- Cacti are popular landscape choices.cactus image by Vasina Nazarenko from Fotolia.com
Cacti offer several ways to enhance landscapes, since they grow in all kind of places and require little to no maintenance. As authors Rose Houk and George Huey put it in their book, "Wild Cactus," "benign neglect" may be the best way to care for cacti in a landscape. Cacti also save homeowners money on the water bill because the plants require very little water. - Plant a cluster of four to six trichocereus hybrid and mammillaria guesloviana to create a sea of colorful blooms 10 to 12 inches apart. These plants grow 12 to 18 inches tall and will bloom some during certain times of the year. Plant cacti in loose, well draining soil in a sunny area of your landscape. Houk and Huey recommend watering cacti after planting to settle their roots.
- Cactus fences act as borders to keep wildlife away from landscapes. For individuals looking to keep traffic out of their landscape, a cactus perimeter offers an effective and attractive border. Agave parryi, also known as Parry's century plant, is a an impressive and hardy cactus species which grows 30 inches tall and 30 to 36 inches wide, according to the Albuquerque City landscaping guide, "The Complete How to Guide to Xeriscaping." Agave scabra offers another fence idea. It grows 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
- Plant three to six Prickly pear cacti plants as a backdrop behind a low (3- to 4-inch-high) cluster of perennials such as Delosperma cooperi, a landscape idea from authors Michael and Shirley Powell in their book, "Native Plants in Landscaping." Stairstep the Prickly cacti by planting alongside one or two Bearded prickly pear, which grow to 3 feet high, next to one or two Brown-spinded prickly pear, which grow 2 to 3 feet high. Top off this landscape grouping with one or two Englemann's prickly pear for the smallest stair--they grow up to 12 inches tall.
- Cactus edging adds beauty to any landscape. Sempervivum tectorum, more popularly known as hens and chicks cactus, grow into beautiful, flower-like form. This succulent has been around since ancient times and proves easy to grow in the simplest of landscapes. A cluster of hens and chicks makes for a beautiful landscape edging. Plant each cactus 10 to 12 inches apart.
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