Photo - Mexican Feather Grass (Stipa tenuissima)

Photo by Doug Kalal, taken at author's

display garden at the 2010 San Diego County Fair.

Photo - Solana Succulents

Photos by Doug Kalal, taken at Solana Succulents.

Nursery Review - Solana Succulents

One of the great things about living in San Diego is that our mild weather allows for dozens of pocket nurseries to thrive in all the nooks and crannies of the county.  As a landscape designer I love to discover these hidden gems.  Solana Succulents sits right on Highway 101, just north of Lomas Santa Fe Dr. and is so tiny you could drive right by it.  But whatever you do, you have to stop by and see it.

          Jeff Moore is the one man show behind the best little succulent nursery in town.  Filled with all kinds of unusual specimens along with some of my favorites like Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ and Echeveria ‘After Glow’, Solana Succulents has something for every succulent garden.   

Jeff is also great at recommending a perfect plant for each garden.  For small containers Jeff likes to recommend the new crinkly hybrids of Echeveria (see photo below).  Jeff also has some unusual Agaves for larger landscapes.  Going to Solana Succulents is like going on a little treasure hunt.  You never know what discovery lies around the corner.  In the middle of the nursery say hello to Lucy, the Cuban Iguana, sitting high on her perch.  Like Lucy there are wonderful little treasures to find at Solana Succulents.

           

Solana Succulents

355 N. Hwy 101

Solana Beach, CA 92075

(858) 259-4568

http://www.solanasucculents.com/

Solanasucculents@sbcglobal.net

Echeveria 'Crinkly'

Lucy the "guard iguana"

Photos by Doug Kalal, taken at Solana Succulents.

Photo - Nature Designs Landscaping

Photos by Doug Kalal and clients, taken at clients' gardens in

Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Encinitas.

Contractor Review - Nature Designs Landscaping

Whenever I see a landscape contractor’s truck driving by, one of the first things I look for is the contractor state license number on the side of the truck.  The number is always a six digit number that usually starts with a “7” or “8”.  The lower the number, the longer that contractor has been in business.  By far the lowest number of a contractor that I have ever worked with is “597755”.   That is the license number of Nature Designs Landscaping which has been in business for 25 years.

You might be asking, “So what? As long as the guy shows up on time and doesn’t rip me off, I can live with anything.”  I have done a number of jobs with Nature Designs Landscaping over the years and I have really come to appreciate the experience that Steve Jacobs and his crew brings to the job.  Experienced contractors like Steve are worth their weight in gold because they anticipate potential long range landscape problems and work to solve them.  Nature Designs always builds to the highest quality, so while the client may pay a little more up front, that extra quality really pays off in the long run with reduced maintenance costs on things such as broken irrigation heads, dead plants and malfunctioning lighting.

That experience also really shows when comes to building difficult garden elements such as water features and retaining walls.  Steve and his crew are true craftsmen who can take one of my sketches and turn it into a work of art that will win awards.  A picture is worth a thousand words so enjoy the photos of what Nature Designs Landscaping has built for my clients.

Nature Designs Landscaping

116 Hannalei Dr

Vista, CA 92083

(760) 945-4321

www.naturedesigns.net

Lecture Schedule for March

See, touch and smell some great drought tolerant plants such as Salvias, California & Australian natives at a free lecture. "30 Great Drought Tolerant Plants for Your Garden," a 50-minute event featuring gorgeous photos, flowers, and fun tales from the field.   Here is my schedule for my March;

Friday, March 4th  12:00pm  

El Cajon Community Library,                 

201 E. Douglas, El Cajon

Saturday, March 19th  10:00am   

Bonita Community Library,               

4375 Bonita Rd, Bonita

Tuesday, March 22nd  6:00pm    

Tierrasanta Public Library,          

4985 La Cuenta Dr, San Diego

Tuesday, March 29th  6:00pm     
La Mesa Community Library,
8074 Allison Ave, La Mesa

 

Photo - Floribunda Rose 'Betty Boop'

Photo by Doug Kalal, taken at a client's garden in Point Loma.

Photo - New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax 'Maori Chief')

Photo by Doug Kalal, taken at a client's garden in La Mesa.

Photo - Courtyard Pottery

Photo by Doug Kalal, taken at Courtyard Pottery.

Garden Resources - Courtyard Pottery

Strolling down the Cedros Avenue Design District in Solana Beach is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.  You can explore a wide range of shops that have everything from clothing to furniture to garden accessories.  As a designer, I love to see all the different types of materials used by these talented artists.  At the far North end of the district is a cute little store call Courtyard Pottery.

This enchanting store has a wide range of pots and whimsical garden sculptures.  Geared for home owners with small spaces, Courtyard Pottery also sells a nice arrangement of succulents to complement the pots.  Succulents are fantastic container plants since they need very little water and maintenance.  The store is run by Tita Heimpel, a talented designer who can pull together a beautiful container of plants and deliver them to your home.  There is plenty of parking by her store so go check it out.  Mention that you read about the store in this blog to Tita and you will receive an additional 10% off any one item.

         

Courtyard Pottery

http://www.courtyardpottery.com/

142 S. Cedros Ave   Suite A

Solana Beach, CA 92075

(858) 481-7687

Photos by Doug Kalal, taken at Courtyard Pottery.