Some people love them. Some others are not too sure what to think of them. Cacti are definitely among those things in life that can trigger mixed reactions in people. Well, I am definitely pro Cacti. Most people know that cacti are all succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. But it is not so common knowledge that they are only distantly, if at all, related to some of the other succulents. Besides the great variety among them, they are different from other plants. Apparently, how succulents are different from other plans were first recognized by the Romans. They noticed that Sedum acre (stonecrop) tasted more bitter in the morning, than in the evening which meant that the plant is greatly different from other plans in a way that it accumulates acid during the night and use it during the day. This difference to other plants enables them to minimize water loss. Some species are so good at storing water that they can live in drought conditions for several years. Another interesting fact about cacti is that they are all flowering plants which is probably not evident for all of us because we don’t often see cacti arrangements in flower, unless they are in our garden and we see them every day. Also, for some of the species it takes quite a while to reach maturity and bring flower. However, they all come into flower sooner or later, and when that occurs it is beautiful.
Spring is the time of awakening. They all start to wiggle about, enjoy the warm sunshine, the spring rain. They bring new shoots, and they begin blooming.
Some people think that it is too complicated to care for these plants because the weather conditions are not optimal for them. Well, not really. Most of the species can get remarkably accustomed to hostile and dry conditions, but they love fresh water just like all living creatures and they don’t mind the cool days either. As a matter of fact, they produce an abundance of flowers in response to heavy rains. They make great decorations indoors, on balcony and in the garden. For me they are the symbols of resilience, calmness and confidence. They are brilliant Feng Shui tools both in the office and in our homes.
As a Feng Shui practitioner, I can only recommend the use of cacti. They lift our spirits by reminding us that we should stay cool and keep on working towards our goals whatever comes our way.
Sometimes I get questions about those prickles, thorns and spines of various types of various cacti. People ask whether cacti bring negative energy into our homes. If you think about it, those prickles, thorns and spines are their protective shields. Their function is to protect the cacti from becoming the target of grazing animals in the wild, to give them shade from the sun, and some types of cacti can absorb water and nutrients through their spines. Also, they provide shelter for animals in the wild. As a matter of fact, I always see some cute little spider webs in my large Opuntia display in my garden every summer. If cacti were superheroes, the prickles would be their superpower. By the way, fun fact, there are cartoon characters inspired by cacti. Joke aside, I always say, the rule of thumb is that we should do what makes us happy. If we love to have a beautiful cacti arrangement inside or outside of our homes we can but we have to choose the right location for it.
Probably one of the best known succulents is Sansevieria or Mother-in-Laws Tongue. They come in many forms and shapes (around 60 species), their heights and coloration differ. They tolerate neglect and they can be very nice indoors, but they will thrive if we place them in a partially shady, well drained area in the garden, preferably in a mixed succulent arrangement. Yes, cacti and succulents get on really well with each other. As long as we use a container of any kind with appropriate water drain properties they can be decoratively put together in one pot. They can be a wonderful extension to our rockery, or a smaller arrangement gives any balcony a vibrant new look.
All in all, the late Gordon Douglas Rowley botanist and writer pointed out that there is no magic formula to succulent growing. The most successful growers are those people who get to know their plants, so they can tell what to do just looking at them. Because most importantly, it is often best to wait for the plant to make the first move. If we know our plants well, they will tell us what they need.
Please visit our Cacti and Succulent Gallery. For Further information contact us via e-mail : gaby@dogandcactus.com or call us: +36-30-5324550
