Suburban Jungle: A Huntington Beach Tropical Paradise

Carl Hartman's childhood dreams of living in a jungle, fueled by Kipling's The Jungle Book, came true when he landscaped his Huntington Beach home. He started with common palms — king, queen, date — then added unusual specimens: Bismarckia, Caryota gigas, Cuban royal, Pritchardia. Under the canopy: ferns and elephant's ear. Sunny edges: aloes, cuphea, flax, and other heat-tolerant plants.

The garage remained too prominent, so Carl landscaped the driveway with a central planting island of cycads, succulents, and tropical Schizolobium parahybum trees. He resurfaced the rest in brown-toned aggregate — earthier than gray concrete — broken by meandering ribbons of greenery. Now the driveway blends so well, visitors sometimes don't recognize it.