I’ve probably mentioned before that one of my favorite things to do when I am in another city is to walk or drive around and check out the gardens. I love seeing what is regionally acceptable, and the gardening styles of different areas.
While out exploring we happened upon this amazing garden in downtown Fillmore.
I was in paradise! These pictures are all of the parking strip on the side of the building…
It was a little over grown and could benefit from a little weeding but what an amazing variety of dangerous plants!
Look at those agaves! They were screaming for me to volunteer to get in there and thin them, I can still hear them calling…
Now we’ve worked our way around to the front of the building. The architecture says “church” but it looks like perhaps it’s been converted to a home. There was no sign or indication of a business within.
Isn't it just heavenly?!
These happy and healthy Birds of Paradise were growing near by. So often this plant ends up looking tattered but these were beautiful.
And I had to throw these two signs in. Aren’t they great?
And I had to throw these two signs in. Aren’t they great?
As we drove south from Santa Barbara toward Fillmore I kept noticing these plants along side the road. I swore they were Castor Bean, but how could that be? After all the Castor Bean is poisonous right? Wouldn’t it be a tad odd for them to be growing along the highway? Finally I got to take a closer look. They sure look like Castor Bean. 
Huge beautiful plants! Look at those leaves! 
Nearby I also spied one of my favorites, Pepper Berry! I fell in love with this beauty as a cut flower at the florists and remember first seeing a tree growing in Los Angeles years ago. I’m sure it’s probably a messy tree but I would love to have one growing in my garden. 
It’s like a weeping willow with a berry bonus. The slightest wind was rustling the branches and leaves, that’s why these pictures are all blurry; I couldn’t get the tree to hold still for its close up!
The countryside outside Fillmore… 
Tomorrow, more of the sights of downtown Fillmore. Trust me, it’s very dangerous! (very danger garden that is)….
My husband stayed in the car while I hopped out to snap a few pictures. Isn’t it amazing and also a little menacing?
I wasn’t paying any attention to the people in the building, on the other side of the windows, until one of them came out to find out what I was up to. Once I assured him I was harmless and only interested in the agaves he seemed to relax. He told me that he loved the agaves because they kept him from having to purchase a security system or put bars on the windows. Good point! Who’s crazy enough to crawl over a wall of agaves?
Back on December 20
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