Trogdon home in Nipomo: Water, pottery and dogs

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  Charles Varni says he’s always been “a nature boy.” As a child, he sometimes went to work with his father, a gardener at Lotusland in Santa Barbara. He particularly recalls his fascination with the succulent gardens that the estate’s owner, Ganna Walska, was developing at the time.

  But Charles’ interest in succulents lay dormant during many of the 40 years that he taught Sociology and Human Services at Hancock College. It was rejuvenated only after he took some courses in handbuilt pottery at Hancock for his own enrichment. He soon became adept at pot-making, and his favorites were pots that were suitable for succulent plants.

  When Varni moved to his current half-acre location in Oceano in 2001, he created his pots in an unheated greenhouse. After retiring from teaching in 2003, he became a full-time potter, and began growing the succulent plants that seemed appropriate for his pots. He also installed a photovoltaic system that produces electricity for the kiln in which the pots are fired, as well as for

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  Both work full time: She’s a veterinarian, co-owner of Nipomo Dog and Cat Hospital; he’s employed by REC Solar. Their “leisure time” during their first year was spent clearing weeds, including masses of ice plant that dominated the steep slope on the uphill side of their lot. That’s one succulent plant they dislike.

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  “We both worked at a nursery and wanted to start our own,” said John. “We chose the area for the climate, but also for the affordable land at the time.”

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  When Philip Carey studied Exhibit Design at Long Beach State College, he never dreamt that he’d become an artist. But since his retirement 2-1/2 years ago, he has produced three volumes of Dream Books, with cartoonlike drawings based on his “numerous, vivid and wacky dreams.”

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