Bold architectural plants create a spare geometric composition at water’s edge in Malibu, California where compact garden of this renovated 1950s weekend retreat was designed to be admired, not cultivated.

A temperate climate, (average temperature 67F summer and 57F winter, average annual rainfall 13.45”) and a directive from the owner’s who wanted a Southern California beach garden that required neither maintenance nor water led Lenkin to employ a bold architectural palette of cactus and succulents to create a veritable art gallery of sculptural plants.

Agaves, dasylirion, aloes, euphorbias and phormiums were chosen both for their bold forms and ability to thrive with minimum water consumption. Hailing from North America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, these plants and their exotic shadows serve as playful graphic structures, and are a perfect response to this southern California environment. Plants were positioned to enhance their neighbors and create a magical outline of evergreen plants requiring the minimum of maintenance. Needing only an annual trim, this is a low-maintenance sustainable firewise and waterwise garden.

Big bold eye-catching plants add dynamic energy to the home’s street side. Exotic yucca filamentosa was paired with phormium, agave, dasylirion and furcraea—all rest in an intricate groundcover of succulent echeveria and senecios.

The main courtyard garden soars with complementing textures, forms and dynamic drama. Around a deck of sustainable ipe wood, paper bark malaleucas, phormiums and euphorbias and kangaroo paws create a striking backdrop to the white walls. Burgundies, chartreuse, green and grey green plants intermingle in this primarily monochromatic mix.

On the beach side, an ipe wood deck overhangs the beach below and offers inspirational views of the Pacific Ocean. Limited space, no soil for planting and a prominent view of a neighboring roof led Lenkin to design and fabricate a vertical wall that is planted with aeonium schwartzkopf and lacy ferns that flutter in the breeze. Lenkin selected 1950s-inspired pots of pale yellow, earth and teal, filling them with tough succulents and cactus including echeverias, sedums, senecios and agaves.

To echo sea life, Lenkin created a centerpiece for a tabletop garden that is covered with mosses and succulents to resemble the texture of a starfish.

After a busy beach weekend, the door is closed, and this Malibu beach garden is left to its own devices, waiting to be, once again, lovingly admired.