They began watering their new garden just as they had successfully done with all of their other planted areas. The only problem…this was a succulent garden that Lynn and Mendi Wyatt had planted. When a few plants started looking bad, Lynn gave them more water.  The worse they looked, the more water he dumped on them. “I proceeded to drown them!” he laughed.  “You have to make a mental change to water these plants less.” The Wyatts have been creating and planting new garden areas on their Alpine property for the past 11 years.

It was a rock that initially made them decide to purchase the lot on which their dream house now sits.  But this is no ordinary rock… It is a gorgeous, moss-covered boulder, perched on the edge of a knoll with a million dollar view, and it was love-at-first-sight.

Today, it is a keystone of Lynn’s rock “fort”, one of many rock and boulder creations on the 1.5 acre lot with a bounty of boulders. Capitalizing on the treasure they had, the couple began building rock walls to retain soil and create planter beds when they first moved in to their custom-built Alpine home.  And they haven’t stopped!

Single-handedly, the two of them cleared and hauled away a huge hillside of brush, and discovered and uncovered literally hundreds of tons of boulders along the way. Long flat rocks were elevated on smaller stones to serve as benches.

The Wyatts planted each new area as it was created. “We know where every rock and bush is on this property, “ Lynn said, “because we either put it there or had help putting it there!” “We started small and it just got bigger and bigger,” he said.

Many lessons were learned along the way.  The  Wyatts stuck with the things that “worked,” and nixed what didn’t. As with many folks just starting a garden, they put in a lawn and sprinkler system. Neither of those “worked,” Lynn said.  Rabbits ate the lawn and the sprinkler system wasted water and resulted in high water bills, Mendi added.

The lawn was removed and replaced with more drought-tolerant plants, and drip irrigation installed for watering them.  That “worked,” they said. A recirculating water feature with falls and creeks was installed by Bob Graham, and that “worked”, Lynn said, so they hired him to solve a mud slippage problem on a dirt hillside. Using river rock strategically placed over weed cloth, he not only solved the erosion problem, but Mendi was delighted that the area can now be weeded in a few minutes, rather than several hours it previously took.

Learning to deal with high winds was another challenge the Wyatts faced.  An outdoor flagstone patio with wrought iron gazebo ended up as a total disaster when the wind completely destroyed the metal structure, and rainwater flooded the flagstone. The flagstone was replaced with a raised cement patio (with hidden bilge pump to divert the water), and a sturdy patio cover was constructed by The Patio Man.  Outdoor kitchen components now make the area as functional as it is attractive.

The reclaimed flagstone was then used to start a path into a new area of the garden–and a whole new plant palette for the Wyatts.  This was the start of their succulents. Mendi said she loves that they are the perfect accent to their boulder-filled landscape. “They are pretty, too,” she said.  “I never realized the colors they have!”

With the realization of the rock and succulent compatibility, the Wyatts are on a new roll.  They are forging additional paths along the outer perimeter of their property, where the incredible views are unobstructed, and the boulders can flaunt their grandeur. “The paths give us a chance to come out for a walk in the morning with a cup of coffee, or in the evening with a glass of wine, and enjoy it all,” Mendi said.

Visitors will certainly share in Mendi’s sentiment.  Theirs is Garden #3.

**NOTE:  This garden will host a special display of pottery and container gardens from Planter Paradise all three days of the tour.

Tour Information:

• Five fabulous Alpine gardens are showcased in this year’s tour, plus a place-of-worship gardenand raptor rehabilitation facility.  Admission to all seven sites is regularly $20.
• Ticket includes a map for the self-guided tour, and is valid all three days of the event.  Visitors may stay as long as they desire in each garden.
• Tickets may be purchased in person at Jennifer’s Feed or Alpine Marketplace.  Cash or checks only at those locations.
• To purchase online with credit card, please visit www.chirp.org.
• Instructions to purchase by mail may also be found at www.chirp.org, or by phoning 619-445-8352.
• The event is hosted by CHIRP for Garden Wildlife, Inc., and sponsored by Viejas Outlets and San Diego Home/Garden Magazine.