Cactus and Succulents Gardens

 

Cactus garden at Huntington Gardens and Library, San Marino, CA. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives, 2017.

What's the difference between succulents and cactus? Succulents are those plants that store water in their leaves or stems. Cactus are also succulents, and though all cactus are succulents, not all succulents are cactus. It is said that the thorns are the main difference, but this is not exactly this way as some cactus are not prickly. Cacti have areoles (spine cushions) and succulents, even if they are spiny, lack their cushions.

Regarding the soil needed for these gardens, though we use gravel and sand, remember that cacti do not grow in sand alone. Like other plants, they need the nutrients supplied by organic matter in the soil.

In my personal experience, cacti and succulents grow in any type of soil, even in clay soils, though of course the results are not the same. My cacti in clay do not produce flowers, but the rest which are in "any type of plant" soils, grows without  problem. I usually use the potting mix successfully. 

Landscape with succulents require only 20% of the water needed for the same area of lawn. Those that grow in containers require more frequent watering than the ones growing in the ground. Apart from this important condition (mostly in California), they are structurally beautiful and interesting. 

I took this picture in last August just for the pleasure of remember the dramatic Summer shadows in this succulent.

Cactus and succulents gardens are very nice in combination with rocks.  Like the example I am showing below which besides is completed with a wooden pergola.

Cactus garden and pergola at the Sherman Gardens and Library, Newport Beach. Currently the pergola has been removed.  Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives, 2017.

Many people have collections of cacti and succulents, which can grow in tiny pots. Of course they will grow as much as the pots allow. I began a collection a couple of years ago, and after more than one year, those in plastic pots died, the same happened to the succulents that were under the shadow of other plants, due to lack of space. So I transplanted the rest to ceramic pots, which I located on a new shelf under the morning sun. Lighting is very important and in some cases, collections grow under artificial light. Full spectrum fluorescent tubes are better than incandescent lighting that give off a lot of heat and could burn the leaves. Do not use any LED, only horticultural LED that produce the type of red and green wavelengths.

For green houses, the minimum temperature is 55o. The next three pictures are from the Huntington Gardens and Library in San Marino, CA.

Cactus and succulents green house. Huntington Gardens and Library, San Marino.  Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives, 2017.

Cactus and succulents green house. Huntington Gardens and Library, San Marino.  Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives, 2017.

Cactus and succulents green house. Huntington Gardens and Library, San Marino.  Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives, 2017.

Succulent flowers clusters adding lots of textures to the leaves. Cactus garden at the Newport Beach Civic Center. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives.

I took this picture in Spring. This cacti are in a ceramic pot right against a store front which is reflecting the street and sky. It has a beautiful dramatic effect. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, Seal Beach, 2016.

This arrangement is delineating an edge. I love the combination with stone and the deep blue glass. Sherman Gardens and Library. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives.

Cactus garden at the Huntington Gardens and Library, San Marino, CA. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives.

Cactus garden at the Huntington Gardens and Library, San Marino, CA. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives.

Cactus garden at the Huntington Gardens and Library, San Marino, CA. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives.

Cactus garden at Rancho Dominguez, Long Beach, CA. See how the path has little stones and others are randomly spread. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, 2019.

Cactus garden at Rancho Dominguez, Long Beach, CA. See how the path has little stones and others are randomly spread. Note a wheelbarrow is used as a decorative container. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, 2019.

Cactus and succulents garden in the Newport Beach City Hall. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives, 2017.

Succulents are very easy to reproduce, mostly ground covers. I like to plant tiny cuts in combination with other succulents. Once I had a King cactus (upper) cut with flowers, from a neighbor that was giving them away after trimming his huge cactus in the front yard. I put the cut standing vertical on a piece of paper on the floor, right next to the kitchen sliding door, so it would receive light but not too much. I waited around ten days and I planted it in the ground. The purpose of waiting is to have a sort of dry callous below to avoid rotting. The cactus grow pretty high and after three years, and I assume it was due to the Winter rains, it began rotting in the bottom. So I cut it again, began the process of getting a dry callous and planted it. It is still healthy but with no flowers.

My king cactus trim against the kitchen wall. Personal archives.

Another tip to reproduce the Cereus or Queen of the Night: but a leaf right in the union with the stem. Put it in a glass with water, in a vertical position where the cut is inside the water. Change the water every two days. In around 15 days you'll see the roots and it will be ready to plant.

My Queen of the Night leaf in a glass of water. I kept it in the kitchen next to the window. Personal archives.