Down the Street and Out of the Ordinary: Joe’s Place

Down the Street and Out of the Ordinary is a series that will acquaint Rancho Reubidoux readers with singular local gardens and their creators.

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Joe’s place is literally steps away from the Rancho on Redwood Drive. Ironically, it was because I couldn’t see it that I took notice of it at all. From street level, a ground-covered slope and tall bamboo fence choked with vines, hid the house completely. I’d see an elderly gentleman out front occasionally; I made it a point to say hello. Then came a time I stopped seeing the man and I feared the inevitable. For a while, nothing, then: Changes. Big ones. The bamboo fence and vines disappeared and the ground-cover was stripped away completely. I could see the house, finally, and the front yard was now a blank slate. I was intrigued; what would happen next? I feared another lawn might be added to the already lawn-heavy area. Then I embarked on my latest surgical adventure and had to wait until I began walking again to catch up with the yard and its changes, a period of almost 8 months. Walking down the street again for the first time, I got chills: The house that had been obscured behind a green veil now faced a vision from prehistory, or maybe a desert planet. I had to meet the person behind the transformation …

I finally got to meet the man behind the changes when he was out watering his plants with a water-filled bucket one day. He said his name was Joe and the elderly man I used to see was his father; he had passed as I suspected and the house now belonged to him. It’s Joe’s love for succulents and cacti, and the spareness of desert landscaping, that accounted for the yard’s new look.

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Barrel cactus appeared first, followed by Madagascar palms, cycads and euphorbias. Among these striking plant materials, Joe placed massive, flat, turquoise-colored stones. I was thrilled by each new change. He was a guy after my own heart!

When I first met Joe I offered him some of my agave pups; he told me he wasn’t interested and that he preferred barrel cactus. So, I was surprised at the addition of each plant that wasn’t a barrel. The day I took these photos I told Joe I’d noticed a bright lavender-colored echeveria had been added to the mix. He almost blushed as he told me he thought it was a purple agave … I smiled at this latest addition; clearly Joe was expanding his succulent palette.

Speaking with Joe is dizzying: Pointing at specific plants he names local succulent providers I don’t know, and he does the same when asked about particular rocks. He offers to take me to the place he gets certain rocks and the slag glass from! … With all his sources I believe Joe will have no problem filling his front yard with all manner of juicy leafed wonders and amazing stones.

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Joe’s got a sly sense of humor. This toothsome welcome replaces the traditional mat at the front door.

How interesting a fellow is Joe? Interesting enough to have built two slim, high-rise iguana habitats on a trailer, complete with interactive platforms. Triggered by his reptile’s weight, they provide warmth (via heating lamps), food, even music from their personal radio station. Nearby, two walled enclosures have transformed his backyard into habitats for more iguanas and a pair of California tortoises. Another humorous touch: Raising its head on a rise in the background, a brontosaurus seems to languidly stretch its neck out for a bite from a nearby shrub.

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Did I mention there are rocks? Along with the flat, plateau shaped rocks in the front yard, Joe’s strategically placed rocks to fill almost every empty space. Next to a walkway and in the back yard there are mud balls similar to those I bought from Stephen Penn for my Pipe Garden, also gorgeous chunks of colorful slag glass; a small boulder of naturally magnetized stone; rocks featuring stripes, streaks and stipples in every color; smooth river pebbles; a roughly carved mini-Mt. Rushmore in scarlet he says is crumbling. I get the sense from speaking with Joe that all of these elements — plants, stones, space — speak to him, telling him where they should be placed. I think to offer, then resist making suggestions; clearly Joe doesn’t need my help. All I need do is walk past and enjoy his latest burst of creativity.

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Joe is surrounded by lawnscaping, so I’m dying to know what the neighbors think of the choices he’s made in his front yard. As with Joe, I’ll have to wait until I catch them outside to ask their opinions. Fingers crossed, they’ll say they appreciate what he’s doing!