Succulent Border Design: Bold Drama with a Soothing Touch

Ernest Cohen grew up surrounded by his father Robert's succulent fantasia, so including them in his new garden felt essential—if daunting. Designer Jeff Powers of Earthscaping created a border that honors both generations: drifts of apple-green aeonium rosettes, icy-blue senecio fingers, and rose-tipped kalanchoe pads, interplanted with modest-water perennials like gloriosa daisies, coreopsis, dwarf alstroemerias, penstemons, foxgloves, Salvia greggii, and coneflowers. The result? "One of the boldest gardens I've seen," says Ernest. "But a soothing sort of bold."

Smart Accent Idea

Powers placed potted 'Valencia' and navel orange trees behind the succulents. Each pot's bottom was sawn off, giving citrus the drainage it demands while letting deep roots reach native soil. Every pot has built-in drip irrigation and uplighting.