Kyle's garden was the first stop on my whirlwind trip to Davis, Sacramento and the greater Bay Area late last March. To refresh your (and my!) memory I landed in Sacramento on Thursday afternoon, March 27th.
Gerhard picked me up at the airport and as soon as he parked the car we were out walking his garden and I was snapping photos (hundreds, which I narrowed down to "just" 56 for
this post). Friday morning we were up early and on the road. Gerhard's friend Kyle was heading out of town for a camping trip, but kindly let us stop by and tour early.
Since I'm a faithful reader of Gerhard's blog, I've virtually toured Kyle's garden many times (
for example) but seeing it in person was an entirely different experience. The plants were all pristine, so well grown! Everything was top notch...it was even better in person than I thought it would be.
Agave ‘Kissho Kan’
Looking at these images I realize I was trying to avoid getting the trailer in my photos, as it was being loaded up as we toured the garden and I didn't want to capture private business. Now I wish I would have focused on it because it was so darn cute! This is the best I've got though, just a bit of the back side...
And back to the plants... oh the plants!
Mangave some somebody. I'm not going to worry about getting ID on plants that I don't know the specifics of. I can't grow most of them anyway, I was just there to appreciate how well someone who can grow them was doing so.
And how tidy the garden was. My gosh... I am in awe of that!
Agave titanota growing off the side of a rock cliff, or, well, a couple of well placed rocks anyway.
Kyle is a geologist by trade, so this love of, and use of, rocks comes naturally.
Hechtia texensis partially obscured by a poppy.
Everywhere I looked there was an interesting, photogenic, vignette.
Mangave 'Praying Hands'
That's got to be an Agave ovatifolia...
Working our way around to the back garden now, and passing Kyle's truck bed nursery...
Core samples and a piece of metal make for a unique statement piece...
Agave 'Blue Glow' lined up along the wall.
I do love it when a gardener makes vertical planting opportunities.
Especially when they're as fabulous as this!
Mangave 'Racing Stripes'
I cannot remember the pups names, but they were having a grand time running about. They tried to get me off course and on to the patio out of sequence.
Luckily I resisted and got back on track.
Ferraria crispa, so GOOD!
Kyle's home office/shed in the distance, we'll get closer soon.
Looking back to the corner opposite the "shed" and one of several seating areas in the garden...
Pavers heading to the patio and potted plants...
A close-up of the potted plants.
Turning towards the back fence.
I want to call that lush tree a podocarpus, but I'm not sure if that's correct. This photo is one of my favorites from the visit. The layers are so expertly planted and cared for.
Patio/seating area shot...
Looking the other direction. Isn't this just a gorgeous area?
Aloe erinacea
Agave 'Sun Glow' or something similar.
The office porch...
And one last view towards the back of the house. Truth be told, as the weekend progressed and I saw one fantastic garden after another I almost forgot about the first visit that kicked it all off! It was a pleasure to look through my photos again and relive that morning. Thank you Kyle for making the time for us to stop by when you were just trying to get out of town!
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As you know, I love Kyle's garden, and your photos really capture the magic. I'm really glad you got to see it in person. There's no other garden quite like it.
ReplyDeleteThat is one packed garden! And I'm impressed by how immaculate it is. I love what Kyle did with the rocks in the bed leading to the front door. More proof that one can never have too many rocks.
ReplyDeleteI love Kyle's eye for composition and style with chairs and containers that complement but don't outcompete his rock solid design and plantsmanship. That looks like a podocarpus to me too, and I think I spy the old blooms of an Aloe castanea, so much to explore!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! Love the expert layering of the plants. So many beautiful agaves, aloes and mangaves.It’s a treat to see these growing in the ground and in such an abundance.
ReplyDelete