Aloe, aloe as far as the eye can see. There’s aloe that dramatically droops and aloe that prominently points, aloe that’s green and aloe that’s red — and only a single one is Aloe vera. In our first-ever Show Us Your Garden reader contest for best garden, sponsored by Knapp Nursery, we picked Tom Cole’s garden for its exceptional drought resistance — he waters once a month; with some areas, he doesn’t water at all — and wondrous aesthetic appeal, strangely beautiful enough to befit a Dr. Seuss tale. Intermixed with towering Euphorbias and studded succulents, the garden displays a huge variety of shapes and colors for such a limited species spectrum. “I like a lush look,” says Cole, a garden designer. So strong is his knowledge of aloe that he is a renowned expert on the plant, with a book (Aloes of Uganda: A Field Guide) and his discovery of four new aloe species (one named after his late brother, Luke).
I asked Cole a few questions about his aloe garden.
How did you get into aloes? I see them in their habitat. I travel a lot in Africa and Madagascar, helping communities with food security and rebuilding from war. I first collected seed of Aloe excelsa 20 years ago in Mozambique. I’m an accidental botanist, and S.B. is the perfect climate for them.