The Fabulous Garden of Laura Balaoro part 1

You are in for a treat!  This last year on my way to the Succulent Extravaganza in Castroville, CA I made a stop in San Jose, CA to visit a special friend.  Prior to my visit to Laura Balaoro's home she had warned me not to expect too much of her garden.  She sooo underestimates herself it's not funny!  Her home and garden was a visual gift.

Laura was raised by her Grandmother who totally lived off the land.  She learned everything about gardening from her.  Once she got married and had children she spent most of her time on them and left her gardening behind.  It wasn't until her children  went to college that her passion returned.  She started a garden club in the area and joined other garden associations.  In 2005, she became a certified Master Gardener in Santa Clara county.  While she volunteered for the Master Gardeners program, she went back to school and got her degree in Environmental Horticulture and Landscape Design.  She still volunteers for the Master gardeners program and she helps educate the public about gardening.  She now specializes in growing succulents and their companion plants.  And this is so evident when you see her garden.

She also started the Facebook group called Succulent Fanatics!  It is a great group with a super bunch of succulent lovers!  If you love to grow succulents I would encourage you to check out the group and ask to join.  It's a lot of fun!

Let's look around her garden!

Before I even knocked on the door I couldn't help but start taking shots.  She had posted some photos of her beautiful succulent pumpkins on Facebook but this was the first time I could see them in person.  Everywhere I looked I saw something beautiful or interesting.

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Here is a close up of that beautiful succulent pumpkin.  Moss is glued on top of a Cinderella pumpkin then succulent cuttings are glued in place until it is as full as you want.



A beautiful Kalanchoe luciae 'Fantastic'




I love how she used these clear marbles as top dressing in this planting of a Pony Tail Palm.  She loves to experiment with different looks and textures.




 Another great pot in the front of her house.  So far I haven't even entered her home yet!  Lol




Before I went inside a member of the Succulent Fanatics Jeanne Eige show'd up with Debra Lee Baldwin.  Jeanne had picked her up from the airport and I was going to drive Debra the rest of the way to the Succulent Extravaganza in my car.  It was great to see her again and she started taking photos right away also.

After we went inside her gorgeous home we headed outside through her back sliding glass door.  When I looked to the left this is the first thing that I saw.  Wow, look at that succulent tapestry!




Here is a close up for you!  So stuffed full you can hardly see the frame behind.




The man and woman on the left are so cool!  And she planted them so perfect.  Laura has a great imagination and knows just what to plant in each pot she finds.




Standing from the top of her back porch I got a good look at her beautiful back patio and two Koi ponds.  Yes I said two of them.  She has a little stream that runs between them.  All around the ponds is a path that runs throughout the gardens.  We had the most wonderful lunch under the umbrella at the back right.  Full of fresh vegetables from her garden.  Her home grown tomatoes were the best I've ever eaten.




This is an outdoor BBQ pit that Laura turned into a table.  Wasn't that a great idea!  And it is just perfect for setting a few pots of succulents with a succulent pumpkin.  The colors go so well together.




This wagon stuffed with different varieties of pumpkins and was just sitting on her patio looking pretty!  And she got the great idea of spray painting orange pumpkins gold and silver then topping with succulents for the Christmas season.  Isn't that brilliant!?




This is a cool tiered planter made of pallet's.  I don't know how she did it but the results are great on her patio.  It doesn't take up too much space and it's perfect for smaller succulents and their companion plants.  Check out the sempervivum coming out of the knot holes and the cute talavera lizard accent.




I don't know if she made this hanging planter but it was really interesting.  I love the succulents hanging over the edge.  And can you see the lime up at the top on the left?




If I hadn't been so busy taking tons of photos I would have loved to just sit and relax in this pretty little sitting area.  So many succulents all around and see the path in the upper left hand corner.  I think it is lined with echeveria's.



This tiered planter was just bursting with succulent goodness!




Laura has a great imagination.  This looks like a table with tea and pretty little cakes for an afternoon get together with the girls!




Who wouldn't love to grow this beautiful variegated Agave Attenuata.  I have tried to grow the non variegated form but it gets too cold here.




Planted in this fabulous urn planter is Sedum album 'Coral carpet'.  I love how she mimics the grapes on the side of the urn.  Laura is brilliant!




Laura had a few of these outstanding Sedum Sieboldii plants hanging in just the right place to give you that Wow factor!  All of them were in full bloom.




I wanted to show you a close up of the beautiful pink on the Sedum sieboldii blooms.  Aaaah my favorite color!

This will have to be the last photo for this posting.   I am already working on the second post for Laura's beautiful garden.  The photos in the next post will just about knock your socks off.  I can't wait to show you what we saw.  So stay tuned I will publish it in a few days.

Until then remember:

It's Another Beautiful Day