We get about 10 inches of rain in a typical year, and it's always bone dry during the summer months. A few years ago we had our driest year in recent recorded history, about half that much, and a bunch of tree aloes did fine that year with zero supplemental water. So I guess the choice of plant has a lot to do with its survival. Or to put it another way, the plants that can't handle drought have gone away and been replaced, so over time there's continual selection for survivors.
I have gotten comments from people passing through, and a couple people asked for cuttings, and occasionally someone takes out their phone to snap a picture. I think the neighbors enjoy the garden, especially during the winter when we get our rain, it greens up, and lots of aloes are in bloom. There's a whole series of these public gardens along the street (technically it's a median strip) and everyone has their own style in the areas they take care of.
