By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

The best way to make the most of a beautiful succulent is to shop for a container that repeats some of its defining characteristics, says Debra Lee Baldwin in her just-released book, Succulent Container Gardens.

Below are two good examples from her book.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Despite having visited Santa Barbara many, many times--two dozen at least--somehow I never managed to make it to their their sweet, little Zoo. (It's rated one of the best small zoos in the country.)  Last December, though, I finally got there.  And now I doubt I'll ever pay pay the city a visit without dropping in.  Don't make my mistake.  If you haven't yet been to the Santa Barbara Zoo, drop by the next time you visit the city.  Here's a few reasons:

It has a California condor exhibit.  There are only two other zoos in the world who can say that--the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City.  Santa Barbara's' exhibit, which opened last year, is the newest.  The four juvenile condors it houses seem quite at home.  Maybe it's seeing the Santa Ynez Mountains, which are part of the condor's historic range, in the background.

  Depite its modest 30-acre size, the Santa Barbara Zoo also has all the major hitters--elephants, giraffe, gorilla.

But if you have a young child, there is something else at the Zoo, that might be even more compelling--the simple grass slope in the Kallman Family Play area.  Children will roll and slide down it contentedly for hours.  

 The Hilltop Fountain, shown below, is also guaranteed to be a big hit.

Kids can't resist water, of course.  But now that the fountain has been renovated and holds koi, just try to keep them away.  Santa Barbara landscape designer Alida Aldrich handled the fountain's redesign, and I want to thank her for luring me here to check it out.  Otherwise who knows how many more years might have gone by before I finally discovered this Zoo?

Photo credits:

Elephants, condor, gorilla, pigeon Scott Craven; children with lions, Mehosh, lion grooming, Juli Cromer; children on grass mound and fountaini, Dean Noble.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

This sweet little front yard in the North Park area of San Diego belonging to Dee Randolph  and David McQuaide made me brake and back up for a second look.  I loved, of course, that the garden designer--who I later learned was Kendra Berger with the firm Revive Your Landscape--used an interesting assortment of drought-tolerant plants instead of a lawn.

But what really intrigued me was the way Berger dealt with the retaining wall. It sets the garden up on a pedestal a few feet above the level of the sidewalk, as is typical of gardens when this home was built.  But the way the flagstone is stacked--especially those staggered edges--makes the wall almost feel like an outcropping.  Especially with the way the plants below it seem to spill rebelliously out onto the sidewalk.  This touch of casualness makes the garden feel contemporary as well traditional--an intriguing hybrid.

Now take a look at the same house before the garden renovation.

Both photos courtesy of Lori Brookes

The garden wouldn't have the same effect without the home's new more neutral colors, would it?  The turquoise paint trim and bright red roof tile might be authentic for the period, but, let's face it, they are not blenders.  By convincing her client to change them, Berger was able to make the house and garden look seamlessly connected.  "Still respectful of the home's style but more Mediterranean in spirit," she says.

To see another of Berger's projects, click here.

North Park, by the way, is a happening area.  Fun shops, galleries, and lots of locavore-oriented restaurants. Three to check out on your next visit to San Diego -- Sea Rocket Bistro, The Linkery, Ritual Tavern, and the Vagabond.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

I stumbled across an old post I put up in early 2008 recently.  The measures these steps are urging seem even more on target today so I'm giving the photo another run.

These steps are at The Camp, a very cool, totally atypical strip mall in Costa Mesa.  See my previous post for more about it.

I think I'll start with what looks like step number 9, "Read A Book in the Hammock", even if I have to do it wearing a coat.   What about you?  Any eco resolutions for 2010?

By Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine

 The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix's Papago Park has a legendary program for holiday evenings: You wander down paths lined with thousands of luminarias, stop to listen to a handbell choir, enjoy desert plants strung with lights, then warm yourself by the fire or grab a bite to eat. 

This year, add to that outdoor ice skating. (Well, it looks and feels like ice skating, but it's actually done on a synthetic surface called hybrid ice.)

Included in the $25 price for admission to Las Noches de las Luminarias, it gives you the chance to work on your toe loop, an axel jump here and there—or maybe just on keeping your ankles straight. It's all part of evening fun that runs through December 30th (but not on Christmas eve or Christmas night).

This is also the first year the garden has lit the new Berlin Agave Yucca Forest, where you can enjoy a glass of wine or cider and you stroll among these magnificent plants.

Buy tickets at the garden (note that the admissions office there closes at 8 p.m.) or online. Though most days are in the 70's in Phoenix this time of year, nights are around 50°, so dress for a bit of chill, and allow at least 2 hours for your visit.

Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine

Photos by Scott Dressel-Martin

 Just over a thousand stars are visible to the naked eye. Envision that, then multiply it by another thousand, and you’ll start to picture how many lights twinkle at each Denver Botanic Gardens location this month. It’s a truly fabulous show—or pair of shows, actually. 

The first million lights are at DBG’s main location (1005 York Street) in Denver. Come by early and grab a panini and some hot cider at the Bistro, then wander through the “Blossoms of Light” display. About a third of the lights here are brilliant, low-energy LED lights, with DBG increasing that percentage every year. While you’re there, stop at the new Visitor Center, where you can pick up hand-warmers, winter caps, and stocking stocking stuffers at the Shop at the Gardens. This display runs nightly through January 3 from 5:30 to 10.

The second million lights are at DBG's Chatfield location (8500 Deer Creek Canyon Road in Littleton). The "Trail of Lights" display leads through part of this 75-acre nature preserve and working farm. Open Wednesday through Sunday evenings through January 3.

Admission to either location is $9 for adults, $6 for kids over three. Add to the fun by picking up 3D HoloSpex glasses for your kids.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Opening a new nursery while we're still in recession?  Are these three young men crazy?

Antonio Sanchez, Rick Sanchez, and Kenji Akune, seen here left to right, opened Nopalito, a native plant specialty nursery in Ventura in late October.  Yes, just when other nurseries feel like they're hanging on by their fingertips or have already called it quits. 

The trio is confident they'll succeed, though.  "There's a huge interest in native plants, but not that much supply," says Antonio.  Shop one of the big botanical garden native plant sales and you'll see the pent-up desire, says Rick.  "It's become practically a contact sport," he says.  "You'd better wear lacrosse equipment if you don't want to get injured."  And bring a partner to protect your finds, adds Kenji.  "You have to watch out for poachers," he says.  They were pulling my leg, I think.  Or at least exaggerating.  But maybe not by much. I've been to some of those sales.

The three gained their knowlege about and love for native plants through working and volunteering at Cal Flora Nursery in northern California, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, The Theodore Payne Foundation, and Channel Island Restoration.  For awhile they were content to grow their own native plants and sell them at local farmers markets.  But customer interest convinced them there was a need for a retail native plant nursery.  And they began searching for the right space for it.

They're sure they've found it   Nopalito is located on Main Street in Ventura conveniently right off Highway 101.  (You can see it behind them in these photos.)  They're also next door to Lassen's, a local version of Whole Foods.  "They attract just the kind of customers  who are receptive to natives," says Antonio. "Wheat grass and deer grass -- practically side by side -- it's a cinch."

Their nusery set up is basic but well-thought out and their merchandise attractively presented.  Low overhead allows for good pricing, too -- $7-9 for most gallon pots. 

You know, maybe these guys aren't crazy at all.  There's always room for new business if you find the right niche, and I'd bet they have.

By Jim McCausland, Sunset Magazine

Orchid photograph by Ron Parsons

The Christmas rush brings out one of my most basic instincts: the frantic need to escape. When Hawaii isn't an option, I'll take the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers any day. From the outside, you get a magnificent Victorian glass house. Inside, it's a jungle of plants that came here from rain forest, cloud forest, and tropical lakes, swamps, and streams. 

All that, plus San Francisco's most elaborate toy train set. It chugs through flowers, foliage, and handmade replicas of San Francisco landmarks. And at least twice a day, scale-model fog rolls in under the scale-model Golden Gate Bridge and covers the landscape.

When you've had enough of trains, wander through the rest of this nationally recognized conservatory, whose warmth and humidity keep the plants (and you) toasty warm no matter what the weather is like outside. Photograph winter-flowering orchids like the Masdevallea above and check out the holiday pot plants before you head to the gift shop, where you can find the stocking stuffers you were supposed to be out buying this month anyway.

One tip: camera lenses tend to fog up when you go from chilly outside air to the warm, humid conservatory air. Just be patient. After a while inside, your lenses will clear and you'll be able to photograph whatever you want.

Located in Golden Gate Park, the conservatory is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 to 5; admission is $7.

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

In addition to the books Scott Calhoun mentions in the blog referred to above, check out Debra Baldwin's suggestions on Gardening Gone Wild. 

Just seeing the book cover of this recommendation, which I read quite some time ago but absolutely adored, makes me want to read it again.

I'm sure you'll find something you'll like for a friend -- or maybe more likely to gift to yourself -- on Debra's long list.

By Julie Chai, Sunset associate garden editor

The EcoMetro Guide is one of my favorite finds—it's packed with coupons to markets, restaurants, and other businesses for items that I'll actually use, and also has a "Yard and Garden" section for those of us who love to have our hands in the dirt.

Similar to the decades-old Entertainment Book, EcoMetro Guides have a greener focus and include info about local, eco-friendly resources like your area farmers markets, utilities, and recycling centers as well as educational tips on topics like sustainable fish, organic produce, and energy-use calculators.

Guides are available for five Western regions: Silicon Valley/Santa Cruz, East Bay, Seattle/Puget Sound, Portland Chinook, and Denver/Boulder. Priced at $20, they make perfect hostess gifts. You can order here.