Quite a few people commented that I hadn't shown my garden before....Well, I think I have, but it was a long time ago....And I may not have shown it in relation to people being in it, at the time, as I did in my last post with the photo's of Wendy & Mark...So, I thought I would post some pictures of the garden below taken from above---me on my deck---looking down at different plants, as well as from down there and looking up at my house---the picture above was taken way down in the garden looking up at a beautiful Euphorbia Cooperii...
This is the view from the South East corner of the garden looking up at my house...The big plant on the right is a very small Saquaro that is about two hundred years old....They are very very slow growing...about one half inch a year, if that!
And here I am in the South West corner looking up at my house...It is very hard to get a real sense of how big the garden really is when you are in these corners...cause you really cannot see that there is so much more too the 'whole'.....
This picture above was taken by me looking down on the garden from my deck...it is just a small portion of the right side as you are looking down...You can see this bronze statue of a Ram towards the lower center of the picture....And just below is a closer look of this really beautiful piece of sculpture....
And here below is a picture of a beautiful Agave...there are hundreds of different kinds of Agave's...this particular one gets very very big so you need a lot of room for it to grow and it is a beautiful rich green color....
So, when you are standing up on my deck, which runs the length of my whole house, you can look down to the left side and see this Date Palm, below....This was a 'volunteer'...I didn't plant this---some bird did! You know what I mean? Some bird dropped a seed or two and Volia! There is a Date Palm growing there...
When I first started my Cactus Garden 20 years ago this was so tiny I thought it would never grow enough to be recognizeable. Well, it is not really BIG yet, but compared to what it was twenty years ago, it is miraculous! And it won't ever have dates, but they call it a Date Palm, anyway! I think it is extremely gorgeous!
Here is a beautiful Euphorbia Amak Verigated with an abundance of flowers and you can almost see the necter oozing out of them...Incredibly beautiful flowers and teeny tiny, too...Here is a cluster of plants which are many different sizes and types...But what I love about this picture is that you can see the city behind all these plants....and there to the right of center of the picture is some of that 'visual polution' I've talked about many times...
I just love these plants so much. They are so sculptural and the variety of greens and blues in these plants is phenomonal!And here below are a couple of Aloe's in silouette, with the mid city beyond...you can see some of the buildings on Wilshire Blvd. and Park La Brea and beyond that the horizon and the ocean.
That building in the foreground is a large apartment building on Hollywood Blvd. just after the city part of Hollywood Blvd. ends, and the residential part begins....My first and only apartment was on Hollywood Blvd. where I lived for three years until I found my house and I've been here, ever since....
And here above, a gaggle of Euphorbia Amak's Verigated with a darling Morning Dove sitting right in the middle, there....I have a lot of these plants because they all came from the mother plant! They have grown incredibly and I love that! I also love that the birds just lite wherever they please....delightful! And those ball-like things on these Euphorbia's are the seed pods, btw. And here is another dear Morning Dove sitting on a small tree that hasn't bloomed yet....
I love that we can see his eye so clearly....and behind him is Park La Brea and another big building on Wilshire Blvd.
And one more bird sitting on the Waterful Sculpture partaking of a bath and a bit of a drink, too....
And just to remind you what started this post....it was that first picture of Wendy and Mark ascending the middle staircase down in the garden...And here it is again....
And this is just the middle of the garden from a quarter of the way down to not quite all the way down....but there is so much on either side that you can't really see in any one photograph...well, possiby in a panoramic shot, but not even then, I'm afraid...the scope of it is just too big. It covers the whole hill below my house....
Part 2 of this post will be coming along next time....
More to come....
- had this to say:
Can't describe how I feel about your photo except that I'm speechless, breathless of the beauty I see. I love gardens but unfortunately I don't have that much space.
- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 3:40:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
What an amazing garden you have, Naomi. It has such a wonderful feel to it - and your house - so high up with that amazing deck, is just fantastic! I love that your garden is so different to anything I have seen - it is really inspiring, so original.
How old is the house, if you don't mind me asking? It looks to me to have been built in the 60's maybe?? I love old architecture and am curious, that's all!
You are obviously very committed to your garden and love what you do very much. Fantastic post, I can't wait for part 2!- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 4:30:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
tag.
you're it. the quuer chef sent me.
lovley garden by the way. i know nothing of plants really, but yours are nice.- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 4:43:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
What a wonderful garden! And such lovely photos of it too. Cacti are fascinating plants but it is far too cold to have such a garden in the UK. I have a few cacti on sunny windowsills and have even been rewarded with flowers on some and they are always gorgeous.
- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 5:18:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
I think maybe you live in heaven! Beautiful. Just lovely.
- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 7:56:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Wow. It's just such a foreign concept up here in the north to see trees and cacti noted as a garden.
Of course, even though I live in a metro area of 4 million, there's a wildlife preserve within 2 miles of my home. :)- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 8:23:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
You have a lovely garden Naomi! It's so pretty and is so large. I love all the different levels you have and pathways down there. Is there a lot of upkeep to it or is it low maintenance pretty much??
The ram is so pretty. I love things like that in a garden! Thanks for this lovely tour!! Looking forward to more!!- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 8:27:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
I just love your garden. You have such a variety of plants, it is fun to see the pics. I have a big date palm too, which with the help of the wind and the birds has planted other date palms in our garden, lol!. The ram sculpture is precious!
- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 8:37:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Wow! You have an amazing garden, Naomi! I have a great predilection for plants of the desert. Your garden is beautiful and very large, too. I love all these landing,in Portuguese, we said “patamares”, and the fantastic view to the city. You made a great job in this post and your photos are stunning! I am looking forward to more pictures!
- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 10:45:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Gorgeous! I want to take about a week-long vacation in your garden. It seems like the kind of garden that does what a garden should do--put you at total ease in a world of peace. It is really beautiful, Naomi!
Rick- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 2:09:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
What a beautiful garden you have!! That's amazing!
the only thing is, I kept thinking......."boy, would I hate to roll down that hill!" :D- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 3:04:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
That Ram is WAY cool... as an Aries such things always catch my eye...
Oh, and its lucky I don't suffer from vertigo...! Those pictures looking stright down.... [phew!].- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 3:17:00 PM PDT
-
had this to say:
What an amazing garden you have! :)
- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 3:26:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
That ram would be VERY popular around here, since we are Carolina fans (UNC)!
Love your garden photos, Naomi, as always. The aloe, with the city in the background is very nice.- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 4:44:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Do you have a gardner or gardners. That is awesome!!!!! Can't wait to see part two!!!! Where is the picture of your house? I haven't seen it.
- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 4:55:00 PM PDT
-
had this to say:
Wow....I had NO idea that your garden was this large, Naomi! It's just gorgeous! And those walk-ways throughout...really neat. What a view you have from your deck. Just awesome! And I loved that Date Palm.
PS...I'd meant to comment on the size of your garden the other day and forgot, so thanks for posting this.- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 5:31:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Naomi!
What an wonderful hobby ,cacti are some of the most interesting plants to be found,I would like to have a giant tree-like cacti,In my yard,
Lot's of Lick's
Sam- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 8:26:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
My goodness you have a very nice garden:-). I bet it is very enjoyable to set in and relax. Thanks for sharing your "Secret Garden" *wink* again:-).
- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 8:38:00 PM PDT
-
had this to say:
Enjoyed the photos of your garden. Your number of plants - cacti, succulents, etc. reminded me of a botanical garden I delighted in visiting on occasion in the Phoenix area when we lived in AZ.
Also, the saquaro, "man of the mountain," as he is commonly referred to, was especially intriguing. I always find it incredible to think that at the size of the one you pictured, it would be 200 years old.
I recall having a cactus that bloomed once a year, only at night, then by the next morning the beautiful large while bloom would soon collapse.
Hope to begin converting some of my small (by comparison with yours) front yard area, grassy parkway to more natural landscaping, gradually, in the future. Think it's critical as water will only continue to become more scarce in the years ahead, especially for those of us in So. Cal.- Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 8:54:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
wow, that's more work then I could do! I didn't realize your garden was so big!! I sure hope you have never gotten "stuck" by any of your beauties!!!
most of them bloom at one time or another?- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 4:57:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Gorgeous!!!!! I love the pictures taken from your deck. What a beautiful view you have to look at every day. You've done a marvelous job!
(I like your new template. It's new to me. I haven't been here for a long time)- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 6:24:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Beautiful pictures of your garden and I do love cactus gardens. I live in Tucson part of the year and the little house has an acre of natural desert around us; so I get some of that benefit of seeing those sculptural, natural beauties and you are so right, that is what they are.
- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 7:39:00 AM PDT
-
had this to say:
That. Is. The most amazing cactus garden I have ever seen. :)
So pretty! Hello and happy weekend from Michele's!- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 8:20:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Michele sent me to see you this time, Naomi. It's great to see you again!
I was showing two of my coworkers your amazing page, Naomi. They were suitably impressed. Your gardens are incredible and just the location of your house inspires awe. I showed them posts from the past few weeks detailing your gardens, Mr Wexler, and even LA.
I hope that you're able to enjoy your gardens from below as well as the house, Naomi. That's a pretty steep path to climb but well worth it if one can breathe well enough to go up and down. Thanks for sharing the beauty that surrounds you.- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 8:26:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Your garden is beautiful! We have nothing like that around here. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 9:54:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
What an amazing garden! How long did it take to create that little slice of heaven, 20, 30 years? I love the views, the variety, the decking and love the birds and the water feature. It's all so beautiful!
- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 10:01:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Just as fabulous as you are! I love your photos gal :O)
- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 10:40:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Love the shot with the unmistable Park La Brea. :) I had friends who lived there, and we eat over there a lot (Doughboy's, Mandarette, King's Road Cafe).
Loved these shots. How amazing. You have your own little paradise, and I think that's wonderful, Naomi. Loved the ram sculpture.
~S- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 12:40:00 PM PDT
-
had this to say:
Your gardens are so memorable that I find myself thinking about them later, especially because there is nothing remotely close to it here in Virginia.
- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 2:55:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Sorry I don't get a chance to comment much anymore, life got exceedingly busy in a short period of time.
I'll be honest in that this is not entirely a social call. I have been selected to compete in a local blogging competition on the isssues facing America. It's sponsored by a business-lifestyle magazine linked to an event put on ny the Sac Chamber of Commerce.
The event is probably geared towards a slightly right-of-center audience (business people), but I'm ok with that. I posted today about it with all the appropriate links. I'd appreciate it if you would take a look - it kicks off on Tuesday.
Thanks,
Mike- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 4:41:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Incredible! I can only imagine how your garden looks when everything blooms.
Here in the Pacific Northwest I can only have cacti in the house. But when I visited my kids in San Diego they gave me a few square feet and I planted cacti.- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 6:42:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
I love love love it!!
So amazing, so beautiful, and so original!- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 9:07:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Now I feel homesick already lol.
BTW I have a bunch of pics to send I have to shrink them down first.
What strange looking little people you have as garden gnomes ;)- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 9:34:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Wendy sent me this time!
I posted a couple of pics from visiting my mom in Arizona, and you will notice that there is a lake in one and a non-cactus bush with a red flower in another one. The only cactus is a drawing on a wall..............I am going to have to send her by your blog to see your lovely garden so that she can get an idea of what I would love to see in Arizona :)
I enjoyed seeing your pics again! You have a gardening gift!- Friday, September 1, 2006 at 11:37:00 PM PDT
-
had this to say:
Wow, what a beautiful garden! So very different from my own (mines all roses and perennials). I love cactus and succulents.
Your garden looks so huge too!
I'm visiting from Wendy's right now - nice to see a photo of her in your garden.- Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 12:11:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Hi Naomi!
I made a comment and it show up with the name S.A.M, for mistake, because this blog is only for my experience! Lol! This comment is mine, your friend Sonia. Many hugs!- Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 4:57:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Did you plant most of these exotics yourself? Or was part of the garden there when you moved in? Either way it is absolutely lovely.
Our mourning doves have almost gone, just an occasional sighting now. But the robins are here all year round and now that the figs are ripening on the big tree... they are having quite a good time. I pick them almost daily and the robins sit up in the top and scream at me. :)- Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 10:14:00 AM PDT
-
had this to say:
Those pictures from the top are beautiful. They really give a better feel for how massive & multi-leveled your garden really is.
Oh and the bird, so cute. That 1 cactus reminds me of the one you had to have cut down earlier this year. My gosh that was a gigantic plant.
Beautiful photos, Naomi.- Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 10:47:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
I am here again, Naomi, to appreciate more your fantastic garden. I am just enchanted with this wonderful bronze statue of a Ram. What a gorgeous job of art!
- Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 4:04:00 PM PDT
x4
