have had some frustration with our persnickety dymondia.  It continues to be a challenge by refusing to fill in the parkway area fully, but we are letting it come in at its own pace.  That's part of the fun of having a sustainable garden, isn't it -- working with a garden's evolution and developing patience to see where the garden wants to take us. We look forward to seeing what else might happen in our garden in the coming weeks.

A spectacular Palo Verde tree

11615 Francis Place

This is a DIY designed garden (2010) with drought-tolerant landscaping.  Watering is minimal and only really consistent during the hottest months of summer. 

A variety of succulents, ground covers, and agave provide visual interest and a beautiful verdant frame for the home.