A town full of succulents: once you go, you never want to come back

Many people share a dream of filling their courtyard with succulents,

but for all sorts of different reasons, that idea eventually falls by the wayside.

But if you come to Carmel-by-the-Sea in California, USA,

this dream life is instantly within reach!

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a seaside town with little rainfall throughout the year. To save water, the government encourages residents to plant highly drought-tolerant plants, so here, whether in front of or behind houses or along the town's streets, you can almost always see succulents taking over every nook and corner.

Because the succulents in town are basically used for landscaping, they may not be as refined as the ones we grow at home. After all, in a fully outdoor environment, scars or small black spots are completely normal! But at a glance, the succulents here are large, with thick, plump leaves, completely different from our tiny toothpick seedlings!

The town is not especially big; it only takes 1 day to stroll through it, so here you can truly slow down and take your time admiring the succulents along the streets.

Whether under big trees or in roadside flower beds, succulents have become the town's most unique sight. Some are packed tightly together, some stand alone as a single large plant, dazzling your eyes until you wish you could dig them all up and take them home!

Of course, if you happen to turn into some small corner, you can also spot succulents on the walls. Arranged like this, they look truly beautiful!

Wouldn't it be too monotonous to plant only succulents? Better to pair succulents with other flowers; a casual arrangement becomes a brilliant sight!

If you get tired from walking, you can also choose to find a rest area and sit down for a short break. But sitting in a rest area surrounded by Aeoniums, are you sure you can bring yourself to sit down?

If these succulents still aren't enough for you, then you'll just have to walk from town to the seaside! See that? These huge patches by the sea are all succulents!

On sunny days, large swaths of succulents bloom, and paired with the blue sky, white clouds and the sea, you simply want to live here for a lifetime and never leave!

Of course, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, besides succulents, you can also see herbaceous flowers such as marguerites and geraniums. Because winters here are not cold and summers are not hot, plants that are annual or biennial where we come from are not only perennial in town, but also have longer blooming periods!

Besides using flower pots, every house here has its rainwater pipes, windows and porch lights all designed to coordinate with the flowers and plants.

The climbing bougainvillea is absolutely wild; its stems are basically as thick as a thigh, and at a glance it looks like it has been growing for over a decade. Then think back to the toothpick seedlings at home, and you figure you'll have to wait until you're old to see any real effect!

The most beautiful thing, of course, has to be the town's flower beds! All kinds of different flowers pieced together. Walking along the town's streets, you can stop at any time to admire them, and no one cares how long you look.

As you weave through the town's alleys, you spot a flower shop by the roadside, only to walk in and find it sells old books! The cheapest ones are just a few cents each, while the flowers outside the bookstore cost several hundred yuan for just any one. Here, you completely feel no merchant's profit-seeking, only the peace that growing flowers brings to people.

Find any small shop by the roadside, order a pot of afternoon tea, and while drinking tea, admire the various flowers and plants; the happiest life is nothing more than this!

Besides the central commercial area, many of Carmel-by-the-Sea's residences and small courtyards, under their owners' careful tending, each have their own unique style. Although these are private homes, if you want to take photos, that's no problem; the hospitable owners may even wave to you!

If you think your English is good enough, you can also chat a bit with the owners and exchange tips on growing flowers. In Carmel, everyone is a gardener.

Here, the most delightful thing is naturally each household's wildly different front gate! Although the flowers and plants used differ, every single gate is worth savoring carefully.

The railings are completely covered with white clematis - Montana

Boston ivy was planted according to the ancient big tree, perfectly complementing each other!

A gate with half Boston ivy and half flowering plants!

Of course, there are also all kinds of built arches. It seems as if, with one careless push through the gate, you would travel into the world of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

In China, everyone is afraid to move flowers and plants outside the door, because in perhaps just 1 short hour,

they will be taken away pot and all, and some people will even jump into the yard to steal flowers!

But in Carmel, everyone likes to put their flowers outside,

passing this beauty on to others as well.

Why is Carmel so gorgeous?

Perhaps it's because most of the residents here are artists!

It is said that the famous Chinese master of traditional Chinese painting, Mr. Zhang Daqian, once lived here.

In this lifetime, you must go to Carmel at least once,

to see the succulents covering the hills and fields, and feel the influence of its rich cultural atmosphere.