You could easily copy the colorful succulent garden at Weidner’s nursery in Encinitas, CA. It’s a three-dimensional showcase of succulents superbly suited to Southern California. Most are readily available, and all are in my book, Designing with Succulents.
This section of the garden combines shrub jades and yellow ‘Kiwi’ aeoniums with two orange superstars: flowering aloes and Euphorbia ‘Sticks on Fire’. Agaves provide texture contrast.
The long, narrow garden began when Laura Eubanks of Design for Serenity came to Weidner’s to do a succulent planting-and-design demo. The result inspired the nursery’s on-staff succulent expert Sabine Hildebrand to continue the garden from the entrance to the corner—a distance of about 50 feet.
Celebrity succulent designer Laura Eubanks created this section of the garden.
I do wonder, though, if visitors who exclaim over it are aware of important aspects that are not immediately obvious. You might not notice, for example, the way the grade varies. A garden that’s flat is not as interesting, visually appealing and natural-looking. Creating berms also is practical: It lets you bring in good soil. The area’s hard-packed dirt would have been difficult to dig and for roots to penetrate.
About half of the area is inorganic hardscape. Near parking spaces are gravel and crushed red lava rock. A dry creek lined with river cobbles runs through the middle, and black lava rock serves as an accent.
The dry creek is slightly below grade, which is important, because creeks never lie along the surface. It meanders rather than being ramrod-straight, and it connects with a culvert that gives it a “reason” to be there.
The dark purple-red of the lava rock echoes the color of Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ at left. A decomposed-granite path (at right) is serpentine, which is more inviting than simply straight.
Swaths of red volcanic rock fill gaps, help keep weed seeds from germinating, hold moisture in the soil, and make plants easier to access.
Labeled photos from my video
I recently released a YouTube video that takes you on a narrated, four-minute tour of Weidner’s Colorful Succulent Garden. I labeled all the plants, so if you’ve come here from there, you’re at the right place. You’ll find those same images below.
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’
For the mound she planted, Laura chose a boulder with shades of gray, then echoed its lighter areas with Kalanchoe bracteata (silver spoons).
Crassula ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’ (yellow jade, golden jade)
Typically people want lots of color in their gardens, but they don’t realize texture is important, too. Here, boulders and a graceful agave relieve the busyness of finer-textured foliage.
The garden has a temporary tree—the bloom spike of Agave desmetiana. There’s also a smaller succulent that will grow into a tree over time: Dracaena draco (dragon tree). It dark green leaves are at left, where the visitors are pointing.
Succulents Sabine chose for the garden’s west end include variegated Agave desmetiana, ‘Hobbit’ jade, red Kalanchoe luciae, Kalanchoe bracteata (with orange flowers) and at upper right, the young dragon tree.
Plants in Laura’s section include variegated ‘Hobbit’ jade, Aloe ‘Little Gem’ (in bloom), a stacked crassula and echeverias at left, yellow sedum, and a variegated agave.
Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ contrasts with blue Agave potatorum, ripple jade and Kalanchoe luciae.
Kalanchoe bracteosa (silver spoons)
For intense red, orange, yellow and green, Sabine combined Aeonium ‘Kiwi’, Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’, Crassula ovata (jade) and Aloe ‘Cynthia Giddy’.
Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (elephant bush) is a low-growing, spreading, ground-cover succulent. Here it flows around Aloe vera and Aloe ‘Cynthia Giddy’. Black and red lava rock topdress the area.
Kalanchoe orgyalis (copper spoons)
Aeonium ‘Kiwi’
Agave attenuata ‘Variegata’ (lower left) is stunning, but susceptible to sunburn in harsher climates. The nursery is only a few miles from the ocean, so this white-striped agave is fine in full sun.
Flanking Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ (center) and Agave vilmoriniana (octopus agave, upper left) is Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’. Also vivid orange are the blooms of an Aloe striata hybrid.
Beschorneria yuccoides variegata, shown here in bud, sends up spectacular flowers. The soft-leaved succulent is related to Agave, and both are in the lily family.
Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ contrasts with Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’ and Aloe vera. Despite its fame, the yellow-flowering aloe is underutilized in landscapes. It’s handy to have; use the raw gel in its leaves to soothe minor burns.
Agave vilmoriniana (octopus agave) stands out amid smaller-leaved succulents.
Surrounding Agave ‘Blue Glow’ are crassulas ‘Hobbit’ and ‘Tricolor’, Aeonium ‘Kiwi’, and Euphorbia milii (with red flowers).
Learn more in my YouTube video: “Weidner’s Colorful Succulent Garden.” And if you’re ever near Encinitas, CA (about 40 minutes north of San Diego), do visit Weidner’s and enjoy the garden in person!
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