Barbara Weiler's southern California garden is a great example of how to thrive during a drought.
"My garden on 1 1/2 acres in San Diego County has undergone major changes due to the ongoing drought and water restrictions. Four years ago I started planting succulents in areas with no irrigation and they are all thriving. Winter starts the long bloom season for Aloes, which produce brightly colored blooms that attract hummingbirds. I leave the flower stalks on the plants to dry, and then incorporate them in creative floral designs. Sadly, I have lost many plants and trees due to stress from extreme heat (over 100 degrees) and 5 years of drought. I am replacing them with drought tolerant California natives, many Australian plants and succulents.
Our house sits in the middle of a gently sloping property and I have created a series of large garden beds connected by pathways. There is no lawn. Everything is heavily mulched and the whole garden is organic-no pesticides or chemical fertilizers. My biggest problems, besides the lack of water, are gophers, snails and soil pathogens."
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Comments
Nothing shy or water starved looking about those dramatic orange colored bottle brush shaped blooms, Barbara. They are festive and look to be celebrating your wise choice in adapting to your current growing conditions. And, oh, my, those eye-catching variegated leaves of the agaves (?)...I just love them.
I really love the look, colors/textures of a dry succulent garden but I can only grow in containers here. this intense drought in CA has shown me how resilient gardeners are to adapt to their conditions and be able to still have a spectacular garden
Beautiful garden! Succulents make everything better. Kudos to you, Barbara.
Barbara, wonderful display! How do you do battle with the slugs in your gardens? Diane
Beautiful and so colorful- you are a very wise woman!
Great choices, great solution. Looks great!
I would plant some beans and after they bloom cut them down trapping the Nitrogen in the soil on the roots and replant more beans over and over. Too bad you can't plant hemp. The drought drives up the THC in hemp making it illegal.
I'm sorry that you've lost plants and trees, Barbara, but wowee: your new plant palette is wonderful. I love love love the aloes and agaves. The shapes, colors and textures are just wonderful. Thanks for sharing your personal resilience and beautiful garden.
Congratulations Barbara you certainly have adapted to your drought conditions. It is all so colourful and he healthy looking.
Who needs a water thirsty lawn when you can have the unequaled beauty of a succulent garden? Barbara, your combinations bring the high drama that few other plants can manage... the shapes, textures and colors are spectacular. You have shown with the redo of your gardens that even in prolonged drought, a beautiful 'yard' is still a possibility.
Barbara: Superb garden, regardless of the original necessity! As the old saying goes, "When life only tosses you lemons, make lemonade." May the life force be with you, and with all of GPOD's dedicated gardeners who have enriched my life. Happy New Year, all!
Barbara, your garden is breathtaking! Get a crossbow for the gophers.
How interesting ! Wow ! The aloes really grow large there ! Love your garden !
You are very wise in going with the flow - or lack thereof ! Your garden is dramatic and beautiful, and the envy of Tim and Jeff! We always lust after the things we can't grow, or grow easily. I suggest one of the iron based slug baits, as they do not kill anything else
and degenerate into fertilizer. Keep on showing the way to handle the drought.
Barbara, great job of adapting your garden to current conditions. I love all of the succulents that can be grown in CA.
Hi Barbara, I admire your tenacity. I recall the gardeners who gave up many years ago when Maryland suffered extreme drought couple years in a row. Your new adapted garden is so attractive. I hope you enjoy the California natives as much as your original plantings. Here in Maryland, deer, voles, rabbits, and fungal diseases are our worst problems. What do you do for soil pathogens?
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