Cactus and succulents are the ultimate drought tolerant plants. They love the sun. Require infrequent watering -- just a little every week or so. Need fast-draining soil and little fertilizer. In fact, fertilizing these non-thirsty plants or planting them in rich or heavy soil, can often kill them.

These photos were taken at the Huntington Botanic Gardens in San Marino, California in the section they call their "Desert Garden". As gardeners who live in our southwest deserts know, our native landscapes are covered with scattered brushy plants with an occasional cactus here or there. This garden, however, provides a spectacular display of cactus and succulents including agaves, yuccas, echeverias, echinocactus, many members of the Crassulaceae family, including such popular plants as hens-and-chicks and Jade plants.

As important as the individual plants, are the examples of garden design found in this Desert Garden. Instead of sparse plantings commonly found in so-called desert landscapes, there is a density and color balance that give a dramatic, lush appearance -- with surprises around every corner. For example, Barrel cactus (Echinocactus) appear in several mini-gardens against different color rock mulch -- red or black or white. The effects of planting in the various color rocks is beautifully clear--each mini-garden gives a very different impression. 

Red stone mulch sets off silvery Mammilaria cactus and Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii).

Who says cactus borders are not colorful? The Huntington Gardens desert garden in late Spring is a festival of colors.

A rock garden of cactus with one Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) alongside a winding path.

	This ground cover is a low growing Crassula, ideal for creating an impression of a "lawn" and it never needs mowing!
	In early summer these Sempervivum bloom adding color to the garden.
	Against the black lava rock mulch these silvery Dudleya brittonii succulents in bloom stand out like exclamation points.

Take these Hot Gardens online preview tours, too:    

Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden  - near Pasadena

Huntington Gardens Desert Garden - near Pasadena

Descanso Gardens - near Pasadena

Arlington Garden - in Pasadena

Getty Villa Gardens - Malibu

South Coast Botanic Garden - southwest Los Angeles

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden - Claremont, California

Santa Barbara Gardens - Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden  - Santa Barbara, California

Tucson Public Gardens  - Tucson, Arizona

Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden  - Phoenix, Arizona

Balboa Park Gardens, San Diego, California

Tropical Garden in the Dominican Republic

Shore Acres Gardens - Coos Bay Oregon

San Luis Obispo Creek Park - San Luis Obispo, California

Japanese Garden - Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California

Japanese Garden - Long Beach, California