Colourful cacti

Cacti are gorgeous, low-maintenance plants for the indoor gardener, so show them off to the max grouped in attractive displays to enhance your home.

A cactus garden makes the most of smaller specimens. Choose a selection of different shapes,sizes and colours from the wide range available in our garden centre, looking for contrasts: purple-tinged Euphorbia trigona 'Rubra' sets off green columns of Haageocereus beautifully, while tall cacti have more impact when set against squat, sculptural barrel cacti. Broad leaved succulents like Aeoniums also look fabulous paired with spidery stems like those of the pencil cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli).

Wide, shallow bowls or boxes give most scope for letting loose your creativity. Paint trays in bright colours, Mexican style, and create natural-looking scenes by setting your groups of cacti among rocks, grit and sand to mimic a natural landscape.

Place your cactus garden where you can see it, on a windowsill or shelf at least a metre off the ground. You could even place it against a fabulous backdrop of a spectacular Arizona desert, or colourful abstract materials or textiles.

Please ask the staff in our garden centre in Co. Limerick for more information and advice about how to collect and display cacti so they look at their best.