We love succulents!

Evening Glow

Echevaria is a large genus of the crassulae family native to the semi-desert areas of central America from Mexico to northwestern South America (Wikepedia).  Their leaves look like exquisite blossoms and come in a range of colors.  These ones remain compact and are in the pink/purple range.
 

Red Eye

Three varieties of echevaria are planted diagonally in alternating rows

     Drip irrigation is hidden under the pebble surface, providing moisture with a minimum of water loss due to evaporation.  The plants will grow to about 14" in diameter over the next 12 months.

Garden makeover

Nearing completion, here are a couple of before and afters.

The land is cleared here, but the space is tired

A new flagstone terrace and banquette, desert plantings, pebbles and stone make all the difference

can you even find the path?

Aloes, agaves, barrel cactus and sticks of fire embellish the new pathway to the upper level.

Part 1: The Challenge: The gardens of this Mid-Century Modern Westside home had been let go for years.  The challenge is to transform it into a serene retreat with desert overtones.  Here is where we started:

The upper terrace was poorly built to begin with and had several severe cracks in it.

Parts of the retaining walls and brick banquette were compromised, the railroad ties were rotting, and a new planting concept was needed

The brick fireplace upstaged the flagstone terrace

Where to begin?  After clearing the land we were able to really see the state of the hard surfaces.  We decided the basic elements were worth keeping, but retaining walls needed to be higher and reinforced and the terrace and banquette could use a complete makeover.

before

curved sidewalk and patio create a welcoming presence

When it came to updating this Mar Vista garden, we replaced a straight sidewalk with curves, created a deeper front porch, added rocks and pocket gardens resulting a cheerier, more welcoming street presence.  Now the patio/porch is a place to sit and enjoy the street scene.

pocket plantings, rocks and stepping stones add depth to the garden