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Homes & Gardens
Homes & Gardens
Sophie Edwards

If you hate watering your plants, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick's low-maintenance planting technique will help – and it looks beautiful, too

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick on a blue background.

Everyone loves a beautiful garden, but not everyone has time to dedicate to maintaining a beautiful garden. Enter: clever succulent planting.

Classically, the always impressive Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick's desert landscaping idea provides the perfect inspiration. Designed by Film Director and Producer turned landscape artist Patricia Foulkrod of Dirt Beauty, the tiered garden features cacti, succulents, and grasses stretching up the hill across their property. It is verdant with pops of purple for depth.

As our lives grow busier and climate change becomes more immediate, this kind of low-maintenance, drought-tolerant planting offers a stunning alternative to traditional gardening.

Patricia explains on her website: 'We integrate colorful drought-tolerant plants as well as perennials and grasses that can thrive on as little water as possible. My intention is to create for my clients a unique sanctuary garden that is not an ideal but a garden well-lived in throughout the seasons and one's daily life.'

Shop the Look

Master Gardener and Content Editor at Homes & Gardens, Thomas Rutter, explains why Kevin and Kyra's method is gaining major traction. He states: 'Landscaping with succulents and cacti will not only look great, but is also practical in terms of yard care. These plants have evolved to tolerate high heat and drought, storing water in their stems and leaves that they can then rely on in periods of dry weather.'

The logistics of planning a dry garden depend on where you live. Thomas advises: 'If you reside in a warm US hardiness zone, such as zone 9 or 10, growing one, two or several different varieties of succulents is a clever design trick that will save you from excess watering during those long and hot July and August days.'

He continues: 'In cooler regions, I would suggest growing cacti or succulents in pots that can be moved indoor or protected during frosty and snowy weather. While there are some tough and hardy species, many are tender and will rot in they sit in waterlogged soil for too long.'


Whatever your climate or level of commitment, there is a way to bring plants into your life. A succulent garden like Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon's is just one option.


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