Behind the doors of Beardsley-Mitchell Funeral Home on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in Ocean Beach, Brien Prescott is more than the funeral arranger. He has a second life that few know about as a creator of living wreaths. Prescott and his fiancée, Jody McFarland, grow succulents in their North Park backyard, watered completely with gray water from their washing machine. They collect the chemical-free gray water that comes from washing with biodegradable soaps and use it to water their backyard menagerie of succulents. “We fell in love with the plants because we wanted to cut back on watering,” said Prescott, a native San Diegan and owner of Gray Water Gardens. Succulents are drought-resistant plants, so they grow well in San Diego’s climate. They are extremely resilient, grow easily and can be propagated quickly, Prescott said. The tiny tube hairs of most succulents grow back even after pieces of the plant are broken off, and the broken pieces can be transplanted in sandy soil to grow new life, Prescott said. About two years ago, the two started turning their succulents into wreaths for friends and family. After seeing a small wreath at a native plant sale at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, it inspired them to experiment with the process and produce larger sizes of 12-, 14- and 16-inch wreaths. They joined the San Diego Succulent Club and redesigned their backyard haven. “It’s therapeutic. It grounds me,” Prescott said of digging in the soil. “It’s like making a work of art and pasting in the right color of plant.” The living wreaths are not the typical holiday wreath — although they can be hung on the door, they prefer to be misted daily and lie flat as a centerpiece on the table. Another big difference between a succulent living wreath and the usual holiday wreath is that the succulents are bedded in dirt and moss, so they are constantly growing and changing, Prescott said. Creating the wreaths is a way for Prescott and McFarland to unwind after busy workdays. Prescott has been the funeral director in Ocean Beach since January and has been in the funeral business for five years. In a tense world of helping others cope with grief and loss, Prescott has the same resilient and friendly attitude as the succulents he nurtures. The time spent in the garden is “like reading a book,” he said. “Worries disappear and nothing can interfere.” He also balances his days as an avid motorcyclist, camper, rock climber and former off-road bicycle racer. Like the active outdoor hobbies he pursues, gardening and the wreath-making process become effortless, he said, “like painting or building a model. You see it coming into its true image and time stands still.” Unlike evergreens, succulent wreaths come in a range of colors, naturally, without bulbs and ornaments and tinsel. The succulents that Prescott uses range in color from orange and red to blue and green, and the textures have “lots of character,” he said. The magic of the living wreath is that it can be taken apart and replanted, he said. “It’s recyclable and ever-changing.” For further information, call (619) 379-7277.