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Do you have a location that faces West in the full summer sun all day and cannot get anything to grow well there? Then why not grow a cactus and succulent garden?
With this style garden, the prime emphasis is placed on a very well drained soil which can be accomplished by adding sand and pea gravel to your organic soil plus making it slightly raised (one to two inches) above the surrounding ground. Use stones or other appropriate material to make a border to hold in the bedding material. One should also include a way to cover the bed during our "wet winters" to keep from having root rot-such as footings to attach a "cold frame." Also place any garden ornaments such as large rocks, wagon wheels, etc. among the plants for accents. When choosing your cactus and succulents, choose the ones that are hardy to at least 15 degrees for the best results.
With the proper preparation of the bedding mix of organic soil, sand, and pea gravel along with garden ornaments, one can create not only a low maintenance bed but also one that will be unique and give great eye appeal to your yard.
Clayton Turner, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service