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Holiday Cactus From Fall to Spring

Spring holiday cactus varieties come in many colorful shades including orange.

Every year, holiday-house-plant lovers enjoy the sensational fall and winter blooms of crab or Thanksgiving (Schlumbergera truncata) cactus and winter or holiday cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi), but it does not have to end there. There are other Schlumbergera that bloom at different times of the year, particularly in the mid to late spring, making them outstanding house plants to color homes through many months of the year.

A Short History of Common Holiday Cacti

Holiday cacti are Brazilian natives, and several common cultivated species and hybrid groups exist. The popular Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) tends to bloom in November and early December. It has joined stem parts (technically called cladodes) that have pointed edges, and its brilliantly colored, long, multipetaled flowers have bilateral symmetry. When viewed head-on, the blooms look almost crab-like, which explains one of its common names, crab cactus. It is the most commonly sold species and new colors are always being bred in shades of pink, magenta, red, orange, salmon, apricot, and white. The true holiday or Christmas cactus is Schlumbergera × buckleyi, and it tends to bloom in December or early January. It has flowers in shades of red and pink that are more radial, and its cladodes have rounded edges. Oddly, it is harder to find, despite its wide appeal and beauty. Easter or spring holiday cacti are mostly comprised of two species with radial, multipetaled blooms in shades of orange, pink, red, and white, Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri (syn. Schumbergera gaertneri) and Rhipsalidopsis × graeseri (syn. Schlumbergera × graeseri). These plants have smooth cladodes, and their hybrids are less often sold but very beautiful with cheerful blooms that appear from March to June, depending on the variety.

Schlumbergera truncata was one of the first species brought into cultivation in the nineteenth century. (Botanical Image Plate by Hooker, William Jackson (1823–1827))

These cacti naturally grow in the mountainous rainforests of Brazil. Most are epiphytic, which means that they grow in the branches of trees. Their seasonal blooms are pollinated by hummingbirds, which explains why they are tubular and come in bright colors, particularly shades of red.

Schlumbergera truncata was the first species brought into cultivation in Europe and America in the early 1800s (~1817 to 1839). Their regularity of bloom, ease of growth, and great beauty made them popular house plants and conservatory specimens in no time. Schlumbergera x buckleyi started to appear around the 1850s in Victorian England and was popularized in the US and Europe a bit later. It fast became the official Christmas cactus due to its consistent December bloom time. The spring holiday or Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) was the last to hit the scene. It was brought into cultivation in the late 1800s, and is surprisingly less popular than its winter-blooming cousins.

One great trait of all Schlumbergera is that they are wonderfully long-lived. This explains why many are passed down from generation to generation. Lots of home gardeners proudly grow the same holiday cactus raised by their grandparents or even great grandparents. It’s a nice thing to consider when purchasing one for the first time. It’s a long-term investment. If you grow one for each season, you can then enjoy their showy blooms through much of the year.

Fall, Thanksgiving, or Crab Cactus

Schlumbergera truncata has bilateral, tubular flowers, pointed teeth along the stem, and blooms around November. (‘Dark Marie’ shown)

Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata and hybrids) is the number one selling holiday cactus, so most growers likely already have one. Some exceptional varieties are available.

One of the prettiest pinks is the profuse, reliable bloomer, ‘Cristen’. The large flowers of this truncata hybrid have pale-pink petals edged in darker pink. The effortless November bloomer ‘Dark Marie‘ is similar but its flowers are edged in scarlet. Some varieties have a more weeping habit and are better suited for pedestal planters or hanging baskets. The November-blooming, golden-apricot-flowered ‘Christmas Flame‘ has a beautiful weeping habit and reliably blooms annually. The unusual ‘Aspen‘ is another to seek out. Its extra-large, frilly, white flowers are spectacular.

Winter, Christmas, or Holiday Cactus

Schlumbergera in the buckleyi hybrid group have radial, tubular flowers, rounded stems (cladodes), and bloom around December.

True holiday or Christmas cactus bloom about a couple of weeks to a month later than the Thanksgiving type. The plants can become quite large with age and tend to weep, making them extra appealing when placed on a sturdy pedestal. There are few cultivars of this true December bloomer and even the standard form is a challenge to find. Look to Etsy and other specialty sellers to find the real deal.

Spring, Spring Holiday, or Easter Cactus

Easter cacti have totally smooth-edged stems and totally radial multipetaled blooms.

Spring cacti (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri and hybrids) have many colorful petals in shades of pink, magenta, red, orange, white, and other related color variants. There are several pretty varieties that are readily available including the pure-white ‘Sirius‘, which has golden centers and is a reliable bloomer from May to June. The brilliant-red-flowered ‘Scorpious‘ generally flowers a bit earlier in the spring, from March to April, and will bloom for weeks. If you like bright orange flowers, try ‘Colomba‘, which blooms along with ‘Scorpious’.

Growing Holiday Cactus

There are several general growing requirements for holiday cacti. Provide the following for good growth.

  1. Place them in bright, indirect light. Full sun stresses them out and turns their stems shades of purple and red.
  2. Plant them in well-drained soil and pots with good drainage. Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix and Natural & Organic Potting Mix both work beautifully.
  3. Water regularly during the growing months. Apply less water before they start to set bud and average water while they are budded and flowering. Too little or too much watering can kill a holiday cactus.
  4. Provide light fertilization during the growing months, from spring to fall.
  5. Take them outdoors in the summer to soak up the heat and indirect light.

To learn more about winter-blooming holiday cacti, watch this useful video.

What Are Some Good Online Nurseries for Garden Succulents?

“Do you have any recommendations for mail-order succulents supply sources for gardens?” Bob from New Mexico

Answer: There are several mail-order companies that I turn to for succulents for the garden. These include the following companies.

Good Online Succulent Nurseries

  1. Mountain Crest Gardens – They have both tender and hardy succulents for sale.
  2. Cold Hardy Cactus – The Cactus Man specializes in hardy cacti and succulents, and he has bred some real beauties.
  3. High Country Gardens – Here is a standby online nursery for drought-tolerant plants and succulents. They carry a lot of natives as well.
  4. Digging Dog Nursery – This California-based nursery carries a lot of unusual Southwest natives and succulents.
  5. Plant Delights – The nursery has a wide variety of garden plants, succulents included. Their Mangave selection is excellent.

If you find other interesting sources, be sure to check them against the Garden Watchdog nursery checker. It is often very helpful. And, once you get your plants don’t forget the Black Gold® Natural & Organic Succulent & Cactus Potting Mix!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

How Much Cactus Soil Do I Need For My Pot?

“How many bags of Cactus Soil will I need to fill up a 4.5-gallon container that measures 20″ x (top) x 8″ at base x 10″ deep. I am taking my barrel cactus out of the ground and planting them in this container. Can you suggest a good draining pot? Thank you for your time.” Debra of Nevada

Answer: This is the perfect job for our retail bag to pot calculator. It allows gardeners to determine how many bags of mix will be needed to fill a pot. Another easy tool to try is a gallon to cubic foot conversion calculator.

For our tool, you must answer the following:

Step 1: Select your container and size. (We provide this information.)

Step 2: Use the keypad to enter the number of containers of your size. (Make your choice, but your exact pot size is not in the calculator. I made a good guestimate by choosing a pot of the closest size.)

Step 3: Choose your bag size. (Black Gold Cactus Mix comes in 1 CF and 8 QT sizes, information that you can find on the product page.)

Our calculator and the gallon-to-cubic-foot calculator determined that 1 CFL bag of Black Gold Cactus Mix will be needed to fill the pot.

We also recommend that you read our article about Planting a Golden Barrel Cactus Safely. It has super tips from cactus expert, Maureen Gilmer!

I hope that this helps!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

DIY Succulent Fairy Garden

Create an easy fairy garden filled with tender succulents that will look great through summer and winter. We used a bowl-shaped planter filled with Black Gold Cactus Mix and lots of beautiful succulents from Mountain Crest Gardens. Product links are below.

Materials

Black Gold Cactus Mix
Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix
Succulents
Bowl-shaped container
Fairy figurines
Decorative stones and mosses

Mountain Crest Gardens Succulent Plant List

Aloe ‘Blue Elf’
Crassula mesembryanthemoides
Crassula perforata ‘Variegata’
Haworthia retusa ‘Fouchei’
Mammillaria crinita ‘Duwei’
Mammillaria gracilis ‘Fragilis’
Sedeveria ‘Jet Beads’

Should I Change My Succulent’s Potting Soil?

“I am growing little succulents, should I change the soil at some point?” Question from Shelby of Woodsville, New Hampshire

Answer: The soil should be changed when you transplant them into a new pot. Succulents all eventually need to be transplanted and upgraded. Sometimes gardeners just want to place their succulents in prettier pots or mixed plantings. (Click here to read an article about mini succulent potted gardens.) Older succulents require transplanting when they become root-bound, which means they are rooting along the periphery of their pots. (Click here to read a good article about transplanting pot-bound plants.)

When it comes to a good potting mix for succulents, fast drainage is essential. A good succulent mix must drain very well but also have some organic matter. Black Gold Cactus Mix has the perfect balance of good drainage and organic matter. When choosing a pot, pick one that is several inches larger than the last and has drainage holes at the bottom as well as a saucer to catch water.

Once your succulents are newly planted, it is smart to top the soil with decorative gravel to keep the surface dry and attractive. Pebbles and gravel for terrariums come in different sizes, textures, and colors. Those in light shades let plants stand out without overstatement.

I hope that this information helps!

Happy succulent planting,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Repurpose Your Fountain for Vertical Gardening

Are you tired of constantly filling your fountain all summer long? Is the submerged pump perpetually clogged with debris or algae? Maybe you’re finding that once loved water feature is becoming a real maintenance headache. If so, you’re not alone. Trend-conscious landscapers everywhere are busy repurposing beautiful, older fountains into monumental container gardens – and you can too.

Gator Fountain - Photo by Maureen Gilmore
Gator Fountain: A whimsically designed fountain drips with long strands of Senecio rowleyanus, to simulate water. (Photo by Maureen Gilmer)

Turning Fountains into Gardens

The best kind of design for this transformation is the tiered Spanish-style fountains. These feature basins that can be turned into planters by simply adding potting soil. But with such shallow root zone, the basin may not prove able to support all plants, just those with smallish root systems. The palette for these projects is often succulent plants and their close kin which require limited water and soil depth. But, if your fountain is deep enough, turn it into a cascading tower of annual color.

Preparing Fountain Planters

The key to success is removing all the drain plugs so the basins no longer hold water. This becomes your drain hole for each planter. Use a masonry bit and an electric drill to create more holes if necessary at the lowest point of the basin. Cut a square of window screen to lay over the drain holes so they don’t clog up with potting soil.

Next fill the basins with Black Gold® Natural & Organic Succulent & Cactus Potting Mix, formulated for rapid drainage and good aeration that make it downright hard to over-water. Be sure to set the soil level a few inches below the basin edge so you can flood it with water without immediately overflowing.

Planting Fountain Planters

Now the fun begins. Since each tier will be smaller than the one beneath it, consider arranging your plants so that the cute little rosettes of echeverias are higher up at eye level. At the bottom use spreading plants that can be used to cover up unsightly chips, cracks, or foundational problems.

Succulent Fountain - Photo by Maureen Gilmer
Succulent Fountain: with deep tiers, this lovely fountain became an explosion of cascading, blooming succulents. (Photo by Maureen Gilmer)

In between, let your imagination run wild. Strive to use contrast, which makes each plant stand out equally. Use a variety of forms and colors against one another to enhance the visual interest.

The crowing glory of these planters is the dangling plants that cascade off the edges of each basin just as water once did. Try donkey tail or the delicate string of pearls to get this look which ties the entire composition together. Miniature ivies are a more versatile alternative for the very same effect.

Maintaining Fountain Planters

This first year, while you’re waiting for younger plants to mature, stuff the nooks and crannies with interesting finds. Tidy little violas, tufts of living moss, and plants with colored leaves give your fountain great looks from day one. As temperatures heat up you can replace them with more succulents, exotics, or anything else that grows well in that exposure. In the fall, these can all be dug out and put into pots to overwinter indoors so you can enjoy them until it’s time to go out again in the spring.

Fountains are a beautiful thing, but sometimes their care is just too much for our lifestyle. Do not despair, for these concrete creations double a perfect cascading vertical gardening statement. It’s easy to do in just one weekend with lots of fun plants and Black Gold potting soils.

Cactus Fountain - Photo by Maureen Gilmore
Cactus Fountain: In the desert, more cacti are included in this densely packed planting. (Photo by Maureen Gilmer)

 

Are There Outdoor Cactus Hardy to Minnesota?

Image by Jessie Keith

I see people in pictures with cactus gardens outside in my area. Are there any cactus that can stay outside for the winter in Minnesota? Question from Sandra of Cottage Grove, Minnesota

Answer: Yes! There are a couple of alpine cacti that exist at high altitudes along the Rocky Mountains that will survive in your winters. There are also other northerly prickly pears that you can grow. These will survive in your USDA Zone 4 garden, despite the harsh cold. Here are several good options to consider.

Cold-Hardy Cactus for Northern Gardens

Devil’s Tongue (Opuntia humifusa): This tough prickly pear cactus naturally exists from southern Ontario, Canada all the way down to Florida and is hardy to Zone 4. It has low, spreading clumps that produce yellow, gold, or orangish flowers in spring. In summer, attractive purple-red fruits appear. The pads appear to deflate and shrivel in the winter months, but this is natural. They will green up and reinflate in spring. This cactus is native to your state.

Brittle prickly pear (Opuntia fragilis, Zones 4-9): With populations extending to the far reaches of Canada and western mountain ranges, this is little prickly pear is very hardy–surviving in Zone 4 or colder. The very low, spreading plant is prickly and has pretty, pale yellow flowers in spring. Its little roundish pads are “brittle” and tend to break off and root as they fall. This one is also a Minnesota wildflower.

Hardy Hybrid Pricklypear (Opuntia hybrids): There are loads of beautiful prickly pear hybrids with spring flowers in shades of red, orange, magenta, pink, and yellow. The best source for these is the Cold Hardy Cactus nursery. Have a look and check out the many options for your zone.

These are just a few of the hardier cacti for your area. All have beautiful flowers that attract bees. One note is that you really need to prepare the ground when growing hardy cacti. They require very well-drained soils in raised rock gardens or beds. I suggest amending their soil with Black Gold Cactus Mix in addition to fine pebbles, sand, and some additional organic matter (Black Gold Garden Compost Blend works well).

To get a better idea of how to prepare a rocky raised succulent bed, I encourage you to read my Black Gold article about succulent seascape gardening.

Happy cactus growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Help Me Understand Cacti and Succulent Mix Components and Characteristics

I belong to the Michigan Cactus and Succulent Society, and I like to create my own mixes. To perfect my blends, I am always trying to figure out what materials will provide the characteristics I need for drainage, aeration, water-holding capacity and so on. I also want to understand how particle size impacts the performance of primary mix materials. Does the blend of ingredients matter the most or the particle size? Depending on the plant, I add pumice, perlite, Turface® and/or chicken grit in varying proportions to increase mix drainage. Which of these items will increase drainage and lessen root rot due to organic additives? I tend to under water and don’t water the cacti in the winter. Plus, I bring many of my plants outside in the summer (some of them) where they are subject to unpredictable weather, rain, heat, humidity. What mix will best help them under these conditions? Question [shortened] from Carol of Harrison Township, Michigan

Answer: I will try to address all of your questions in full. Covering different cacti and succulent mix ingredients and their characteristics is a good start.

Mix Ingredient Qualities

Some common mix ingredients

Let me start by saying that the particle size does impact porosity and therefore aeration and drainage. Larger particles mean more air space and less water-holding capacity. All of the mineral additives you mention will increase drainage and lessen the chance of root rot as a consequence. Here are the main C&S mix components and their characteristics. (Keep in mind, some of the products mentioned we do not carry.)

Organic ingredients with high water-holding capacity: Coconut coir, compost, earthworm castings, and peat moss. All of these ingredients hold moisture, and many also contain beneficial microbes and natural nutrients (earthworm castings and compost). It is essential to include some organic ingredients to cacti and succulent mixes. Those with low nutrient value, such as peat moss and coconut coir, are best if you want to establish your own controlled feeding program.

Inorganic ingredients with high water-holding capacity: Vermiculite and Turface®.

Organic ingredients with low water-holding capacity that increase porosity and drainage: Bark.

Inorganic ingredients with low water-holding capacity that increase porosity and drainage: Cinders, Gran-I-Grit, fine lava rock, perlite, pumice, coarse sand, small pebbles, and rock dust.

Cactus and Succulent Mix Recipes

As you know, different cacti and succulents have different levels of tolerance with respect to organic matter and drainage. You could always plant in bagged succulent mix, such as Black Gold Cactus Mix, which contains a very high percentage of horticultural perlite in addition to pumice and cinders and a low percentage of earthworm castings, compost, and bark. But if you are keen to mix your own, start with the general formula.

Cacti and Succulent Mix Formula: Most professional cactus and succulent mixes by volume are 50% solid (45% mineral, 5% organic) and 50% pore space (25% air space and 25% absorbed water). Recipes vary far and wide, but it’s wise to not stray too far from this formula. Here are some succulent mix recipes that you might consider.

Recipe 1: 30% (three parts) coarse sand, 30% (three parts) fine rock like Gran-I-Grit, pumice, etc., 30% (three parts) coconut coir, 10% (one part) compost.

Recipe 2: 50% (five parts) perlite, 30% (three parts) all-purpose potting mix, 10% (one part) coarse sand, 10% (one part) rock dust.

Recipe 3: 30% (three parts) fine bark, 30% (three parts) Gran-I-Grit, 20% (two parts) Turface®, 10% (one part) compost.

Growing Potted Cacti and Succulents Outdoors in High-Rain Areas

This hardy succulent rock garden at my home is placed under an eave to protect it from excess rain.

This one is easy. I bring my many cacti and succulents outdoors in summer, too. To protect them from excess moisture, I keep the pots on my sunny porch and below eaves away from heavy rain. A covered patio would also be ideal.

Still, I find that the hardy succulents and cacti in my Mid-Atlantic yard perform well, even through hurricane weather and cold winters, because they are planted in high rock gardens with sharply drained soil (Black Gold Cactus Mix plus added pebble and compost). I also mulch them with a cover of pebbles to keep any succulent parts from touching surface soil.

I hope that these tips help. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Are Some Good Hardy Succulents for Colorado?

“What succulents will grow outdoors in Colorado ZIP 80021, Growing Zone 6?” Question from Joe of Westminster, Colorado.

Answer: I love hardy succulents and have written about them extensively because they are beautiful and easy to grow in many areas of the country, with good bed prep. I see that Westminster has an average rainfall of 17-inches per year, a good bit lower than the 38-inch-per-year national average, so you live in dry country. Thankfully, there are loads of hardy cacti and succulents beautifully adapted to your Zone 6 Cold Hardiness. Here is a very small sample of my favorites.

Agave

Parry’s Agave (Agave parryi): This amazingly cold-hardy agave can survive winter cold to Zone 4, as long as the winters remain quite dry. It is compact and has tough, silvery foliage with sharp black tips. Plant it in very well-drained soil.

Havard’s Agave (Agave havardiana): This super bold agave forms very large rosettes of grey-green foliage and is hardy to Zone 5, where winters are dry.

Cacti

Orange Chiffon Prickly Pear (Opuntia ‘Orange Chiffon’): This amazing cactus is hardy to Zone 5.  It is one of many beautiful prickly pear hybrids with fantastic spring flowers. This one is also nearly thornless.

Claret Cup Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus): This super hardy hedgehog cactus has spectacular orange-red flowers, and plants will survive to Zone 5 in a raised rock garden. It is a real beauty that’s well worth growing.

Fragile Pricklypear (Opuntia fragilis): This low, creeping pricklypear is an alpine native of Colorado and bears lovely pale yellow flowers in late spring.

Sedums and Sempervivums

There are so many amazing sedums and hens-and-chicks to grow it is hard to know where to start, but here are a few beautiful varieties of various sizes to consider.

October Daphne Sedum (Sedum sieboldii ‘October Daphne’): This pretty 9″-12″ tall sedum has rose-edged, blue-green nickles of foliage and clusters of rosy flowers that bloom in fall. It is hardy to Zone 5.

Cliff Stonecrop (Sedum cauticola): This hardy (Zone 4) low-growing sedum has dusty purple foliage and deep rosy pink flower clusters in summer.

I cannot choose a single variety of hens-n-chicks, so I suggest you view this expansive list of them for sale at Mountain Crest Gardens. All are hardy.

For a good list of tall sedums, click here for an article on the subject. Also, if you want to propagate any succulents that you have on hand, check out this article.

Succulent Sources

It’s important to mention that you have a very good source for cold-hardy cacti and succulents close to you called Cold Hardy Cactus. It offers an excellent list of beautiful and unusual succulents well adapted to the drier regions of Colorado.

For a cool succulent rock garden design, check out this succulent seaside rock garden that I created last year. It is chock full of very hardy succulents from Mountain Crest Gardens. For gardens like this sharp drainage is a must, so I added Black Gold Cactus Mix to the pebble base in addition to Black Gold Garden Compost Blend.

I hope that these tips help!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Pool Planting Tips from Hollywood’s Heyday

A Palm Springs mid-century modern was restored for climate change using artificial turf and some agaves. (Image by Maureen Gilmer)

In Hollywood’s heyday, stars drove from Los Angeles to the desert resort of Palm Springs to party and tan in the quiet comfort of desert living.  The swimming pool came of age here as the focus of every landscape where its year-around usability became integral to backyards.  Whether you had a pool or in-ground spa, those in the business of pool maintenance discovered what not to plant, so the poolside amenity remained a blessing, not a curse.

Time and experience helped guide poolside landscaping standards in Palm Springs, and these standards remain in practice today. Here are some of the most important pool planting tips gleaned to keep you safe and your pool clean and happy.

Problematic Poolside Plantings and Wind

Small palms become big threats to the swimming pool shell and plumbing as well as water quality. (Image by Maureen Gilmer)

Beware of anything you plant upwind from your pool.  Every time it blows, the litter goes straight into the water.  If the leaves are large and resist rapid decomposition, such as those of magnolias, they are easily removed.  Fine, compound leaves, like those of jacaranda or honey locust, disintegrate into millions of tiny fragments that must be vacuumed out of the bottom.

If you want grasses and other fine-litter plants, reserve them for the downwind side of the pool, so their litter is blown away from the water.  This is important in late summer and fall when the ornamental grasses are releasing their seed to the winds.

When it blows, palm trees shed their litter far and wide.  This is augmented by the large sprays of small flowers that fall like snow flurries, and finally, the pea-sized black seeds that stain pool pavement or decking.  This is the reason that fan palms in this area are annually trimmed back significantly. It prevents flowering and removes last year’s dry fronds. If not, they all end up in the pool. If your beautiful old palm is giving you problems with litter, hire a palm trimmer to remove flower stems before they mature each year.

Also, make sure trees and shrubs do not shed problematic fruits and berries that stain pool spaces. Fruiting species also tend to attract local birds that sit and feed around the pool and surrounding patio, spoiling the water quality and pavement.

Bees and Poolside Plantings

Flowering trees and shrubs look pretty around pools, but they attract bees, which are a danger to bare feet.

Because everyone goes barefoot around the pool, and stepping on bees is a common way of getting stung, avoid planting bee flowers around pools.  This is one place they should not congregate. More aggressive Africanized bees make it even more important to create planting designs that don’t draw bees.  Therefore, save your bee-pollinator flowers for the front yard or further away from the pool area.  When you plant at the poolside, strive for plants with colorful foliage, interesting forms, or those with flowers that attract specialized pollinators, such as fly-pollinated succulent carrion flowers or moth-pollinated yuccas.

Prickly Poolside Plantings

Plant sharp, succulent plants but keep them well away from the pool decking edge. (Image by Maureen Gilmer)

Succulents, the most popular plants for pool areas, have one drawback, they have spines.  With common agaves, each species has a different sized tip point on the end of each leaf.  They’re so sharp they’ll hit the bone with little pressure and can do serious harm.  When agaves are already there, or you want to plant some further out, always do what desert folks do: trim the spine. Understand that the spine grows much like a dog’s toenail and comes out of a living quick.  So you can give it a manicure and cut off the sharp point so long as you don’t cut into the living part.  If the living cells are damaged they will die back to brown at the tips, permanently spoiling the agave’s natural beauty.  Remember, everyone slips and falls, so keep these and all cacti well away from the edge of pool decking.

Poolside Planters

These paloverde trees were reluctantly removed, due to aggressive roots and messy compound leaves and flowers, leaving suites of beautiful planters and less messy plantings. (Image by Maureen Gilmer)

The beauty of using lots of large containers around the pool is that the plants become portable and interchangeable.  If one doesn’t work out, replace it with another.  Move them around with the seasons.  In the hot, dry desert, potted plants appreciate a good, moisture-holding mix like Black Gold Moisture Supreme Container Mix to ensure the roots remain cool and moist when placed alongside the hot glare and cool blue of a legendary sparkling poolside.