This garden — located on a main neighborhood artery — is one that we drive by constantly. Over the years the house has changed hands and I no longer can remember when this retaining wall was planted.
Our mild winter, early spring and current hot, dry, sunny weather have made these particular plants very happy.
Most years there is some overlap in the bloom times of the various yellow succulents and the lavender. But I've only ever noticed them all flower in unison once. It was too spectacular to forget.
Unfortunately we didn't take a picture of that memorable event, thinking it would occur again. So this year I made sure we snapped the luscious lavender.
Though most of the succulents have yet to open, the lavender has never flowered so profusely nor with such intense color. It's a dramatic follow-up to the soft spring scene that's dominated by flowering crabapple trees.
These are simple and restrained plantings, but they make what could be an imposing and impersonal wall into a neighborhood showcase.
