Rather than focus the super-crappy weather that us Vancouverites have had to endure recently, here are some photos of California sunshine from a recent visit to Los Angeles.

A highlight of the trip was an afternoon spent with The Man at the J. Paul Getty Museum. In addition to an enormous collection of art, the museum is surrounded by interesting gardens and has some amazing views of the city. By necessity, the plants that were selected for the gardens had to be hardy enough to survive and thrive in such a dry climate. The cactus terrace (above and below) was a favorite.

The Getty gardeners use a lot of different ground covers to fill in the spaces. Most of these I had never seen before, and have no idea what any of them are named.

I saw this succulent used a lot at the Getty and also around the city. On the left, the ground cover in action. Right, close up.

This ground cover, similar to spider plants, was used to cover an entire slope.

I loved this silvery ground cover; it almost looks frosty. It was used to cover a few large flat areas and is punctuated with small yellow blooms.

Here is a final picture of the museum taken as the sun went down.