In my previous post I showed you thickets of weedy Agave americana growing in two front yards just a block apart. On the same street I made another discovery—one that almost had me slam on the brakes with excitement. (I managed to contain myself enough to safely pull over to the curb.)
Take a look:
This is the kind of front yard I would have if I started with a blank slate: rectangular terraced planting areas in different sizes and colors filled with a variety of succulents and waterwise perennials.
I love everything about this design. Hands-down, this is my new favorite front yard in Davis. The fact that I discovered it purely by chance makes me wonder what other treasures there are close to home? Instead of visiting gardens elsewhere, I need to spend more time exploring my own town!
I was secretly hoping I’d run into the homeowners, but it was a weekday morning and nobody was around. Therefore, I can’t tell you anything about this project. The only thing I can do is show you more photos.
There even is an Agave americana…
…but it’s beautifully contained behind boulders.
Based on the historical Google Street View photos below, the raised beds already existed in August 2007:
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| August 2007 (image © 2017 Google) |
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| May 2012 (image © 2017 Google) |
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| May 2015 (image © 2017 Google) |
It doesn’t appear like the hardscaping has changed in the last 10 years, but the plants certainly have. The planting scheme has evolved in response to California’s historic 2011-2017 drought and now looks better than ever. This front yard could be on the cover of a coffee-table book showcasing the beauty of water-wise contemporary landscaping.
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