The Joy Us Garden Front Garden
Oh my front garden … how I love you! I’ve had requests from our Youtube viewers and Facebook peeps to see more of the gardens of Joy Us garden so here are some glimpses for you. When I moved into this house in Santa Barbara, the front yard was mainly bermuda grass (which looks decent for about 1 month out of the year), agapanthus, lavender, phormium and valerian. Only four of the original plants remain: a Giant Bird of Paradise which is now 17′ tall, a Rosemary Tuscan Spires standing 7′ x 8′, a Queen Palm reaching over 25′ and a 7′ Osmanthus fragrans which is coming into bloom and smelling lovely.
I’ve always loved succulents and decided now was my time to have at it with them. The pebble ground cover appealed to me because I love the look of it, especially here in dry Southern California and look Ma, no watering and no maintenance! It also makes a nice sound underfoot. And, I can hear anybody trying to sneak up on me. I edged one side in Santa Barbara sandstone in a meandering line. There are two raised beds on the other side along with the Giant Bird of Paradise planting. We shot a video for you too which you can also find at the end.
here you see a bit of the rosemary in bloom
this pot sits on what I call the queens perch, a great vantage point, & holds the only “floweries” in the garden
Next you’ll see a few of the individual plants in the garden. This is not nearly all of them because this post would be miles long. This will give you an idea of how colorful and textural drought tolerant plants can be.
the paddle plant patch grows & spreads happily under the Giant Bird
the variegated jade plant grows in the shade under the jacaranda
looking in fro the street – the blue agave is 1 of the stunners growing curbside
i love this pink jelly bean plant – it grows very slowly
aloe vera is a welcome addition to any garden
the 4′ coleus “dipped in wine” mingles with aeonium autropurpureum, variegated weeping japanese boxwood & burro’s tail sedum
another burgundy aeonium
a touch of orange provided by the coppertone sedum
a variety of cuttings i took & planted now growing facing the street
I live at the end of a dead end street so it’s nice and peaceful back here. On one side is a hill covered in vegetation and which home to lots of wildlife. The garden is loved in the daytime by birds, butterflies and lizards as well as raccoons, possums and skunks at night. Besides relaxation and enjoyment this garden provides two other things:
video & photo shoots for my business, Joy Us garden. check out the LadyBug Bag on the table – it’s a great tote with lots of pockets for gardening, shopping, yoga, mommies, etc.
lots of cuttings to plant in the garden & give away to friends
My gardens are always being added to and changed as I find new plants and take more cuttings. And because this is a temperate climate, I get to play in mine year round. A gardener’s garden is a work in progress after all!
Are you curious about how my side garden looks? Take the tour here.
Links To Other Posts About My Front Garden
How To Propagate A String Of Pearls Plant
No Way To Treat A Plant
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Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.
What a wealth of information!
I found your site because I wanted to figure out why my donkey tail was turning pale-yellow. I inherited it from my parents who lived in Arcadia, CA since 1967, and the plant came with the house when they bought it. Always loved the plant, so I was dismayed when it paled.
Your site provided a very plausible explanation – we recently moved it from under an oak tree because it was hidden and got too many leaves and debris covering it. But where we put it is out in the open, exposing it to too much sunlight. Based on your site’s advice, I think I know where it will get bright shade and partial direct light.
Imagine my delight when I realized you are based in Santa Barbara. We live on the Mesa, in SB. My wife is recently retired and has started a succulent garden in the back yard. Your web page is more relevant to us than most. Glad to have discovered it, and I expect we will return to it frequently.
Thanks!
Craig
Hi Craig – Glad you found us too! I’ve done quite a few posts on succulents so please check them out. Yes, Burro’s Tail Sedums will burn if they get too much hot sun. Their leaves are pale green & full of water so they prefer bright shade or exposures with a bit of morning sun. Santa Barbara is a great place to grow all the wonderful, fleshy succulents. I moved to Tucson, Arizona 2 months ago so the fleshy succulents which I brought all now grow in the bright shade. Happy gardening, Nell