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PRIVATE CYCAD GARDEN

San Fernando Valley
California

VISITING A TROPICAL LOS ANGELES GARDEN
HILLS OF THE WESTERN SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
SUPER HOT SUMMERS - COOLER WINTERS
LOTS OF CYCADS IN LARGE CERAMIC POTS

We've had a very long term customer who has an expansive garden in the somewhat rugged hills west of the San Fernando Valley.  I'd estimate his home is at an elevation of 800 feet.  It's in a very hilly, mountainous community off a windy and narrow entrance road.  He had the dream of creating a tropical garden with palms and cycads.  But, he has a lot of native oak trees which he also loves.  The latter led cultural problems including invasive oak roots and oak root fungus.  These soil issues made the garden's soil an unfavorable medium for the cycads, his favorite type of plant.  It took quite a few years to appreciate this problem and think of a handling.  His solution was to utilize very large yet beautiful ceramic containers for his cycads.  This led to his actually digging up some cycads and putting them in these large pots.  In some areas where he didn't suspect there was a problem he did leave cycads in the ground.  All of his cycads love his summer heat - typically in the 90's F. or higher.  His winters are cool, often into the mid-twenties.  Palms were more of a challenge for him because of his temperature extremes.  But, through trial and error, he's created a gorgeous tropical garden as shown below. 

This garden is situated on quite a few acres.  You'll note the physical layout of the garden follows his terrain.  He aesthetically used walls, walkways, water features and interesting planting areas.  It is laid out in a very artistic manner with great utilization of many types of plants.  Also note the usage of tropical companion plants and succulents to adorn the garden floor.  The results have been quite amazing.  You'd think a garden like this was designed by a landscape architect - but it wasn't.  Rather, with his vision of what he wanted to create and his knowledge of the plants, he created by himself this unique and beautiful tropical garden.  I'd like to show you some pictures taken recently.  I hope you enjoy this photographic tour.  And, for you cycad enthusiasts, you might spot some very unusual species.

We hope that you enjoy this presentation.