Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 22, 2010. Rain has cactus and succulents fighting for space in my neighbor's yard. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
My neighbor's yard is a masterpiece of color, shape, texture, light and shadow. It's also drought tolerant. Hummingbirds claim territory in his yard year round. Raccoons, skunks, opossums, coyotes, gray fox and owls visit after dark. I once witnessed a Great Blue Heron fishing in his Koi pond. (It was thwarted by anti-raccoon fencing just below the surface of the water.)
There's always something in bloom, but the rainy season makes it spectacular. Others try to imitate my neighbor's mish mosh of cactus, succulents and other plants. None compare to his mastery of the landscape. An artist, he collects interesting plants and has an eye for what works together. I'm privileged to have a view of his spectacular garden.
