This past weekend, I was lucky to attend the Succulent Celebration at Waterwise Botanicals, a huge, gorgeous outdoor nursery in Escondido, CA that specializes in succulents.  It was a blast--I'm so glad I made it. 

One of the first succ-ers I saw there was Cindy Davidson of The Succulent Perch fame, who recognized me right away and greeted me with a big hug.  I felt so welcomed!  Cindy's table boasted a marvelous array of arrangements--birdhouses and beyond.  Below left is a partial shot of a miniature garden Cindy constructed, complete with a perfect mini replica of Debra Lee Baldwin's new book.  Below left is a close-up of an echeveria purpusorum that Cindy used in one of her arrangements.  I love it when people use the slightly lesser-known succulents.

I spent an hour or two just roaming Waterwise Botanicals's vast grounds, which offered up dozens of picturesque views, including this:

And this:

I took over 100 photos with my trusty iPhone (admittedly, I regretted leaving my Nikon at home).  Here are a few of my favorites.  And by "a few," I mean "eighteen.  Click on any of them to see a larger version.

In all, an lovely weekend of sunshine, succ-ers, and succulents.  I also attended the Succulent VIP celebration, where I met many more succ-buddies in person at a drop-dead-gorgeous home garden.  Though I snapped plentiful pics there, too, I'm strictly forbidden from posting them until after the garden is featured in some print magazine that I can't remember the name of.  (Hmm, though I bet I can post pics of me and the other succ-ers there--I'll look into this.)

I'll post more soon about my other San Diego succulent adventures, which included the San Diego Botanical Gardens and more succulent nurseries than you can shake a stick (of fire) at!

I was stressed out today, because I recently turned in an application for a job I'm really excited about.  At the same time, if I got it, it would entail some big changes for next year.  And in general--though the events of my life might suggest otherwise--I am not change's biggest fan.

So when I found myself just a mile and a half from the Gamble Garden in Palo Alto today, I had to pop in.  I looked at plants, took some pictures, and cleared away dead leaves.  It was nice there, peaceful and uncrowded, and I returned to my day with a slight reduction in stress.

Here are some pictures from my little afternoon visit.  Enjoy!

This weekend on our way back from an excellent Thanksgiving visit, my girlfriend and I stopped at a place called "Cactus Jungle."  It's located right off of hwy 80, near Berkeley's 4th St. neighborhood (close enough that you can walk to the other shops, but far enough away from them that parking is a snap).  We encountered healthy plants, helpful employees, and two cute, docile whippets that we wanted to take home with us.  Here are a few pics I snapped.

Our verdict?  This place is worth a trek--and we'll certainly be back! 

Somehow, I managed to confine my purchases to a single euphorbia obesa for my girlfriend...  this time, anyway.  What other places in (or near) the Bay Area should I be sure to check out?