DebraLee

No adhesive at all! The broken china pieces each were drilled with a Dremel tool and then strung on copper wire. We sanded the edges, too, to make them smooth, and attached a few chunks of glass by wrapping them with wire. The beads along the top also are strung on wire.

Amazingly, this has been in the garden for over a decade without falling apart. It was a mother-son project back when he was a teen and living at home. I was into mosaic at the time, but didn't want to permanently attach anything to an expensive Italian terra cotta pot.

The dasylirion has been in the pot for five or six years, replacing a phormium. Here in Southern CA we can go for 8 months without rain, so I threaded a drip line through the bottom of the pot, and placed an emitter at the base of the plant. The dasylirion (a succulent) gets just enough water to survive, whenever the automatic irrigation system comes on.

And now I'm going to email my son, Art Baldwin, a link to this page!

Rebecca's garden is exquisite. She has a wonderful eye for design, and for creating outdoor spaces that are both inviting and functional. It's no wonder her book on vertical gardening, Gardening UP! (with Susan Morrison) is hugely popular.

I like the way you break what is often an overwhelming process down into logical steps, Billy. You know what I find most challenging? Trying to plant living bouquets. It's one thing to combine plants that promise a great color combinations, and another to know what blooms at the same time. Also, over the years, I've made mistakes like planting pastel coral bearded iris next to a shocking red climbing 'Altissimo' rose---both beautiful in their own right but awful together. Every year I swear I'll move the irises, but come fall, I can't find them!

I'm glad you like it! Yes, the container has a drain hole, which I covered with a piece of window screen. Oops, I should have said "the arrangement will last a year or more." Those graptosedum rosettes will get leggy and deconstruct the composition, so in about a year (less, if the weather is warm and the plants are actively growing) you'll probably want to redo it. Graptosedum is easy to start from cuttings, so simply prune the tips and tuck back in.

I first visited the Botanical Building as a child, experiencing a delightful shiver as I entered what looked like a giant spider web. As a teen, the building made me weak-kneed---it's SO romantic, right out of a Victorian novel. As a young adult, I chased a toddler through it. As a garden photojournalist, I dismissed it as somewhat disappointing (all those beds of annuals). Now, thanks to you, I'm going to return for a leisurely, more respectful look.

Hi, Michelle -- You'll love this: Flora told me that it reminds her of the way cultivated fields look when viewed from an airplane.

Here's how it's described in my book, Succulent Container Gardens: "The 80-by 60-inch vertical garden, which comprises a dozen 20-inch-square planted panels, was stored flat in a greenhouse for six months so the succulents would be well-rooted. The wood frame emphasizes that this is an artwork. (Design by Robin Stockwell of Succulent Gardens and Kevin Smith of Flora Grubb Gardens)

Debra Lee Baldwin

Hi, Billy -- I'll be at the show on Wednesday, 3/24 presenting on the topic of my new book, Succulent Container Gardens. And while in the Bay Area, I'm presenting at the Ruth Bancroft Garden 3/20 and the Berkeley Botanical Garden 3/22. Also a book signing at Mrs. Dalloways Literary & Garden Arts in Berkeley 3/21.

I look forward to connecting with you and Interleafer and other gardening hobbyists and professionals, and enjoying great gardens and Flower Show exhibits! -- Debra Lee Baldwin

I see a palm that wishes the fig were a rubber tree.

Hi, Billy -- Here in San Diego county, we have the same concerns as you do in Santa Barbara. Your posting is timely and contains excellent information. Btw, I'm teaching a class this fall at Quail Botanical Gardens on "Waterwise, Firewise Landscaping" based on my book, "Designing with Succulents." These plants, which by definition store water in fleshy leaves and stems, don't transmit fire, are excellent choices for firebreaks, are noninvasive, and thrive in Southern CA gardens. -- Debra Lee Baldwin

Hi, Billy -- I'm glad you're blogging about sustainability and West Coast gardening. Only you could make such a dry (pun intended) subject funny. Love the bit about woodchucks. What ARE they, anyway? Some sort of East Coast gopher?