It's Beautiful In Ocean Hills

Every morning I take Pepper for a short walk around 7am.  It's beautiful out in the early morning.  The jacaranda trees along Leisure Village Drive are in full bloom, and except for the mess they make on the street, they are stunning.  Greenbelts are brown due to the lack of water, and front yards also have a lot of dead grass.  That will all change soon.  Each village will be re-landscaping the front yards to reflect the dry conditions of our climate.  Lawns will be dug up, trees will be replaced, and plants will be changed, so that we will have drought tolerant plant everywhere.  It's expensive, but think of what we'll be saving:  lots of water (I don't know how much) and lots of gardener costs.  We will not need the constant trimming of bushes.  Drought tolerant plants grow slower and don't require as much attention.  When it's all complete, Ocean Hills should look gorgeous.

Several weeks ago the Ocean Hills Garden Club opened a dozen or so homes for public viewing.  Wow, was I surprised.  Most gardens reflected a change from traditional plants, to succulents other drought tolerant plants.  They were beautiful too.  So many people feel that a succulent garden is going to look sparse, but no, that is not the case.  I just planted a small area in my yard with succulents.  Thanks to help from Jan, my garden expert, and Lupe, my gardener who did the heavy lifting.  I have a beautiful little succulent garden.  Instead of traditional mulch, I used the new rubber mulch (at the suggestion of Jan), and I just love it.  Many residents of Ocean Hills are doing the same thing as I did.  They're slowly transforming their backyards to succulents, while the front areas will be re-landscaped over the next few years by the community.  What a beautiful place to live!